MANILA, Philippines - iAcademy recently hosted noted 3D environment artist Tom Stratford, who has worked on video games such as Race Driver: Grid, Dirt 2, and the Crysis series. Crysis 3 was one of the most anticipated first-person shooter games in 2013, developed by Crytek and published by Electronic Arts. The iAcademy Amphitheater was packed with eager students, and they were not disappointed. Stratford started off his talk by asking, “Who here are nerds?†drawing laughs and winning over the young crowd.
As a self-confessed nerd with a degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation from Bournemouth University in the UK, Stratford shared his experiences in the video game industry as well as his other creative endeavors. Although well-versed in different design programs he also stressed that as technology changes, so will the industry’s tools. Aspiring artists should have a strong understanding of design fundamentals as these are core skills that will never go obsolete. Stratford advised the students to develop their own style because this will set them apart from everyone else. However, they also need to adapt to change when necessary and be open to opportunities.
Stratford is joining iAcademy as the creative director of the School of Design for academic year 2013-2014.