Resume & Biography

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Brief Biography

Jonathan Schwarz, Level Designer
1815 Tree Line Drive :: Carrollton, TX 75007 :: (940) 231-1287
www.skippyslist.com/portfolio :: skippy@skippyslist.com


Skill Set - Level & Game Design

  • Game Mechanics Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Character Design and Behavior
  • Combat Systems
  • Player and Character Dialogue
  • Level Layout
  • Design Documentation
  • Menu Systems
  • User Interface Systems
  • Experience Training Others

Software Skills

  • 3d: 3dsmax 6, Unreal 2K4, Radiant, Hammer, Maya, Quantum Ed, Unreal 3
  • 2d: Photoshop CS, Corel Draw, Illustrator, Inkscape
  • Editing: Premier, After Effects, Sound Forge, Vegas Video
  • Other: NWN Aurora Tool Set, Text based scripting, menu based scripting, Microsoft Speech Recognition 4.0, Tortoise SVN, MS Office, Alien Brain

Education

  • Guildhall @ SMU – Graduate Certificate in Digital Game Design.
  • Academy of Art College & Art Institute of California: Fine art, traditional animation, cinematography, game design, computer animation, and editing.
  • Defense Information School – Graphic Design.

Accomplishments

  • Worked on 4 published titles over 2+ years of experience in the game industry
  • Creative under fire, former Army PSYOP graphic designer
  • Creator of the popular web site: www.skippyslist.com, optioned for television by Fox Networks
  • Designed all side quests for The Hunt, nominated for 2006 Independent Games Festival “Best mod in Neverwinter Nights category”

Other Experience

  • Strategic Psychological Operations – 3 years; designing and constructing information operations campaigns and devices.
  • Tactical Psychological Operations – 3 years; disseminating information operations products, crowd control, combat support.
  • Ft. Benning Airborne School – Basic parachute course.
  • Fayetteville Community College – Combat Life Saver course, Emergency Life Saver course.
  • John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Indoctrination Center – Psychological Operations, Arabic language and culture, Serbo-Croation language.

Game Experience

Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment - Senior World Builder – Aug 2008-Present
Currently in progress
Stargate Worlds
Designed and built two levels, NPC population/spawning, for 9 levels, laid out proprietary cover system on dozens of levels, created and maintained documentation, gameplay testing.

High Voltage Software - Designer – 2006-2008
Unannounced Tactics Game
Still covered by NDA
Source material research, assisting the initial core game-play design, rapid prototyping, scripted game play and AI behavior, created and maintained documentation, responsible for 4 single player levels and 12 multi-player levels.

Flame-Sim by Flame Simulations LLC, a High Voltage Software subsidiary – Level Designer - 2007
Built the initial prototype level, made extensive research into firefighting techniques and equipment, assisted Lead Designer in game design documentation, provided initial level design/fire incident customization, level population, scenario implementation, vehicle and NPC pathing, designed in game communication system, created UI mockups.

America’s Army: True Soldiers by High Voltage Software – Level Designer - 2007
Military research, demonstrated proper military techniques, formatted information for in-game database.

Ghost Recon PSP by High Voltage Software – Level Designer – 2006 -2008
Co-designed coop and competitive multiplayer, built four of twelve levels in the single player campaign, enemy pathing, object placement, gameplay balance, asset development, scripting/triggers, designed menu system, created and maintained documentation, created UI mockups.

The Guildhall@SMU- Level Design – 2004-2005
Brothers in Arms by Gearbox Software
Lip-sync for French localization, coordinated work schedule with producer, tested and provided game feedback for three levels of game play under direction from producers.

Kompressor [Half Life 2 Project] Student Project – Level & Game Designer
A multiplayer racing game set in the German countryside.
Designed & documented Core game play, built twenty world models including breakable objects, designed and built thirty-nine pre-fabricated buildings for backgrounds, built one quarter of level detail.

The Hunt [Never Winter Nights project] Student Project – Level Designer
A single-player action heavy role-playing game.
Nominated for 2006 Independent Games Festival “Best mod in Neverwinter Nights category”, did concept for three levels, designed and implemented twelve sub-quests several of which are branching, extensive scripting & dialog work, created new encounter system using in engine assets that was not dependent on player level, created a generic dialog system for NPCs that changes based on player activities, responsible for major sections of game play.