I have to always give it to the guys from Epic, not only does they’re game engine provide an elite level of tools and quality, but when they assist in developing a game it’s always something unique and cool.  Check out their latest collaboration, Bulletstorm!

Well i spent the evening tonight relaxing a bit and just having fun with Photoshop.  It all starts with a green screen shot of our design team that we did at Harrisburg University a few weeks ago.  Next step was finding some imagery that i liked to tie into it and start concepting the background and foreground elements.  I wanted it to be a movie poster style piece and something hot, edgy and fun.  Below are the results and the green screen shot that was used.

Well, I decided to share some of a pet project i’ve been working on at lunches and after hours wherever possible.  The idea is to build an interactive walk through of our new office space for customers who haven’t been here before and would like to see the environment we work in.  Now the environment is cool but pretty basic so it’s more about capturing the details

and aesthetics of it all than a “walk through”  really.  To do this, my first choice is going to be to develop the office environment in the Unreal Engine using Maya for the 3d modeling assets and the Engine to handle the first person style walkthrough and all the lighting/rendering bells and whistles.

Here I’m just posting a quick screen cap from Maya to get wet your whistle.  If you want to see more check out the MudBrick Facebook page where we’ll be sharing renders throughout the process as well as development notes etc.  Love to hear any feedback you have or ideas as we go through the build out, should be a lot of fun.

Our  Facebook Fan Page to see future renders and notes!

This was a very interesting perspective on creativity and our adult education.  Definitely worth a watch if your a creative and frustrated by our school just never getting it.

Thought I’d share this little gem I found in my travels through the interweb, very cool piece done using some 3D tied to Grafitti.  Enjoy!

Paul Benninghove Jr.

Designer & Chief Rocka

email: paul@mudbrickcreative.com

http://www.mudbrickcreative.com

“MudBrick Creative, we design, you succeed.”

Posted via email from Paul’s posterous

So tell us something, are you a rockstar? Are you so good at what you do, that you just draw attention like a magnet? Well if so we want to talk to you.

MudBrick is currently on a search for a Designer and/or developer who can blow our minds with creativity and quality. In order to help weed out a bit of what we are “NOT” looking for in these two areas, we have provided the information below, feel free to review and see if you have the backbone and desire to join our crew for 2010 and rock the bells!

Designer Criteria

Things we are not looking for are listed below.

1. Any designer with Microsoft Office or any of it’s applications listed on their resume under “Application Proficiencies” or “Skills”

2. Any designer who is “working on their online portfolio”. You either have one and take your profession seriously or you don’t.

3. Any designer with the following terms in their resume or vocabulary “Above Average, I’m Ok at It, I’ve Used It or I had a class in it”.

4. Any designer who doesn’t know what the letters “UI” stand for.

5. Designers who list design awards they may have won in college or through ad clubs, no offense but we’re an interactive agency who take what we do seriously, college is over and ad clubs…well we’ll just leave it at that.

6. Finally, designers who can’t draw.  You need to have at least some rudimentary artistic talent, no seriously….

What We Are Looking For:

1. High quality designers with a thirst for learning.  If you’ve ever thought that learning a 3D app would increase the unreal shit you can do with your work or thought that with the addition of After Effects into your skillset you’re flash work would go to that next level, then you are a candidate! (These are just two of many examples)

2. A designer with personality who’s not afraid to speak up and make their presence felt.  We’re not looking for a mindless automaton who can regurgitate “Helvetica, color theory and grid systems” on command.  We want attitude, personality and the boldness to be an impact player.

3. Finally we want quality work.  In the end if your work kicks ass you know it, and we’ll know it.  Show us your best stuff, kick our teeth in, and make it that we can’t help but add you to the mix.  We want someone who we don’t want to see working at a competitor shop.

Developer Criteria

What We are Not Looking For

1. Any developer who has spent more than 50% of his development life working in cubicle hell or on the same project.  Basically this means all of you comfortable types need not apply.  We want a developer who loves to get dirty with multiple projects, platforms and creative avenues.

2. Any developer who lists anything like “.NET Nuke or PHP Nuke” on their resume.  Sorry, can’t take you seriously.

3. Developers who have been a party to any project that involved taking an off the shelf product, claiming development of it,  and re-branding it.  It doesn’t matter if your boss said it’s genius, in the end it’s that kind of shit that gives developers a bad reputation and paints us all into a hole with customers.

4. Any developer who can’t answer the following question with at least one example and a sample that backs it up: “What MVC’s have you worked with?”  see also: ” What API’s have you worked with?”

What We are Looking For:

1. A developer who knows their shit, but doesn’t feel the need to constantly make everyone else know it.  Know it alls are awesome, know it all’s that don’t beat us to death with their knowledge are a dying breed, know it all’s who constantly give everyone recommendations on “The best way” we should all do things are assholes.  Know your shit and be productive with the knowledge.

2. A developer who says “Hell Yea”, if we throw a game engine in front of them and say we want to use it for a project. We want a developer who isn’t afraid to do something they may have to spend some time learning.  New technology and the possibilities of using it makes us happy in places we don’t talk about at parties too, so be one of those guys who lives for those opportunities.

3. A developer who can speak intelligently.  I know this is a tough one.  Some of you out there grew up i front of CRT’s and didn’t learn the social skills, bottom line, we need to be able to sell not only product and services but “You”  to the customer.  Make eye contact, speak intelligently and don’t stutter, you know your shit, make sure that’s reflected in your demeanor.

Well that about wraps it up. This criteria is just a baseline of course and somewhat humorous baseline at that, but should help you to measure and see if MudBrick would be a good fit for you.  By all means take a chance anyhow and send us your resume and contact info…we’re tough but we’re understanding….

Send resumes and samples to:
getdirty@mudbrickcreative.com

Posted via email from Paul’s posterous

On a day full of inspiration I thought I’d add just a little bit more. This CGT piece was done by a designer out of Azerbaijan and I just thought it had to get a little more pimping because it is Fan-Freakin-Tastic. Be sure to watch this one beginning to end, you will be amazed one guy can direct, CG, Effects and render this stuff himself.  105 days of work and worth every minute!

Paul Benninghove Jr.

Designer & Chief Rocka

email: paul@mudbrickcreative.com

http://www.mudbrickcreative.com

“MudBrick Creative, we design, you succeed.”

Posted via email from Paul’s posterous

I personally love when I get to see a company do incredibly creative work and deliver visuals that even I can’t figure out how the hell they did it.  In this demo reel by one of the best visual effects companies in the world we get to see a montage of some of the most impressive and stylistic creative work I’ve seen in a while.  Be sure to watch it the whole way through, truly impressive stuff.

Paul Benninghove Jr.

Designer & Chief Rocka

email: paul@mudbrickcreative.com

http://www.mudbrickcreative.com

“MudBrick Creative, we design, you succeed.”

Posted via email from Paul’s posterous

Posted via email from Paul’s posterous