ABOUT ME

Hi, my name's Ethan. I'm a game designer that specializes in level and encounter design, which is accentuated by a background in film and narrative. I have experience in Unity and Unreal Engine.
My skill set includes environment research, level sketching, blockmesh, with experience modeling 3D environments in Maya and Unreal BSP, narrative design, and creating level mechanics and gameplay sequences, including in-game cinematics.
Feel free to look around my site to see more of my work.
MY LEVEL DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
I believe that Level Design is storytelling. Whether it is an action-packed combat encounter, a slow walk through an abandoned mansion, an exploration puzzle, or the myriad of other activities and interactions players might experience in a level, enhancing those spaces with storytelling fundamentals like a clear purpose, defined motivation, and a structured beginning, middle, and end has allowed me to leverage my background in narrative into more engaging and compelling gameplay sequences.
OTHER LORE DROPS
Before getting into games, I earned a bachelor's degree in screenwriting, which has proven beneficial in pacing and structuring levels and level sequences. When I'm not working on games (or playing them), I love to cook, I've played guitar for most of my life, and I have a really cool t-shirt with Nick Offerman on it.
SKILLS
LEVEL DESIGN
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Research
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Sketching
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C# Scripting
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Blueprint Visual
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Encounter Design
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Scripting
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Playtesting and Rapid Iteration
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3D Modeling
NARRATIVE DESIGN
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Environmental Storytelling
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Screenwriting
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Traditional Storytelling
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Dialogue
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Character Barks
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In-Game Cutscenes
TOOLS
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Unity Engine
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Unreal Engine
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Maya
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Confluence/Jira
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Perforce
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GitHub
EDUCATION
DigiPen Institute of Technology
BA Game Design, 2023
Redmond, WA, USA
Webster University
BA Screenwriting, 2013
Webster Groves, MO, USA
