Martin Sawkins Biography, Resume

Resume

I am a game industry veteran with over 25 years’ experience, 23 of them in art leadership positions as either studio or project art director.

I have developed games for the majority of gaming platforms starting with making VR arcade games in the early 90’s through to today’s latest consoles, mobile and AR/VR systems.

I have been responsible for the following tasks when managing art teams within established company’s and with startups;

  • Recruiting and building multidisciplinary art teams.
  • Reviewing performance, giving art team members timely and actionable feedback.
  • Instigating training where necessary using internal or external resources.
  • Instilling a professional, open, creative and supportive culture within the art team.
  • Creating art development pipelines for internal and outsourced art resources.
  • Planning, budgeting and schedules for project art development with constant tracking to adjust the plans where and if necessary.
  • Running outsourced art creation, defining art specification, procedures, feedback and approvals.
  • Bringing innovative processes from outside the game industry into development.
  • Work with internal and external executive teams to effectively communicate project status.
  • Assess new hardware, software or development methodologies for the art team.
  • Promote and facilitate good attitudes amongst the development team, ensure that the art team respects and works well with other development disciplines and that they do the same.
  • Bring humor and experience to the team when facing the slings and arrows of outrageous game development fortune.

 

Depending on the company structure and culture some or all of the above tasks can be included in the project art directors remit but the following are responsibilities I have undertaken while project art directing games;

  • Research and analyze competitive games during the length of development.
  • Create an overarching Vision for the games aesthetics that supports the game design direction and themes.
  • Define and communicate the Vision to all stake holders internally and externally.
  • Lead the pre-production through concept design, style guides and visual prototypes.
  • Provide creative leadership and direction to all members of the art team.
  • Reviews all concept design and production art.
  • Create concept designs, paint-overs and provide additional references to help spread the Vision.
  • Use my long history of game development to try to avoid future problems by addressing issues that could hinder smooth and timely production.
  • Provide assets and final art to Marketing teams.
  • Keep the art team motivated, informed, invested in the Vision and as happy as can be expected at any given moment using my experience of the highs and lows through the standard development cycle.

 

Employment.

GED Studios.  Creative Consultant/Founder.  2009-present.

Brain Beat. Interactive Metronome, PC.

IM Pro. Interactive Metronome, PC.

IM Home. Interactive Metronome, PC.

3 Thumb Island. iOS game.

RTI.  iOS Education app.

 

CastAR.  Studio Art Director.  2014-2015.

mARbles.  AR game.

 

Gearbox Software.  Project Art Director.  2008-2010.                                         

Duke Nukem Begins.  2K, Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

Brothers In Arms 4.  Ubisoft, Xbox360, PS3, PC.

 

Concrete Games.  Studio Art Director.  2006-2007.

Revolution.  THQ, , Xbox360, PS3, PC.

 

Paradigm Entertainment.  Senior Art Director.  2002-2006.

Mission Impossible: Operation Surma, Atari, Xbox, PS2, Gamecube.

Stuntman Ignition.  THQ, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2.

 

Legend Entertainment.  Project Art Director.  2001-2002.

Spy Girl.  Atari, Xbox, PS2.

 

Boss Game Studios.  Studio Art Director.  1995-2001.

SR3K, Nintendo 64, Midway.

World Driver Championship, Nintendo 64, Midway.

Boss Rally, PC, South Peak Interactive.

Twisted Edge, Nintendo 64, Midway.

Top Gear Rally, Nintendo 64, Midway.

Spider, Sony Playstation, B.M.G.

 

Silicon Dreams.  Studio Art Director/Founder.  1994-1995.

Fever Pitch, SNES, Mega-Drive, US Gold.

Olympic Soccer 1998, 3DO, PC, Playstation, Jaguar, Saturn, US Gold.

Olympic Games 1998, 3DO, PC, Playstation, Jaguar, Saturn, US Gold.

 

Sega Europe.  Lead Artist.  1993-1994.

 

Graftgold.  Senior Artist.  1993.

Empire Soccer, SNES, PC, Amiga, Empire Interactive,

Ottifants, Mega-drive, Sega Europe,

Uridium 2, Amiga 500. Renegade,

MotoX, PC, Sunsoft.

 

Virtuality.  Senior Software Designer.  1992.

Legend Quest, Legend Quest.

Flying Aces, Virtuality.

Exorex, Virtuality

Exercise Bike, Matsushita.

Hero, Hero aftershave.

 

Additional Information.

Portfolio.

www.martinsawkins.com

Contact.

Email  martinsawkins@gmail.com

Education.

1984-86 BTEC OND Product Design, Colchester Institute.

1986 Highly Commended by the Royal Society of Arts.

1986-89 BA Hons,  Industrial Design Engineering, Central St Martins School of Art and Design, London.

Certified Scrum Instructor.

Nationality.

Dual UK/US citizen.