Have you ever had to interview someone to get information for something you want to learn about. Well because in capstone you need to. For my interview I decided to interview Hunter Schulz. I chose Hunter because he’s my uncle’s son. For Hunter I made some basic questions for him to answer. For example, how long have you worked at MASSRA Studios and what tools do you use. I did these questions before he even knew I was going to interview him. So I finally asked him if I could interview him and he didn’t reply for a couple a days. He said yes and I gave him my questions. He sent back the questions late so I had to deal with it. I saw the response and he gave really short answers. Here was his response:

1 Didnt need certain jobs, just need to know how to produce work that the company could work with upon arrival
2 Ive been in the video game industry for 15 years
3 pencil, paper, and/or photoshop.
4 It can take from one day to 4 months to create a character. Based on feedback and development.
5 THe hardest part is creating something new and fresh while still feeling familiar
6 The easiest part different for everyone. But essentially nothing is easy. Effort is always needed if you aim to make something memorable.
7 my favorite part is the begin phase when the paper is blank and your imagination is wide open to the possibilities, and then to see it take
shape is satisfying too.
8 What are the people who help me? Anyone with an opinion can help you, if listen to whats underlying their response to your work.
9 i keep designing characters because it is what i do, since a young age, its an impulse. If you have to try and force yourself to do this
you will never last as their are tens of thousands of people who sleep, breath, eat this.
10 Its good to start with at least 3 sketches, but usually many more.
11 Developing a character can take minutes to weeks, depending on the development cycle, attention to detail and complexity of the design.
12 Decisions are being made every second, every time you put your pencil to the paper you are in the position to choose one direction or another at a
micro and macro level. THe main decisions are: what are you trying to convey with the character. What is their personality. What function
do they serve in the world as a whole, how is their outfit or armor made how is it meant to be used. Form follows function etc.
13 Characters look real by understanding how your eye perceives the world. Understanding form and perspective, value, anatomy, how different materials
respond to light. THe list goes on.
14 ideas come as a result of analyzing and understanding the problem needing to be solved. Sometimes they pop in your head before you start
other times you let your pencil search the page for a shape to spark an idea, other times searching through reference.
15 i Became a Concept designer because it was a job that allowed me to do what i love most (creating/drawing) and allows me to live a stable
and exciting life.

Some of this I really liked but some I thought was no use. What I liked was the tools, how long it took and how many sketches. This wasn’t that much use because I was already done with my essay. After this I planned a different interview with Ed a video game designer for xbox games. So I didn’t really want another interview but since we thought Hunter wouldn’t reply we asked other people if they know anyone. I called him and the interview took along time. He talked a lot and gave a lot of good information. The interview took 25 minutes. This information was great but I already finished my script so I didn’t know where I will put it. I think I will put some in but not a lot. Here are my notes that I think is important.

Microsoft xbox games/ forza series couple of months/ 20 years

Forza motorsport 7 next game

Wanted to be an illustrator/ no one job or certain job knowledge computer programing art writing

Planner plans out what wants to happen character platform shooter makes documentations ideas research what makes the game successful

Designer, programmer’s, artist and project managers

Work along time on one game till new console fewer team works on it 2 3 years on game

1 level 1 day in 2d 1 year 1 level 3d puzzle 3 4 months on average

Determine what’s fun understand what players play what do people do in games his own gut research what want to do and not/ lay game himself

After all of this I learned so much and I got to meet video game designers which I liked because I love video games.

For Hunter’s website press on this link: https://www.artstation.com/hunterschulz