Chris O'Connor

Work History

• 

  Art Director

  Unplay

  August 2023 - Present

  - Lead the visual direction of LiveTale from concept to pre-launch alpha. I ensure cohesive and impactful art assets that align with the game's narrative and aesthetic goals, while also fostering a culture of innovation and high-quality production within the art team.
  
  - Supervise and mentor a team of artists, designers, and technical artists. Serve as the liaison between the art, marketing, and engineering departments to ensure an integrated approach to product development.
  
  - Oversee the complete pipeline for character creation and customization, including modeling, texturing, and rigging. I work closely with game designers and engineers to ensure that the characters are not just visually compelling but also optimized for gameplay.
  
  - Direct the creation and integration of high-fidelity art assets into the Unity engine. Utilize industry-standard tools like Maya, zBrush, Photoshop, and Substance Painter to meet and exceed artistic benchmarks.
  
  - Illustrate and lead in the production of striking marketing materials and social media collateral. I align the needs of marketing and product teams to create visuals that effectively communicate the essence and excitement of LiveTale and the product-market fit.
  
  - Promoted from a senior role within the company, leveraging years of experience and deep understanding of both the artistic and technical aspects of game development.
• 

  Senior 3D Character Artist

  Unplay

  July 2022 - Present

  United States

  - Oversee the design and implementation of our blendshape and rig transform pipeline, ensuring AAA quality character customization for stylized characters. Demonstrate expertise in harnessing and maximizing the potential of blendshapes to push aesthetic boundaries and foster inclusive representation.
  
  - Utilize my creative abilities to sculpt character anatomy and wardrobes using advanced hardsurface and organic modeling techniques. Craft stunning hand-painted textures for physically based materials, enhancing the visual appeal and consistency of the game's stylized aesthetics.
  
  - Seamlessly fuse model subdivision and asset swapping into a streamlined asset creation pipeline using industry standard tools like Maya, zBrush, Substance Painter, and Unity. This includes meticulous organization and management of stylized assets, optimizing both performance and artistic consistency.
  
  - In close collaboration with the Art Director, I help guide a driven team of artists and engineers, instilling a culture of creativity, efficiency, and teamwork. Balance workloads to maintain high productivity while nurturing a space for innovative ideas and collective growth.
• 

  Associate Character Artist

  Pocket Gems

  January 2018 - Present

  ► Creating both high resolution 3D sculpts and final low polygon game assets.
  ► Creating textures that are stylized, combining hand painted techniques with next-gen material generation.
  ► Collaborate with design, animation, and visual effects departments to meet the highest visual quality and gameplay standards.
  ► Communicating clearly and effectively with production, art management, and other departments.
• 

  3D Artist

  Atmos

  April 2021 - February 2022

• 3D Character Artist

  Emissary Creative

  July 2019 - April 2021

  Greater Boston Area
• 

  3D Character Artist

  Gazillion Entertainment

  March 2016 - December 2017

  San Francisco Bay Area

  
• 

  3D Artist

  Wizdy

  October 2014 - March 2015

  Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• 

  3D Artist

  Behaviour Interactive

  May 2014 - October 2014

  Montréal, Canada