BUILDING ATHLETES
AT AAA SCALE
For NBA Live, realism was everything. Fans know these athletes intimately, making even small inaccuracies noticeable.
My work focused on capturing authentic player likenesses while improving the pipelines that made high-quality production possible.
PROJECTS
NBA Live 18
NBA Live 19
Various EA Publications
FOCUS
Character Art
Outsource Manager
Art Lead
MY CONTRIBUTION
Character Authenticity
Asset Development
Pipeline Innovation
Production Scaling
THE CHALLENGE
Sports games present a unique creative challenge. Unlike fictional characters, these athletes and brands are instantly recognizable and constantly changing.
Hairstyles, facial hair, accessories, and personal style evolve throughout a season, requiring continuous accuracy while maintaining strict production schedules and performance targets.
Every asset needed to feel believable, optimized, and consistent across a large roster.
Track player appearances and real-world changes.
RESEARCH
REFINE
Clean and sculpt accurate digital likenesses from raw source data.
ASSEMBLE
Implement hair, clothing, and supporting visual details.
Implement
Optimize and integrate assets for real-time gameplay performance.
THE PROCESS
Delivering an authentic NBA experience required artists, designers, engineers, and production teams working toward a shared standard of quality.
RESEARCH
Refine
ASSEMBLE
Implement
Track player appearances and real-world changes.
Sculpt accurate digital likenesses from raw source data.
Implement hair, clothing, and supporting visual details.
Optimize and integrate assets for real-time gameplay performance.
AUTHENTIC PLAYER REPRESENTATION
Authenticity was central to the NBA Live experience.
I contributed to the development and refinement of player assets designed to accurately capture the look, personality, and presence of NBA athletes. This work required balancing artistic quality and technical requirements while sometimes even taking on a player's personal request.
Maintaining that level of coordination across a growing roster required close collaboration between teams, establishing a consistent visual standard throughout development.
PLAYER IDENTITY & CULTURE
NBA Live 18 and 19 expanded beyond traditional basketball simulation by embracing the culture surrounding the sport. Through The One, players could create a character that reflected their own identity and progress through a larger campaign than ever previously attempted.
New partnerships with apparel and footwear brands introduced streetwear and lifestyle customization, giving players more opportunities for self expression than previous entries in the franchise.
At the same time, expanded WNBA integration helped broaden the range of athletes represented within the game and allowed more players to see themselves reflected in the experience. Implementing the women of the WNBA was a huge milestone for the team.
As the character team grew, my responsibilities expanded beyond asset creation into production leadership and pipeline development.
I helped identify workflow challenges and refine those production methods. I researched the creation of stronger character pipelines that improved scalability across the team. These efforts allowed for faster production at a higher quality.
Working across internal artists, external partners, and cross-disciplinary teams provided valuable experience in understanding creative goals within a large-scale game production environment.
LEADING CHARACTER PRODUCTION
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
NBA Live 18 and 19 expanded what players could expect from a basketball game by placing greater emphasis on accuracy and player identity.
As the franchise evolved, I contributed to experiences that gave players greater opportunities for self expression while preserving the authenticity of the game.