Samuel Rivera Email & Phone Number

Stormwave Entertainment is an up-and-coming virtual production studio with a passion for telling original stories, and creating striking visual content for Film, and Television. Our mission is to creatively brighten entertainment media with never before seen worlds, relatable characters, and inspiring stories. We have begun pre-production on an original web-series based on the comic book, Treasures of the Deep Slumber.

• Backed by invaluable experience as both an Art Director and Illustrator in the gaming industry, successfully directed and mentored global art teams across diverse disciplines. • Orchestrated a Kickstarter campaign which was 242% funded within 48 hours, for the print production of an original science fiction comic book; spearheaded its adaptation into an animated series, utilizing innovative virtual production tools and Unreal Engine. • Served as a consultant and creative generalist at Signal and Cipher; produced high-quality assets and concepts for an innovative ideation process for Universal Creative Technology, Coca Cola, Delta and BCG. • Featured as an industry expert at SXSW & Somos Summit, highlighting the self-published comic book Treasures of the Deep Slumber, innovative utilization of Unreal Engine and Virtual Production Tools. • Designed and launched an NFT collectible comic for NBC Universal’s, “Free Renfield” nationwide sweepstakes by Fandango for the movie Renfield. • Contributed concept artwork for renowned pinball manufacturer Stern Pinball, influencing the visual direction of iconic games such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars. • Partnered with local school districts to provide character concepts, logo designs, and comic book illustrations for an innovative STEM program. • Nurtured long-term relationships with clients, ensuring seamless communication and aligning creative direction with their vision, resulting in extraordinarily successful projects and client satisfaction.

Duluth, Georgia, Us

Led and managed art teams in facilitating the visual style and asset creation of over fifty games that have won awards and industry recognition. Pioneered the creation of an extensive and standardized asset bank featuring thousands of reusable art assets, UI graphics, and templates, elevating artistic excellence in the gaming industry and benefiting game development teams in all studio departments. • Partnered closely with cross-disciplinary teams, including technical artists, animators, software engineers, and game designers, to chart out a comprehensive roadmap for art direction. • Demonstrated strong leadership by providing innovative direction and constructive feedback to game development teams, resulting in a shared vision, promptly met project deadlines and industry recognition. • Ensured the consistent production of immersive game environments, characters, and animations across diverse hardware-based games that consistently exceeded player expectations. • Mentored and supported core artists, associate artists, and interns equipping them with valuable tools and guidance to enhance team productivity while offering design reviews and establishing production task schedules. • Streamlined art production and game development pipelines by implementing efficient workflows and production methodologies that expedited the delivery of high-quality assets. • The Big Shake, which won a Global Gaming Awards shortlist “Product Innovation of the Year” honor at the Global Gaming Expo in 2022 and established a visual identity for the game Big and Bad Bolt.

Las Vegas, Nevada, Us

• Spearheaded the Chicago studio, as an integral part of the team that established the art department and defined the creative vision. • Art Directed the development of the record-breaking game "Lightning Zap" with creative freedom to craft a fresh visual experience for players, resulting in outstanding in-house performance averages and generating millions in revenue. • Helped to rebrand the company by propelling the successful execution of a comprehensive 360-degree brand overhaul,setting the standard as a high performing game development studio. • Kept updated with industry trends through active participation in games, trade shows, content consumption, and technological advancements, allowing for informed pitches to senior management, which resulted in the implementation of ideas that led to software/hardware updates, new tools, and a 20% increase in team productivity. • Led the charge in revamping existing projects and games, orchestrating a complete company rebranding initiative that continues to shape the organization's practices and successes. • Created an “open feedback” culture within the art team, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and camaraderie, enhancing team effectiveness and cohesion.

Carthage, Missouri, Us

Climbed the ranks to a senior art leadership role, collaborating with renowned industry giants such as Disney, Pixar, and Thomas Kinkade, which led to the development of products showcased in Disney parks and Hallmark stores, generating millions of dollars in revenues.•Provided strategic artistic direction and ideation, ensuring the alignment of design efforts with brand objectives while driving visual storytelling and consumer engagement.•Revived the company's product portfolio by spearheading cross-functional teams and implementing design strategies.•Took the lead and owned collaborations with Disney, Pixar, and Thomas Kincaid, leveraging brand affiliations to create marketable products that resonated with diverse consumer bases.

Carthage, Missouri, Us

Graphic Design For Wholesale Catalogs.

Cupertino, California, Us

Cupertino, California, Us

Film

Media Arts And Animation