Carl Shedd is the Co-Founder & World Director at Ruckus Games and is also a mentor of virtual production at CG Spectrum. Justin and Carl chat about how important your reputation is when working at a studio and the strong bond you gain with your colleagues, the shift from working at AAA game studios to co-founding his own game studio and developing his own games, how to build community while working and starting a studio remotely, and tips for navigating the challenges of starting your own studio.

Carl has worked in the industry professionally for over 17 years. He started his career at Gearbox Software in 2004 as a Level Designer for the Brothers In Arms franchise. In 2008, Carl was part of a small team that was integral to evolving the Borderlands art style into what it has become today. After a small hiatus at id Software working on Rage, Carl rejoined Gearbox Software to create and lead their Level Art and eventually their Lighting Art Departments. Carl recently moved on from his position as World Building Director at Gearbox Software to start up Ruckus Games; an independent game developer with a mission to inspire the next generation of game makers. His credits include Brothers In Arms, the Borderlands franchise and Rage.

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Maxine chats with VFX Artist Brittany Piacente about what it’s like to work remotely as a Compositor during a pandemic, the value of good mentorship, visual effects on the Marvel series Loki, and why treating everything as a learning experience will help you to stand out in your job in the film and games industry.

Brittany has worked in leadership positions across major studios, including Method Studios, Mr. X (now Technicolor), Deluxe and now Wētā FX. She’s contributed to more than 60 films and TV shows, including Loki (season 1), Peacemaker (Season 1), Black Panther, Blade Runner 2049, Vikings (season 6), Mad Max: Fury Road, and the Star Wars franchise.

Watch the video episode and see Brittany's compositing work.

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Introducing The CG Spectrum podcast, featuring career-focused conversations with senior-level creatives and emerging talent in the film and game industry. The CG Spectrum Podcast is hosted by Justin Mohlman (Game Development Learning Producer at Epic Games, Learning and Community Manager at Artstation, and CG Spectrum Mentor of Foundations) and Maxine Schnepf, CG Spectrum’s Career Development Manager. Learn about different jobs, what it’s like to work at some of the biggest studios, go behind the scenes on your favorite films and games, and get career advice from the experts! We’ll be dropping new episodes every other Wednesday. Subscribe now, wherever you listen to podcasts, to get new episodes delivered straight to you. 

Justin Mohlman has 18+ years of experience in the video gaming industry, and has helped bring dozens of game titles to life while at studios like Disney Interactive, Epic Games, Robomondo, Midway Games, and Phosphor Studios. You can find his work in legacy franchises such as Tony Hawk, Kingdom Hearts and Mortal Kombat as well as other AAA titles like Singularity and Stranglehold. As the acting Creative Director for The Rookies, the industry standard for animation, visual effects and the gaming industries, Justin brings his extensive knowledge of games as well as 12+ years of experience as an instructor in higher education. When he's not teaching at CG Spectrum, he keeps busy as the Game Development Producer and Author at Epic Games, the video game and software developer responsible for such products as Unreal Engine, Gears of War and Fortnite.

Maxine Schnepf is CG Spectrum's Career Development Manager, helping students increase their hiring potential and get ready for life beyond school in their chosen discipline. Maxine is highly experienced and well-connected in the VFX industry, having worked in all aspects of the post-production process as a VFX Producer, Department Manager, Production Coordinator, and everything in between. She's worked at worldwide studios such as Mr X, Deluxe Animation, and Technicolor VFX, and helped deliver over 40 films and series during her career, including blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Ready Player One.

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