On the Town: Where art and computer science meet
In their continuing effort to bring the community together to support the arts and art-related industries, creative inspiration and arts education, the Burbank Arts for All Foundation presented another in its ongoing series of Creative Circles Forums at the Colony Theatre this past Wednesday evening.
The event — chaired by Debbie Wade, who was the organization’s 2015 Champion of the Arts Award recipient, and moderated by Scott Pitchford, who serves as the director of research and client consulting with Nielsen Games — focused on careers in the video-gaming industry.
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A full house of art supporters and many local high school and college students were on hand for the evening’s discussion and question-and-answer session with panelists Timothy Ford, who is the lead software engineer for Gameplay, Blizzard Entertainment, Peter Wyse, who serves as the vice president and group general manager production and development with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Rod Parong, who is the principal artist with Insomniac Games, digital media teacher Chris Mitchell from David Starr Jordan Middle School and William Novak, who is the chair of game art and design at Woodbury University.
“Observing life, in general, is important for inspiration when it comes to creating video games,” Parong told the assemblage. “I drive around cities and look at the details of how a city works and how people function within them.”
Other panelists explained the conceptual, artistic and technical elements that must work in harmony to create a successful video game, which as defined by Mitchell, is a game with an interesting premise that is “neither too hard nor too easy.”
Woodbury’s Novak, who has created a program based on the innovations of the many artists and designers he has learned from throughout this career, was joined by his fellow panelists in explaining the dramatic opportunities available in the gaming industry that is today generating $23.5 billion annually.
Stressing the desperate need for computer scientists, Ford said that for every undergrad who graduates with a degree in computer science there are 2.5 jobs waiting for them in the gaming industry. Wyse shook his head in agreement when Ford made that statement. “That’s true,” Wyse said. “We have a very difficult time finding and recruiting computer scientists.”
The panelists also agreed that as much as today’s high-tech world plays its role in video gaming, traditional art skills are still vitally important factors in establishing the proper foundation for working in the industry.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is for a digital artist to fully comprehend the traditional skills of drawing, composition and color,” Parong said.
Burbank Mayor Bob Frutos attended the event, which included a reception catered by Poqito Mas and Handy Market.
Among those who made last week’s event a success were the foundation’s executive director Trena Pitchford, executive committee members Carrie Brown, Bob Mohler, Mauro Diaz, Jill Vander Borght, Alexandra White Helfrich, Craig Murray and Tom Vice.
Others whose dedication and support were instrumental were board members Barbara Beckley, Karen Broderick, Ruth Davidson-Guerra, Freddy Jarjour, John Mazur, Kevin McCarney, Joan McCarthy, Lili Rossi, Carson Smith, Caroline Ross Solberg, Cathy Stevens, Heidi Trotta, Karen Volpei-Gussow, Suzanne Weerts and the organization’s adviser Peggy Flynn of the Burbank Unified School District.
For more information about Burbank Arts for All and its upcoming events including gala on April 29 gala at Universal Studio Hollywood, visit burbankartsforall.org.
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
