Jesse Sosa has been creating 3D models in the video game industry for 14 years now and has been involved some big name titles such as: Bloodrayne2, Star Wars Kinect and The Ghostbusters Video Game. He was also worked on the movie Grandma’s Boy. He is now Owner and Creative Director of her own game studio Dinosaur Entertainment based out of Dallas, TX.
James Arledge – Can you take us through the process of taking a character from concept to finished product?
Jesse Sosa – It really depends on whether we’re talking about an established franchise or a new IP. Let’s talk about a new IP cause that is the most interesting one.
When talking about new IPs they usually start me off with a text description for a character, the game designers or writers will usually sit down with you in somewhat of a meeting to discuss a general idea of what this character is supposed to look like. As a concept artist I sort of go through and make that vision come to life, keeping it loose at first and always going back to the art director, or whoever is in charge of the over all visual design, with my sketches until I nail that look of what they are looking for. Then I go back with color and finer details.
After that I take that and model it, In 3Ds Max I usually start with like a cylinder for the leg and work my way up the body. Once I have the basic mesh and proportions correct I’ll then discuss it with the animator and give it to him as a sort of proxy or test. While he is doing that I go back and start mapping and texturing the model, then discuss everything with my lead to make sure nothing is out of place and it looks correct before finally handing it back over to the animator to replace my previous model with the fully textured one and it is placed in the final game after all the base movements are created.
Finally the game designers drop the characters in the game and have it spawn in the level and make that model assessable to the AI programmers, assuming it is an AI driven character like a boss or enemy. The AI programmers will give it all it’s basic AI functions then handed back to the game designer where they decide where in the level the enemies will spawn and from there the character’s AI takes over.
JA -You are some what of a big shot here at Akon. You have been a returning guest for years now and are now speak on multiple panels. What keeps you coming back?
JS – I’ve been coming to A-kon for about 12 years but the first time I had a panel was back in 2005 and I did an demonstration of Aeon Flux and I had a really fun time. I helped coordinate two other panels that year, so the next year they asked me back to do that again.
I’ve always love anime and the culture associated with it and at the time I hung out with a large group of friends that where really into it and I was just really interested in being a part of it all. It is really just a lot of fun to me. I love that there is a weekend that I don’t have to worry about work or do much of anything.
As the years have gone by I have gotten more and more responsibility and that brings us to this year where I’ve gotten a lot of panels and they have made me an official guest for the first time. It is difficult to explain and a feeling I don’t really get from any other conventions. I love conventions and talk at other ones too, but there is nothing like A-kon when it comes to size and things to do.
Jesse Sosa’s Personal Website and Portfolio
