Senior UI Developer & Tech Artist

Frank Diaz

Interface work for games in every format they ship on - console, arcade cabinets and location-based VR. Studios include Blind Squirrel on the BioShock remasters and Dreamscape Immersive on Alien Zoo. Usually hired to build the UI, and to handle what it sits on: shaders, lighting, particles and post-processing.

Providence, Rhode Island

Experience

10 roles
  • Aug 1996 - Present

    Founder

    Reality Engine Studios · Providence, RI

    Founded in 1996 as a new media development company, and still the place I do my own work.

    Early on that meant photography, branding, and online presence — Coal Chamber, DevilDriver, Ill Niño, 40 Below Summer, 36 Crazyfists, Roadrunner Records, Universal Records, Reprise Records — building and hosting their sites back when a band's website was the band's storefront. I toured as a drum tech for a while, too.

    These days it's games and the tools that make them: UI and real-time art contracted out to studios, my own projects in development, and the desktop software I build to keep large asset libraries under control.

    Thirty years of running it has meant doing every job in the building at least once, which is most of where the generalist streak comes from.

    Key achievements

    Design & Development for 40 Below Summer
    Design & Development for 36 Crazyfists
    Design & Development for Ill Nino
    Design & Development for Coal Chamber
    Design & Development for Devildriver

    • PHP
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • MySQL
    • C#
  • Jan 2020 - Jan 2022

    Senior User Interface Developer

    Dreamscape Immersive · Remote

    Alien Zoo was a project I was working on for Dreamscape Immersive and Arizona State University. I joined this team as a UI Developer and iterated on the framework for the UI. I also handled certain simulations, fx, video editing, shaders, encoding.

    Key achievements

    Alien Zoo

    • Unity
    • EmberGen
    • HLSL
    • GLSL
    • Adobe CC
    • Autodesk Maya
  • May 2018 - Jul 2018

    UI Developer

    X2 Games · Remote

    Worked with the Bushnells on their cancelled game.

    Key achievements

    Sip City (Canceled)

    • Unity
    • HLSL
  • Jun 2015 - Jan 2016

    Senior User Interface Artist

    Blind Squirrel Games · Costa Mesa, California

    UI Artist, 3D Modeling, Upres & Vectorize Textures, Texturing & Materials creation, Video Upres & Encoding.

    Key achievements

    Bioshock
    Bioshock II

    • Adobe CC
    • Autodesk Maya
    • Substance Painter
    • Marmoset Toolbag
  • Sep 2011 - Oct 2012

    Game Designer

    Whitemoon Dreams, Inc. · Los Angeles, California

    Brought on as the Senior UI Artist, Given the opportunity to expand into level design, post processing, shader creation and lighting as well as Kismet Scripting.

    Key achievements

    WarMachine (XBOX360, PS3, PC)
    Monster Eye for IGS
    Unannounced Project 2 for IGS
    Unannounced Project 3

    • Unreal Engine 3.0
    • Adobe CC
    • Perforce
  • Feb 2011 - Jul 2011

    Senior Tech Artist

    OTOY · Los Angeles, California

    I handled everything visual for OTOY.

    Key achievements

    UI Design Octane Rendering Engine
    UI Design ORBX (Autodesk Project)
    Website Design & Development using HTML5.

    • HTML5
    • Adobe CC
  • May 2010 - Aug 2010

    Contracted User Interface Artist

    Liquid Entertainment · Remote

    UI Design for an early build. This was a build for comic-con and im not even sure if my work was in the final product.

    Key achievements

    Thor: God of Thunder

    • Adobe CC
  • Oct 2006 - Feb 2008

    User Interface Artist

    Spark Unlimited · Sherman Oaks, California

    UI/Shell Artist, Video Editing/Encoding, Shaders, Level Design, Concept Art

    Key achievements

    Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
    Legendary: The Box

    • Unreal Engine 3.0
    • Adobe CC
  • Feb 2006 - Apr 2006

    UI Designer

    KUMA\ Reality Games · New York, NY

    Key achievements

    UI Elements for The Dinohunters.

    • Photoshop
  • Sep 2004 - Jan 2005

    Front-End Designer

    New World Group · Secaucus, NJ

    Front-End design for several brands. Linux administration.

    Key achievements

    Front-End design and development for real estate, dubai, a paintball movie, victoria imperioli and other random stuff

    • PHP
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • MySQL

Education

  • Sep 2012 - May 2016

    General Courses

    University of Rhode Island. · Providence, Rhode Island

  • Sep 2012 - May 2016

    Sculpting, Pen & Ink

    Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, Rhode Island

Skills

  • Design

    • Substance Painter 11Y · 50%
    • Adobe CC 30Y · 95%
    • Autodesk Maya 15Y · 75%
    • Blender 3D 5Y · 75%
  • Engines

    • Unreal Engine 20Y · 80%
    • Unity 3D 17Y · 65%
    • Game Maker Studio 12Y · 65%
    • Godot 1Y · 50%
  • Environment Art

    • Quadspinner Gaea 65%
    • Megascans 10Y · 100%
  • Languages

    • Visual Basic 30Y · 75%
    • Objective C 24Y · 75%
    • C# 12Y · 85%
  • Tools

    • Perforce 50%
    • Embergen 3Y · 50%
    • Git 7Y · 90%
    • Docker 2Y · 70%
  • Web

    • HTML/CSS 8Y · 95%
    • JavaScript 7Y · 90%
    • PHP 28Y · 90%
    • MySQL 28Y · 90%

Recommendations

  • Frank is an amazing artist. He is very focused and dedicated on his works. Professional and always on top on any tasks. He is also very friendly and easy to work with. I support and recommend him to any companies.

    Genesis Prado

    Principal Environment Artist · Santa Monica Studio

    • Colleague
    • May 2008
  • Frank is a great HUD Designer that posses numerous art skills that are vital during game development production. Great to work with and a valuable asset to any team!

    Rick Hernandez

    Audio Director · Gravity Well

    • Colleague
    • Apr 2008
  • Franks technical expertise and problem-solving skills were crucial in helping us scale our platform. Hes not just a great coder, but also an excellent communicator and team player.

    Brian Warrington

    Game Designer · Spark Unlimited

    • Colleague
    • Apr 2008