BRIDGET KONOPKA

 bridget.konopka@gmail.com ♦ www.bridgetkonopka.com

ART DIRECTOR

An established Art Director with proven experience managing internal and external teams through complex 2D and 3D design. Drive efficiency in projects by overseeing milestones across the complete project life cycle, paying attention to detail from concept to design and production.

CORE COMPETENCIES

·   Art Director / Leadership

·   Internal Team Management

·   Cross-Functional Collaboration

·   Creative Project Management

·   Outsourced Team Oversight

·   Team Leadership / Motivation

·   3D Modeling &2D Design

·   Aligning Resources with Vision

·   Ensuring On-Schedule Completion


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE


IDEALAB                                                                                                                                                                                                2014 

Concept Artist

Working with the CodeSpark team to create a cohesive and enticing design for a youth coding game app.

·      Brainstormed with Co-Founders to devise the CodeSpark app design metaphor and style.

·      Designed multiple looks for environments, characters, UX/UI, and font choices, creating options for the overall look and feel of the CodeSpark app.  


DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS                                                                                                                                                                   2003 - 2013

Associate Art Director

Held responsibility for the avatar creator, clothing and animal design for the world, including managing an internal team and three external outsourced teams to create 1,000+ items of fashion forward clothing for the game from concept design through final 3D product for Project Main Street (MMOG).

·      Oversaw the design of avatars, clothing, rooms and UI for the fashion and pets section of the world, working alongside the Community Manager to incorporate tween trends and brand synergy into production.

·      Created in-depth spreadsheets through the use of asset management software to track and oversee all items across the complete development lifecycle.

·      Ensured a consistent look over all aspects of the game, website and marketing collateral, including managing 2D and 3D artists, as well as overseeing the work done by all outsourcing companies. (Toontown Online, Pirates of the Caribbean Online)

·      Enabled players to add accessories to characters, in addition to changing just the textures of tops and bottoms for Toontown.

·      Oversaw the complete redesign of the Toontown Online website, including participating in a large-scale Unity R&D project.

·      Served as Art Director and Producer for Super Star High School: Tween MMOG pitch and pre-production

·      Created the XD avatar system by leading a highly effective team over four months, generating great looking characters with optimal functionality.

·      Introduced BodyPaint 3D to the artist team, saving considerable resources when painting complex organic textures.

·      3D Artist for Toontown Online, Pirates of the Caribbean Online and the XD Avatar system (2003-2008).

MOTION THEORY                                                                                                                                                                                           2002 - 2003

3D Artist

Played an integral role in texture painting and modeling, including working on high-profile commercials for major clients such as ESPN, Nike and Toyota. 

·      Personally modeled, textured and painted human characters for an ESPN commercial shown during the Super Bowl.

·      Improved workflow for the art team and shader writing team by making the decision to switch from NURBS to poly modeling to expedite the pipeline.

EARLIER CAREER SUCCESS

Earlier success was demonstrated in multiple roles, including consistently exceeding creative and project-based performance expectations as a professional sculptor, graphic designer and ultimately as a 3D Artist. Numerous project and client successes ultimately led to working on high-profile projects with Motion Theory and Disney.

EDUCATION & SOFTWARE

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, Rhode Island School of Design

CG Certificate Program - Gnomon School of Visual Effects

                                 Maya, Body Paint, Photoshop, Illustrator, Mudbox, Unity, Shake, After Effects, Excel, AlienBrain, Sharepoint, JIRA, SAP, Apollo