Jason Patnode

Star Wars® Jedi Starfighter™

Current project:
Jedi Starfighter. Once the modeler is done creating the geometry and textures for a model, I need to set it up for the game. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, animation, polygon tweaking (reduction and/or clean-up), level-of-detail correction, effects (engine glows, lasers, animated textures, etc…) and texture resizing. Often times, models require multiple steps from the list above or even altogether new ones. I am also in charge of training the artists on how to properly set up their art for the game engine.

Academic Info

College: San Francisco State University
Degree: I received a B.A. in Motion Picture Production. I also received a secondary degree in 3D Computer Modeling and Animation.

Were there any particular projects or areas of study that you pursued?
Directing, lighting and effects were always something that interested me. I also enjoyed the acting classes. I tell everyone that they were for animation study, but truth be told, they were just plain fun.

Did you do any internships?
Sure did. I had an internship on an independent fantasy film called Quest of the Delta Knights. I also had an internship on a couple PBS television narratives (A Midnight Tryst and Tastes of Terry Southern). After school, I did a lot of production work for various film companies. Pixar for A Bug's Life, Full Moon Productions for House of Wax, and the independent film Dreams for an Insomniac.

Career Info

Tell us about your first job in the industry. How did you get the job? What was it like? What were your responsibilities?
I have always viewed the game and film industries as going hand in hand. All of the experiences
from my motion picture background smoothly translated into games. So I really have to consider
the film work I did as my first work in the industry. My first job in games was at LucasArts. I was
getting ready to start on a project in the art department at ILM, but the project didn't get off the
ground so I took a position at LucasArts. I worked in product support for a spell. After a time, the
Nintendo 64 version of Star Wars: Battle for Naboo needed help and they called me up. It was a great
experience. I dove right in and began setting up models and textures for the game engine.

What jobs have you held in the games industry thus far? Briefly describe the career path you took to get where you are today.
I was the technical artist on Star Wars: Battle for Naboo. I was also a technical artist on Escape
from Monkey Island and an animation tech for Star Wars: Starfighter. I'm the Lead Technical
Artist for Jedi Starfighter. I got started in motion pictures. Movies and games are nearly identical
fields so the transition from film was very smooth.

Advice

What fields of study, specific courses, or life experiences would you recommend to students interested in your field?
A Technical Artist needs draw from a wide knowledge base. Animation, texturing, modeling,
lighting, even cinematography are all-important areas. I would suggest taking as many classes in
computer graphics and film production as possible. A class in computer lighting is okay, but to
really learn the basics you can't beat a hands on cinema lighting course. Real world experience and
all that.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you got into the games industry? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Actually, I can't stress enough how important an internship can be. There is no better way to get
your foot in the door. Also, don't feel that you need to have the latest program with all the bells and
whistles. You are much better off knowing the basics of lighting, modeling and animation. Learning
the layout of a 3D program is the easy part.

As games increase in complexity, what are the various kinds of jobs that you foresee development companies needing in the next five years?
Not all companies use Technical Artists. That is an area that I think is on the verge of taking off. High polygon character modelers will be needed more often. As will character riggers (a person who sets up a model to be animated) and hopefully sub-division modeling will be realized for in-game organic models.

Do you have any other advice or recommendations to share with students who are interested in doing what you do?
Practice. Read books on the subject. Practice. Play video games. Practice. See movies. Practice.