I am an animator, visual development artist, and graduate of San Jose State University with a BFA in Animation and Illustration. I've been with Sony's game-dev studio, PixelOpus since 2013, and have enjoyed working on three projects in my time there: "Entwined," "Concrete Genie," and a cancelled, unannounced project. I am currently looking for employment open to joining a new team!
My work at PlayStation has been focused on animation (2-d and 3-d), visual development, storyboarding, artist management/feedback, and creating cinematics in UE4's Sequencer. I enjoy working as a generalist, and I am very passionate about pushing the project's visuals and storytelling forward in whatever way I can!
My experience before games was mainly in short films. While at University, I was lucky enough to work on many student films, and eventually intern withTonko House on their founding, academy-award-nominated, project "The Dam Keeper." In my spare time I also animated on the epic passion project "Opera" directed by Erick Oh (also academy award nominated).
I enjoy games as an artistic medium, and I am also in love with film, painting, illustration, and comics. I believe these different art forms are all ways to tell stories and connect with one another, and the more we can explore the more powerful and exiting our work can be.
Outside of art and work, I spend time exploring the San Francisco Bay Area with my 1-year-old son, my husband, my dog, and my family. We like to camp, visit breweries, and I take time trying to get my garden under control.
Thank you for your time, please reach out with any potential opportunities.
-Becky (Rebecca)
Hello, my name is Becky Roberts (AKA Rebecca MacDonald)
(Presenting at Teen Vogue's Summit 2018 with Lancing Love Chen, Jing Li, and Lucie Roberts)
RESUME
Education
San Jose State University
Class of 2013
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Magna Cum Laude
Focus in Animation
Currently Working With Akili Interactive,
2023-present
Concept Artist (non-exclusive contract)
Working in Photoshop to contribute to and define the visual concept of the levels with a focus on enviroments.
Video Game Projects
2019-
2023
Unannounced project (PixelOpus/PlayStation)
Senior Artist
Visual Development, Concept Art, Artist Management, Art Feedback/Direction, Gameplay Previs, Story Boarding, Character Design, Props Design, Environment Design
Software: Photoshop, After Effects. Premiere
I was the point-person for Visual Development. I kept track of the Vis Dev Department’s tasks, collected information from the various team pods, and assigned work to the artists. I would schedule and lead meetings, give artistic feedback with gameplay considerations, and was responsible for presenting artwork outward to the rest of the team. I also assisted our art director in giving and collecting notes on the various discipline meetings
I used Photoshop to render cinematic-style pieces used for company presentations and team inspiration.
I created character design packets for outsourcing and review. Packets would include tight renders, facial expressions, anatomy structure, mouth box design, turn-arounds, materials callouts, and vfx callouts.
I created props design sheets from broad exploration to tighter callouts and notes.
I used Adobe software to create previs of visual effects and animating in-game elements.
I Worked with game designers to create gameplay storyboards, which would facilitate conversation and decisions on the team. Gameplay storyboards were combat, puzzle, and platforming related. I would begin in a loose style, and then conclude with tighter renders as decisions were made. Sometimes I would time these out to be viewed as animatics
I was responsible for creating storyboards based on our script, which would play in our level as stand-in for our upcoming cinematics. I would use photoshop to create the boards and then tighten the timing in Premiere.
I ideated a wide variety of potential environments based on very loose narrative and design ideas. I created many loose concepts in photoshop, and rendered tighter versions as we focused in.
Skills:
Visual Development
Character Animation
Creature Animation
Gameplay Animation
Cinematic Animation
3d Animation
2d Animation
Character Design
Expression Sheets
Outsource Packets
Outsource Management
Artist Management
Gameplay Previs
Storyboarding
Cinematic Layout
Animatics
Short Films
Software:
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Premiere
Adobe After Effects
Autodesk Maya
TV Paint
Unreal Engine 4 Sequencer
2014-2019
"Concrete Genie" (PixelOpus/PlayStation)
Released on PS4 and PS5
Animator, Visual Development, Concept Art, Gameplay Previs, Story boarding, UE4 Sequencer Cinematic Artist, Outsourcing Animation Management/Feedback
Software: Maya, UE4, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere
I was a gameplay animator (3-d) and would work with engineers and design to find the right feel for our main character's locomotion, climbing, and combat movesets.
