Listen Now

80LV talked with Ran Manolov (Visual Effects Supervisor, Sculptor & Character Art Director), who worked on such projects as Diablo II, Love Death + Robots and many more. Ran shares his journey from being a classically trained artist to the digital realm and provides insights into the art industry. He also discusses the impact of technology on creativity, and the importance of developing skills & staying curious. Check out Ran’s portfolio: https://www.ranmanolov.art/Learn from the tutorials: https://www.patreon.com/ranmanolovOther social media: https://taplink.cc/ranmanolov    Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/ https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

80LV talked with Vadim Kraevoy, Head of Room 8 Studio. Vadim discusses how the company adapted to the new post-pandemic work style and the importance of flexibility and organizational structure in a complex, changing environment. He also offers insights into the current state of the gaming industry and predicts trends that may shape its future, specifically the potential impact of AI. Visit Room 8 Studio website: https://room8studio.com/  Check out the portfolio: https://room8studio.com/portfolio/  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/ https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

On the new podcast episode, 80LV talked to Matthew Board (developer, artist, Unreal authorized instructor partner for Epic Games). We discuss how evolving technologies, myriad tools, and students’ backgrounds turn gamedev courses creation & teaching into a real puzzle. Matthew also shared an insight, uncovering the most lucrative skills and specialties in the modern market that everybody should look into! Sign up for Unreal Engine Gamedev Program: https://www.vertexschool.com/game-development-program   Learn more about Vertex School: https://www.vertexschool.com/  Sign up for Game Artist Program: https://www.vertexschool.com/game-arts-program  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/  https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

80LV talked with Jacob Claussen, Lead Environment Artist at Fall Damage & Environment Art Teacher at Vertex School. Jacob and Kirill make predictions on how new technologies will change development workflows in 2023, discuss the best ways to learn gamedev, and what crucial skills every environment artist should have. Jacob also explains the phenomena of Sweden’s game industry and how a relatively small country became a hub for many great studios. Learn more about Vertex School: https://www.vertexschool.com/   Sign up for Game Artist Program: https://www.vertexschool.com/game-arts-program  Sign up for Unreal Engine Gamedev Program: https://www.vertexschool.com/game-development-program  Check out Jacob’s works: https://www.artstation.com/jacobclaussen  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/ https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Laura Gallagher and Kirill Tokarev discuss how to use your artistic value as a way to stand out in the age of AI tools, the current state of the game industry, and the importance of keeping track of your emotional and physical state as a developer. Laura has 13 years of experience in gamedev: she was Lead Character Artist on games like Deus Ex and Horizon. She’s also creating courses and YT tutorials on character art, helping 3D artists improve their skills. Check out Laura’s tutorials on Outgang YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@outgang  Visit Outgang website and browse classes: https://outgang.studio/  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/ https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Greg Teegarden, Emmy-nominated VFX Artist from Digital Domain takes us behind the scene of producing high-quality visual effects for DC’s Black Adam and other big-budget movies. Greg also talks about the future of VFX and the place of AI & real-time rendering tools in it. Greg Teegarden is a Digital Effects Supervisor for Black Adam movieVisit Digital Domain’s website: https://digitaldomain.com/Check out other Greg’s works: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853811/?ref_=fn_al_nm_0 Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Publish your portfolio on 80 Level Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

The founder of Synodic Arc Michael Pulis talked about his experience working on mixed reality titles and the future of the metaverse.  Check out Synodic Arc’s new Mixed Reality game Zombies Noir: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/4745920782133500/ Visit Synodic Arc website: https://synodicarc.com/ Michael Pulis a Lead Programmer and Founder at Synodic Arc Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Together with Jason Keyser from VFX Apprentice we've talked about stylized VFX production and the importance of learning visual effects for game developers these days. We’ve also dived into Jason’s experience at Riot Games and he shared what is it like to work for a big studio. Check out VFX Apprentice website and learn from professionals: https://www.vfxapprentice.com/ Check out VFX Apprentice YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@VFX_Apprentice/featured Jason Keyser is a Founder & CEO of VFX Apprentice Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Simon Racioppa, one of the screenwriters and executive producers behind Emmy-Nominated animated anthology, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, talked with 80 Level about scriptwriting, making it in Hollywood, and building your career in this tough business we call show. Watch a full trailer of The Boys Presents: Diabolical on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO8mSkbppE4&ab_channel=PrimeVideo Stream The Boys Presents: Diabolical on Amazon Prime:https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Presents-Diabolical-Season/dp/B09KKHYXMN Check out other Simon’s projects: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1115022/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Melissa Lee, President of Massive Black (one of the leading art outsourcing studios) has joined the 80 Level Podcast. We’ve talked about the creative challenges, the changes visual art in video games has undergone throughout the years, and its influence on the game’s perception. Massive Black Website: https://massiveblack.com/ Melissa Lee is a President at Massive BlackLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissalee3/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Kip Katsarelis from Magic Fuel Games talked about his career journey from being an Executive Producer on SimCity at Electronic Arts to building his own games with a smaller team of dedicated developers. We also talked about hiring, retaining, and growing talent. Magic Fuel Games Website: https://www.magicfuelgames.com/ Kip Katsarelis is a Chief Product Officer at Magic Fuel GamesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-katsarelis-2039363/  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Former CD Projekt Art Manager Len de Gracia talked about her experience working in big-budget games. We discussed work in Europe, the outsourcing market, and the challenges of game production, and shared some advice for artists on what they can improve to land a great job. Len de Gracia is an Associate Art Director at Build A Rocket BoyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lendegracia/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalentGet your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

