<QuestionBot> hello everyone
<QuestionBot> we're going to be turning on the moderation now,
<QuestionBot> you'll notice that you you can no longer type directly in to the window
<QuestionBot> but if you send questions for mark to me as a private message, I will pass them along
<QuestionBot> click on Questionbot on the right and type your question as a message directly to me
<QuestionBot> now without further ado,
<QuestionBot> let me introduce Mark Soderwall, former senior art director at Atari
<QuestionBot> and currrent CEO of Extreme Days Entertainment
<Noltar> Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Mark. A good starting question is, how did you get your start in the business?
<msoderwall> I won a art competetion out of high school and a judge on the panel was from Nintendo and offered me a job
<msoderwall> pretty un-glamorous
<Noltar> What is one of your favorite memories from working on a game?
<msoderwall> finishing
<msoderwall> getting to meet arnold schwartenager in person
<Bobbie25> what brings you to artzone? and what do you do in your off time?
<msoderwall> excuse me that's schwarzenengger :)
<msoderwall> i was invited by Jarrod Phillips and I spend as much time with my family on my off time as I can
<DAZ_Kevin> Have you gotten the chance to do anything with Nintendo's Wii?
<msoderwall> No, but I have had the opportunity to work on X box 360
<msoderwall> Trying to get a gig for Nintendo is very difficult
<Noltar> And a question a few people are probably wondering, do you have any suggestions for someone looking to get involved in the industry? Particularly those without a real background in graphics or art.
<msoderwall> Well, try to intern and try to get to industry events as much as possible
<msoderwall> or worse case black mail.
<Noltar> Where do you think the next big area of improvement will be with regards to game graphics? Or in game design in general?
<msoderwall> Yes on both because there will be dvds where you can add more content, special effects, and shaders
<msoderwall> and also with the technology of next gen platform
<DAZ_SSS> What was your favorite project?
<msoderwall> Demon stone because I got to work with Storm Front Studios. They worked on Lord of the Rings Two Towers. Very talented group
<DAZ_Kevin> Your profile mentions working on DS games. Which ones were you involved with? And were you suprised by how quickly it has become the system of choice among gamers?
<msoderwall> No I'm not surprised. I cannot disclose at this time which games I worked on.
<msoderwall> It's still in production.
<DAZ_Rhyno> Who decides what games get made? How much input do you get as art director?
<msoderwall> Suits decide. My influence is about twenty percent.
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> what was your favorite part about working on Enter the Matrix?
<msoderwall> Working with the Wachowski Brothers.
<msoderwall> Also, the motion capture sessions with the stunt team.
<QuestionBot> reminder: to ask Mark a question, click on Questionbot on the right and send a private message
<DAZ_SSS> What software to you mainly use?
<msoderwall> 3D Studio Max, Zbrush, Photoshop, and After Effects
<msoderwall> 
<msoderwall> https://artzone.daz3d.com/admin/Arnold%20Face%20for%20T3%20CG%20movie.jpg
<msoderwall> 
<msoderwall> When working with licensed characters they go through a lot of revisions for approval
<msoderwall> This is the baine of working with a license.
<Bobbie25> what is the poly count keep on a game modle and how dos it take yu to do a full rig modle texture set up?
<msoderwall> Next gen models are 3500-6000 poly, and can take anywhere from two to four days depending on level of detail.
<Noltar> Did you always hope to end up in the gaming industry or did you start out with another dream?
<msoderwall> I wanted to be a comic book artist
<msoderwall> Favorite comics would be Spiderman, Witchblade, and Danger Girl.
<DAZ_Rhyno> What's a typical week in the life of an art director?
<msoderwall> Lots of precision, encouraging, and direction
<Noltar> Do you still dabble in comic book work, or have you moved away from it?
<msoderwall> No I still dabble, I have an image in my bio.
<msoderwall> I love to do traditional artwork, it's one of my favorites.
<QuestionBot> 
<msoderwall> Traditional artwork will never go out of style, it will always be needed no matter how much technology advances.
