Lighting Experience
Between 2008 and 2011, working on Call of Duty: Black Ops at Treyarch was an incredible
opportunity to push the boundaries of lighting and rendering for large-scale, dynamic environments.
Collaborating with different departments, there was a strong focus on creating visual breakthroughs
that could shift the entire mood of a level at a moment's notice. Whether it was manipulating fog, adjusting
illumination, or adding color overlays and particles, each element contributed to building an immersive
experience that responded to player actions.
A major part of the process involved working closely with leads to develop a cohesive, hue-based
system for color, texture, materials, and props. This ensured that every element worked together,
creating a unified aesthetic across levels. Early in development, we produced paintovers and style
guides using Maya and Photoshop to align with the director's vision, laying the groundwork
for what would become some of the most memorable moments of the game.
Our experience extended to the iconic Call of Duty: Nazi Zombies (2008-2009), where we
were lucky to play
a key role in setting the visual tone for levels like the Nacth der Utoten "Prototype" ,
Verrukt "Asylum", Der Riese "Factory", and Kino der Toten "Theatre" and
Dead Ops Arcade "Zombietron" a year later.
Our goal was to establish a cohesive sky, sun, and color direction that could shift seamlessly
with gameplay. Using Quake-based Worldspawn values and post-processing
techniques, we achieved an eerie and atmospheric vibe that fans have come to associate with the
series.
One of the most memorable moments was on Call of Duty: World At War (2008), where we
had an opportunity to help bring levels to life by creating realistic sun and sky effects,
real-time post-processing, fog, godrays, and more. Working closely with the team, we fine-tuned the
look of each level, using sketch-based paintovers to guide builders and ensure visual
direction was clear and impactful, achieving the look of old war photos from that era. Few folks
realized what made World At War special was that it was actually a horror game, disguised as a war
shooter, and rendering played a huge role in that.
The work done during these years wasn’t just about creative or technical execution; it was about
bringing stories to life. Whether it was setting the stage for intense firefights or building
eerie, suspense-filled worlds, the collaboration between art, lighting, and gameplay
was essential to crafting memorable moments. Looking back, it was a creative period of growth,
and lessons learned during this era have carried us through every project since.
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