We've talked with the CEO of Plask AI Junho Lee about changing traditional animation workflows with modern neural network solutions. Plask is an all-in-one browser-based AI motion capture tool and animation editor. Plask Website: https://plask.ai/Try Plask for free: https://80lv.pro/plasktrial  Junho Lee is the Founder & CEO of PlaskLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junho-lee-a20419162/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/join-80lvTalent   Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Animator, and department coordinator at SAE Creative Media Institute, Reza Sarkamari talked with 80 Level about his work on YouTube, discussed ways to engage with students, and shared some advice for beginners, who want to make games and film. Reza Sarkamari is an Animation Department Coordinator at SAE Institute AustraliaSARKAMARI YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Sarkamari  Twitter: @Sarkamari1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarkamari/ SAE Institute Website: https://sae.edu.au/  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Xsolla's Slava Lukyanenka talked about his experienceing crafting big blockbusters in Poland and helping smaller indie teams find their way in today's saturated market.Slava Lukyanenka is a Director of Products at Xsolla(Formerly - Senior Producer at CD Projekt Red)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viachaslaulukyanenka/ Xsolla Website: https://xsolla.pro/main Xsolla Funding Club: https://xsolla.pro/fc  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Physical game sales are still going strong. Together with Limited Run Games Marketing Director Alena Alambeigi we've discussed the need for owning your own copy in the game community and talked about modern ways of game distribution. Limited Run Games Website: https://limitedrungames.com/   Alena Alambeigi is the Marketing Director of Limited Run GamesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alena-alambeigi-5a42a378/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thatonegirltv  Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty   https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level   We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Perception leaders Danny Gonzalez and Jeremy Lasky share how the company creates visions of the future for some of the world's biggest film studios. We've talked about their work with Marvel, production, design, inspiration, and also projects, where sci-fi film know-how helps improve real-world businesses. Perception Website: https://www.experienceperception.com/ Film Case Studies: https://www.experienceperception.com/filmwork.html  Perception YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Perceptionnyc/featured    Danny Gonzalez is the Co-Founder of PerceptionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-gonzalez-9090522/Jeremy Lasky is the Co-Founder of PerceptionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremylasky/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty   https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Sharkmob London Managing Director James Dobrowski and Art Director Benjamin Penrose talked about games made in Great Britain and shared their thoughts on helping people grow in their new studio.Sharkmob Website: https://www.sharkmob.com/Sharkmob Job Openings: https://career.sharkmob.com/ James Dobrowski is the Managing Director of Sharkmob LondonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-dobrowski-57b03311/Benjamin Penrose is the Art Director at Sharkmob LondonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminpenrose/ Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

Beyond-FX CEO Keith Guerrette joined 80 Level Round Table to discuss the studio's apprenticeship program. We also talked about VFX in games, the power of community, and the amazing stuff happening with RealtimeVFX forums. Beyond-FX Website: https://www.beyond-fx.com/Apprenticeship program: https://www.beyond-fx.com/apprenticeship-programReal-Time VFX Forum: https://realtimevfx.com/ Keith Guerrette is CEO & Studio Head at Beyond-FXLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithguerrette/Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt  Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.

In the new episode of 80 Level Round Table, the CEO of Feardemic Scott Millard joined Kirill Tokarev to tell us why the company decided to focus on publishing horror games, explain why people choose to develop horrors, speak about the advantages of having a publisher for your projects, and share some important piece of advice to aspiring Game Developers. Follow 80 LEVEL on social media:https://www.facebook.com/LevelEighty  https://www.instagram.com/eighty_level/https://twitter.com/80Level  Scott Millard is the CEO of Feardemic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/scottmillard1 Feardemic Website: https://www.feardemic-games.com/  Feardemic Facebook: http://facebook.com/feardemic  Feardemic Twitter: https://twitter.com/feardemic  Feardemic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feardemic/ We are looking for more artists!Join 80 LEVEL Talent for free: https://80lv.pro/rfp-rt Get your work noticed by some of the biggest and best developers, publishers, and studios in video games today.