3D Total : You recently moved to 'Naughty Dog' of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter Fame.
How did that happen?
Rich : At the time, I was working at NCSOFT in Santa Monica. I was hired to work on the cinematic team. Unfortunately that team only lasted a couple of months. The studio was formed initially as a concept house to handle all of the concepts for studios worldwide. They decided to get a hold of the giant talent pool in LA and see if they could also produce a functioning cinematic studio. After a series of communication problems, they decided to get rid of the cinematic team after I was there for about 2 months. So anyone that had anything to do with 3d pretty much got laid off, except for me. They decided to keep me around since I had a vast knowledge of games and pipelines in addition to high end cinematic know-how. I was going to help out as much as I could in making sure that their next generation games were up to a certain standard. I’ll tell you, it really was an amazing place to work. The concept team that they had there was probably the best I’ve seen anywhere as a whole. I learned so much from just being around those guys. Unfortunately my role there never got clearly defined. I felt more like an outsider being the only 3d guy and realized that I missed working in an actual production environment. So it was about time to start looking into other options.
   
I actually got a hold of the Offset guys after seeing their amazing videos online and was originally supposed to be heading up the character side over there. After months and months of waiting for deals to be signed and constantly wanting to be back in production, I decided to contact one of my recruiters and see what else was out there. He immediately sent me an opening for a texture/material artist over at Naughty Dog. I really wasn’t too interested at first, since I wanted to do more than just texture and materials. But he convinced me to meet with them, since they are known as one of the best companies to work for in the industry.
   
    A couple of hours after agreeing to forward them my work, I got a call from Bob Rafei, the art director at Naughty Dog, asking me to come in the next day to interview. I was like, “sure, no problem!” I went on the interview the next day during my lunch break and presented them with some of my newer work that I couldn’t present online. I also, upon their request, brought in sample files to explain my workflow in more detail. Since I had a limited amount of time, I pretty much ended up doing most of the talking and showing off. I didn’t get a chance to see what project they were actually working on. Since it was top secret, nothing was really available for me even to see! So I left a little disappointed. However, the next day I got a call from Evan Wells, who is the co-owner of Naughty Dog, reassuring me that the position would not be limited to only texturing and shading. I told him I really needed to see what they were working on before I could make any further decisions. So he told me to come in the following day in order to show me everything.So the next day I went back and Evan and Bob proceeded to show me everything they had. And I must say, I was truly blown away. The technology and plans they had would remove restrictions that hinder other game studios. I had a feeling it would be something special.After thinking over the offer for a few days, I came to the decision that nothing else even came close to Naughty Dog. I’ve been there for just over a year now and it’s been an amazing experience.
 
    3DTotal : What is your main role at naughty dog?
Rich : I was initially hired as a character artist but was quickly promoted to Lead Character Artist, in charge of overseeing anything character related. I deal mostly with character pipelines and coming up with both new and innovative ideas. I also get the honor of working on all of the main characters in the game.

3DTotal : How does it compare to previous jobs you have had?
Rich : Naughty Dog is on the forefront of technology which allows me to be on the forefront of next generation character development. I’ve never actually been at a place that is all about setting new standards and has the means of doing so. Naughty Dog also has an amazing relationship with Sony, which allows us almost complete control of how our game turns out. The freedom we have to explore and innovate is truly amazing.
    3DTotal : What inspires you? (video games, films etc).
Rich : Everything really inspires me. I love video games, art, movies, music, computers and technology. If something is new and cool I’m all over it! I also get inspired by the people around me. I’m a very passionate person with my work so anytime I see that passion from someone else, regardless of the field, it motivates me to make a difference. I also try to inspire others around me. I’m all about pushing the envelope and getting everyone else excited to be a part of something special.

3DTotal : Do you get any time for personal artworks any more?
Rich : Not as much time as I would like. Its really hard trying to juggle a full time job that is very demanding and a family across the country that I’m trying not to miss. Not to mention a social life! Every once in a while I make sure that I get the chance to do some personal work. I think it’s an extremely necessary thing. It’s the one time I get to really experiment and learn new things without worrying about deadlines. I’m also really big on learning and playing with new tools and programs. I think I’d go nuts if I wasn’t able to do at least some things at home.

3DTotal : One piece of professional advice for our readers?
Rich : Don’t stop learning! The most successful people I’ve met are the ones who are always on top of their game. They know the latest and greatest methods of working and are constantly trying new ways to enhance themselves as artists. A vast knowledge of tools and pipelines will easily give you an edge over someone else whose knowledge is very limited. This industry is not easy. To be the best, you have to work for it. Good luck to all and thanks for reading!
 
 
 
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