<QuestionBot> http://artzone.daz3d.com/photos/863e3091a1668c9d71d5915a4a0e8684.jpeg
<Noltar> Do you ever get tired of people asking you questions about the gaming industry, or are you typically able to keep your work and personal life separate?
<msoderwall> I keep them separate, but I also love to give back to people that are interested
<msoderwall> I taught art at the Art Institute of Orange County while I was still at Atari.
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> What types of classes did you take to help develop your skills?
<msoderwall> Life drawing and fashion design. Fashion design helped me understand how material lays and folds. Also Architecture.
<umblefugly> I taught art at the Art Institute of Orange County while I was still at Atari. Would that be California?
<msoderwall> Yes, Southern California.
<umblefugly> Sweet,im originally from Santa Ana CA :)
<Bobbie25> OK who puts the cheat codes in games?
<msoderwall> Producers and engineers.
<msoderwall> The artists, this makes them difficult to find.
<Bobbie25> My son really wanted to know that ty hun
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> What would you say was the most difficult part of your job when you were at atari?
<msoderwall> Diplomacy with the developers, because I was seen as a threat most of the time.
<msoderwall> Because when I arrived it was usually to change or correct something.
<msoderwall> I tried to come along side the developers and help them, instead of lording over them.
<Noltar> Typically, is the technical side of the development process of the game almost wholly separate from the artistic side, or is there a lot of communication between the teams?
<msoderwall> There's a lot of communication. Art helps define the text as much as the text helps define the art.
<msoderwall> tech not text, please forgive the typist...not mark's mistake
<DAZ_Kevin> Any predictions for the upcoming console war? What should we keep our eye on?
<msoderwall> X Box 360 is really solid and has a ton of must have games.
<msoderwall> PS3 is still a good ways out and still has not been fully tested by the end user.
<msoderwall> By the time the PS 3 comes out, X box 360 will have second and third generation games out which will be magnificent.
<Bobbie25> Do you ever sit down and play the game to end when you are done with the makeing?
<msoderwall> We continually play the game throughout production all the time. We make sure nothing is broken and that is fun.
<Noltar> Other than being your own boss (reason enough!), was there another big reason that prompted you to found your own development company?
<msoderwall> To work on my on title the way that I wanted to have it.
<msoderwall> There's a lot of politics working with big companies. Nothing finishes the way it started.
<DAZ_SSS> Well we'd like to thank Mark for spending his evening with us here at ArtZone and all of you for joining us
<DAZ_SSS> and Thank You for all of the Great Questions
<msoderwall> I appreciate everyone's time and especially their talents. You give me inspiration.
<DAZ_SSS> You can now chat openly in the room
<ynsaen> heh cool chat
<DAZ_SSS> We'll post the Archive in the morning
<umblefugly> Doh
<Flak> thanks mark for taking the time to chat with us and answer all the questions
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> that was fun
<umblefugly> I came in too late
<umblefugly> lol
<TB42> me too, but still got some some very good info and insight
<Noltar> Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> yeah for sure
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> good info
<Noltar>
<TB42> *E*
* TB42 tips his hat to DAZ for a great first featured chat
<Flak> TB - this is the second lol
<TB42> keep up the good work! :)
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> yeah noltar you were killin it!
<umblefugly> Glad to have met you Mark :)
<TB42> oh .. the second? ... well um ... hats tipped anyway LOL
<Swade> LOL
<PickersAngel> thanks mark! very interesting
<Noltar> Now I should do some work... ;)
<Swade> Yep.... very interesting stuff.... Thanks for your time Mark.
<DAZ_KrylonKitty> bye y'all i have more work to do!!
<PickersAngel> gee, nol, you spose we should clear out?
<Noltar> I'm not leaving
<Noltar> *E*
* Noltar ;)
<Noltar> G'night those of you still conscious in here :)
<DAZ_Kevin> me either...
<Noltar> Thanks again for the chat
<QuestionBot> night
<DAZ_Kevin> *E*
* DAZ_Kevin 's wife calls to him
<Noltar> *E*
* Noltar wanders back to the normal chat :)
<DAZ_Kevin> oops... gotta go...
|
