Games have really begun to break the barrier in terms of reaching so called "film quality" and recently we've seen a widespread merging of the two. What is your opinion on that and how does it affect your job?
 
First of all, two and half years ago I was not into the game field at all.  I wasn't really immersed in it at all. In 2002, I gave away the top award at the Academy Of Interactive Arts Awards ceremony in Vegas. At that show, I saw examples from the best of  the game world and I was blown away. That's what initially piqued my interest.
 
I worked for another studio for a year on three sports games. I learned from the ground up how  games  are created. I wanted to be hands-on so I'd know what it takes to create a game. In learning from the inside out I knew I could be more effective. In one game I did over 800 Maya camera moves myself. What's happened over the last few years in the game industry is like a logarithmic curve, as the software gets better so does the look and the complexity of the games. To create motion blur, depth of field and other film stylizations was impossible in the past, but soon it will be a standard. So there's been a huge rise in the visuals and the complexity of games, and I can say that because I did the effects on Tron which was about games 20 years ago when it was "Pong," "Pac Man" and "Asteroids." Now we're talking about creating filmic reality The games are trying to emulate film more and more. They want you to be immersed in them, like you are walking into an interactive film. The more we can make it like that, the more fun games will be. It's only going to get better and better. There is a merging with technologies and people from the film industry in the game industry now. So people who might have worked for big effects houses on feature films are now working for EALA.
 
Richard continued on about the game industry (obviously excited), so I listened as he shared his thoughts...
 
The game industry has moved passed the film industry in overall profits, and in terms of the numbers of people who get immersed in them. You don't go out and see   a game one time like you do a movie, you play it again and again and again. If it's a great franchise, some people become dedicated for years. The other thing that's really pushing this industry is online interactive, Xbox Live, that type of thing. Often here, at lunch or after work we get on our Ethernet and get a bunch of us playing an online shooter or something. It's a ball, guys are screaming and yelling, and  like us there are people throughout the world who do that all the time. They get online and play these games with real people because it's really, really fun. Fun drives entertainment and it surely drives EALA and the game industry.

What are some challenges you've faced and how have you overcome them?
 
The difficulty is getting the technology to do what you want it to do. You don't want to be driven by technology. We all are in certain senses. We all have limits in the arts, but we're always pushing those limits and that is the most difficult part. Getting the hardware and machinery to do what you want it to do or figuring out ways around your current limitations, you know, solving problems.
 
Do you have any advice for those students or hobbyists out there trying to break into the industry?
 
The most important thing about getting into this field is understanding it. Get online, play games, understand what they are, understand the different types of games, and what makes a good game. It's not just the way they look, it's much deeper than that. So learn everything you can about the field. 
 
Then do whatever you can to get your hands on even the most minimal equipment and create something. Create images that you think could be in a game, or make a small version of a game or a short movie  that represents your game ideas. Don't talk about it, or just think about it, do something, create something that shows your talent, your vision, your ideas. Get hands-on as soon as you can and make something happen.
 
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Richard had a lot of really good advice about the industry and what it's like moving from film to games. If you're perhaps interested in EA and want to find out more about the studio and any opportunities they might have, I would encourage you to visit their website: http://www.ea.com.
 
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for part two of our series where we'll go one on one with Adam McCarthy, Lead Animator of “Battle For Middle Earth.”
 
If you have any questions or comments on this article feel free to send them my way!

Joe Harkins is a Creature TD at Tippett Studio, where he recently finished working on Hellboy. Prior to that, he wrapped up work on Matrix: Revolutions. His background includes rigging and animation for film and broadcast. You can find out more information about Joe on his website http://www.creaturetd.com.
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