Please click here for an updated list of my portfolio work
Raindance Games Dec 2012 - Current
Creative Consultant
- Developing gameplay and monetization mechanics including expandable art style for multiple markets and platforms
- Planned an art production schedule and pipeline for current and future game projects
- Consulting to help fill artistic roles in projects and advisory positions
YouTube (contracted under Advantage Professional) Aug 2012 - Nov 2012
CDN Encoding Tech
- Developed scripts, workflows, and diagnosed encoding quality and technical issues for Google Play’s content delivery network
- Managed partner content across various YouTube channels
- Led presentations between partner operations and Android/Google Play teams to bring up technical issues and resolve problems for upcoming product and market launches
- Visited film and tv studios partners, assessed their encoding and delivery process, and refined their workflow
- Assisted operations, development, and marketing teams for partner specific content requests
- Took lead in overhauling the QA team's content viewing lab to resolve problems better with consistent visual accuracy
Digital Hydra Studio 
Jul 2012 - Sep 2012
VFX Project Lead
- Consulted for VFX portion of live action commercial shoot for mobile app
- Built and rendered photo-realistic product demo to be integrated into the scene
Google (contracted under Advantage Professional) Jan 2012 - Aug 2012
Front-End Coding Specialist
- Standardized international support content for AdWords, Android, and Google Play using HTML/XML & CSS
- Assisted editors to ensure code consistency of tag and style usage on the front-end
- Pushed international help content through gKMS for various Google products
- Worked with another engineer on site metrics integration, prototyping UI and UX design, and refining the team's coding standard
Lucasfilm Animaton Aug 2010 - Sep 2011
Technical Assistant
- Lead artist for the asset turntables (lighting/compositing/effects) for the Clone Wars: Season 3 Blu-ray extras
- Developed tools in Python, Perl, and MEL to speed artist workflow and organize the show’s asset delivery to partners
- Created style reference turntables for each asset’s look, motion, and special effects
- Mastered Chewbacca's wookie roar
- Reproduced in-show effects manually (light sabers, engines, electricity, flames, etc.) and matched episodic lighting scheme
- Worked with overseas offices to help facilitate technical standards for asset deliveries
- Overhauled existing lighting process for consistent color and lighting, faster rendering, accurate presentation and delivery
- Wrote web documentation and tutorials on workflows used throughout the department
- Kept everyone chill, laughing, and smiling
Digital Kitchen Apr 2010
Technical Director
- Worked on pre-visualization, R&D, and environment modeling for Cartoon Network’s “Check It” Cinemedia theatrical spot
- Modeled, textured, and lit the photorealistic environment using 3DSMax
Frozen Codebase Feb 2010 - Mar 2010
Technical Artist
- Created Unity iOS-specific low polygon meshes/textures from PS3 assets
- Scripted reusable humanoid mobile optimized rig and animated various multi-purpose cycles including baked cloth and deform simulation
- Worked directly with the lead programmer to ensure art implementation and game mechanics worked side by side
DePaul University 
Jan 2009 - Jul 2010
Professor Adjunct
- Created and taught undergrad and graduate courses in animation and motion capture
- Managed and directed performance capture sessions at our motion capture lab
Tap Me Games Jan 2008 - Mar 2009
Cinematic Asset Artist
- Created 3D assets for civilians, doctors, and environments
- Animated character cycles and scripted cinematic events
Updating after GDC 2013 - In the meantime, please look here for a simple list of my work
DePaul University: Master of Science 2008
Computer Graphics & Animation
- Graduate Teaching Assistant for:
- CSC 211 Programming in Java I
- CSC 212 Programming in Java II
- CSC 261 Programming in C++
- GAM 226 Fundamentals of Game Design
- ANI 201 Animation I
- Lobbied for, researched, and hand-built a 16 camera optical motion capture facility able to capture multiple actors and objects with a real-time feedback loop through a scene set up in MotionBuilder or Maya
- Built an easy to use Mental Ray renderfarm using the animation labs that deferred to local users during network renders
DePaul University: Bachelor of Science 2007
Computer Games Development
- Game Projects (links coming after GDC 2013):
- Art Director for senior project: Provoking A Storm
- Artist on Civilization IV Chicago mod
- Programmer, designer, and artist on tabletop RTS game research project using the Torque engine
- Study Abroad: Japan - Spring 2005
- Lived and studied in Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto
- Visited & mentored with Microsoft's XBOX division, Sega, Bandai Visual, and Namco
- Board member of DePaul's Game Development club - DeFRAG
From the day I was tall enough to climb onto the dining room table and tinker with my dad's Apple IIc, I've been entranced by the world of computing and my curiosity drove me to figure out what made that magic happen.
After growing up around the snowy landscapes of Chicago, I finished up my masters, worked a few freelance gigs and moved out to California for warmer weather and opportunity. While discovering a love for the outdoors upon arriving, I was lucky enough to land a creative job with Lucasfilm Animation in San Francisco where I got to work with an amazing group of talented people on the StarWars Clone Wars TV show. After that, I came down to Google and then eventually YouTube to work on the business and tech side of movies and tv.
My life has been about fulfilling the burning curiosity to explore every bit of the world I can and sharing laughs with some incredible people along the way. These experiences have been invaluable in helping me approach problems in new ways. I love the culmination of different people, their dreams, and their ideas.
An idea without the will or the way to execute them is just that, an idea. I'm at the point in my career where I want to make these ideas reality.
Please feel free contact me at timlobes at gmail dot com
I'm currently available for 3D work, mobile game development, or consulting on a new project