I was a cinematic animator, and cinematic artist. I would storyboard the cutscene, sometimes using game-captures of the set for positioning and reference, before splitting the scene into shots and beginning to animate the characters and props in Maya. I would take those animations into UE4 and use the Sequencer and team-created cinematic triggers to place the cutscene in the game. I enjoyed animating the cameras, setting up the cuts, and sometimes placing the cinematic lights. I assisted in working with the audio and voice acting team to get the performance and music to fit with the scene.
I worked on the character designs for the bullies, defining their clothing, proportions, and personalities with my sketches and paintings.
I pitched story moments and character-development focused scenes for the bullies and Ash, as well as cinematic mini-moments which would happen in the town. I would do sketches of concepts, and storyboard moments to create a reference document for my pitch.
I assisted in managing the animators who were working with us remotely, assigning and setting up shots for them, writing detailed "kickoff" statements, and reviewing their animations when they were received. Occasionally I would complete or touch-up outsourced animations if it was needed.
I created animated previs and concept art to describe and design the world of Denska, especially the "Genies."
I animated the "Genies" in 2-d using proprietary photoshop tools created and patented by members of the team. The Genie animations were unusual in style and technique/process.
I created early concepts trying to define the world of Denska and Ash' interactions with the Genies, and the de-evolution of the Genies into monsters.
I animated environmental/background creatures around Denska.
2013-2014
"Entwined" (PixelOpus/PlayStation)
Released on PS3, PS4 and mobile
Animator, Title Screen Artist, Visual Development, Cinematic Videos
Software: Maya, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere
I created gameplay animations (3-d) of the three main characters in flight.
I made animations (3-d) for parts of the opening cinematic of the game and composited them in Adobe After Effects.
I designed and animated the "connection effect" which flows between Bird and Fish.
I designed and animated the transformation effect which plays over the Dragon when Bird and Fish Combine.
I made concepts and designed the stage-select screen (in Photoshop) and exported the animated frames of this menu for our UI artist to assemble in Unity.
I made concepts and designed the main menu of the mobile version of Entwined in Photoshop and composited animation with vfx in After Effects.
I made concepts and created assets for Entwined's PS4 animated wallpaper.
I designed and painted the images used as the end-credits screens for Entwined.
Short Film Credits
2016-2019
"Opera" Directed by Erick Oh
2-d Animator (Roughs, Keys, Cleanup)
TV Paint
I was given a layout with the directors notes for the scene intention, then go on to animate my scene and receive feedback incrementally. The scenes were structured with long looping elements of dozens of interacting characters which would also transition between day and night cycles. This project was done remotely and in my spare time.
I animated the Prison section and the Guillotine Section.
2013
"The Dam Keeper" Directed by Dice Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo
2-d Animator (Roughs, Keys, Cleanup)
TV Paint
My primary role was in-betweening and tieing-down rough animations. I animated several scenes from start to finish, as well. We used TV Paint to clean-up the animations in a flat paint-fill style.
2013
"Edith and the Bear" Directed by Hillary Bradfield
2-d Animator, Character Design
Traditional/Pencil
2012
"Green Ninja: For Goodness Rake" Directed by David Chai
2-d Animator
Traditional/Pencil
2012
"Tamara" Directed by Jason Marino
3-d Animator
Maya
2011
"Tule Lake" Directed by Michelle Ikemoto
2-d Animator
Traditional/Pencil
2011
"Bye Bye Bruce" Directed by Yung-Han Chang
2-d Animator
Traditional/Pencil