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James Coddington - Experience Design
Creative + Technical Leadership in Real-Time Development
Technical Art Director | Unity Pipeline Integration | Team Leadership
Core Strengths
Art & Technical Team Leadership
Direct multidisciplinary art teams with actionable feedback and clear vision. Balance creative goals with technical constraints for optimal results.
Real-Time Visual Problem Solving
Bridge artistic vision with technical implementation. Create innovative solutions that maintain visual fidelity in real-time environments.
Unity Pipeline & Asset Integration
Ensure visual quality while maintaining performance standards. Optimize workflow efficiency across Unity environments and Git repositories.
AI-Augmented Creative Strategy
Leverage generative AI and advanced prompt engineering techniques. Enhance visual development workflows with cutting-edge automation tools.
My Approach as Technical Art Director
Leadership Philosophy
Currently managing a multidisciplinary art team with mentorship at its core. I empower artists through clear direction and technical guidance.
Quality remains non-negotiable. I serve as the final gatekeeper for all art assets entering our pipeline.
Technical Integration
Ensure exceptional visual fidelity while maintaining strict performance standards in Unity. Oversee Git workflow integrity across all art submissions.
Bridge the communication gap between art, design, and development teams for seamless collaboration.
Project Highlights & Technical Contributions
Valiant Games: Technical Art Director
Led multidisciplinary art teams while maintaining strict visual quality standards in Unity environments.
Hashbang Games: Art + Tech Director
Spearheaded AAA Unity pipeline development with optimized workflow integration.
Scientific Games: Senior Game Artist
Created high-impact slot VFX and UI elements while ensuring seamless Unity integration.
Microsoft (DoD): Unity Technical Artist
Developed specialized assets and technical integration solutions under strict NDA requirements.
Toyota: Real-Time Configurator
Built aesthetically pleasing and visually engaging environments and related systems.
ClouDesign: Advanced Prototyping
Created Maya/Arnold concept visualizations for Lockheed, NASA and DARPA projects.
Tools & Technologies
Development Expertise
  • Unity (Expert Level)
  • C# Programming
  • Git/SourceTree Workflow
Creative Applications
  • Maya 3D Modeling
  • Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
  • Photoshop & After Effects
Technical Specialties
  • Real-Time VFX Systems
  • Motion
  • Godot
  • Unreal
Advanced Tools
  • AI-Assisted Creation
  • Procedurally Generated Content
  • Prompt Engineering
Explore Visual Work
Dive deeper into specific areas of my visual work through curated galleries.
My portfolio showcases technical expertise across multiple disciplines.
Browse through game environments, character designs, VFX systems, and UI elements.
Each gallery demonstrates both artistic vision and technical implementation.
Process
Concept
Ideation and creative exploration
Design
Visual development and refinement
Implementation
Technical execution and problem-solving
Polish
Perfecting details and enhancing impact
Delivery
Game and Product Release
About James
Professional Background
With over 17 years of experience spanning R&D, gaming, TV, film, VFX, and tech innovation, James has worked at the intersection of creativity and technology for companies like Microsoft, DARPA, and NASA-JPL.
Personal Interests
Beyond his professional work, James is a music producer with 20+ years of experience, running his own music studio. He enjoys hiking in the Pacific Northwest and mentoring the next generation of artists and technologists.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BA in Art Technology
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, focusing on the intersection of art and emerging technologies.
Invention as Process
Creating not just new aesthetic experiences, but often the very tools and processes with which they are achieved.
Technology as Medium
Appropriating, repurposing, and subverting technological systems to unlock new experiential possibilities.