9 Questions With Healthy Moeung

Describe what you currently do, and tell us the best thing about it.

I currently work on “Madden” as a 3D character artist, creating realistic characters for the game. As a 3D character artist, capturing the physicality of a real sport in a virtual environment means translating how athletes look, move, and react into digital characters that feel believable in gameplay. We use reference photos to study anatomy, likeness, and how equipment sits on the body and do all we can to reflect the proportions and physical traits of the real players. Then we work closely with animation and technical teams to ensure the characters deform correctly when they move.

A unique challenge is balancing realism with performance constraints. For “Madden” and “College Football,” there are always twenty-two athletes on screen and that does not include those on the sidelines and in the stadium. We need to make all of the athletes look detailed up close while still being optimized for real-time gameplay.

What led you to the ETC?

I first learned about the ETC through my mentor from undergrad. What drew me in was discovering the wide range of careers its graduates pursue. I heard that alumni had gone into animation, game development, Disney Imagineering, and more. After speaking with a few alumni and hearing about their positive experiences in the program, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue.

What projects did you work on at the ETC?

I worked on video games and interactive theater! The projects I worked on were Exodus, a resource-gathering survival game; Condors, a game that pioneered and prototyped a new way to experience basketball; and theatre.exe, a project that explored ways to create meaningful interactive experiences using technology.

What’s your favorite ETC memory?

I really loved working on Exodus, because I worked with people who became good friends and it’s where I discovered that I wanted to work in video games.

How did ETC prepare you for your career, and what impact has it had on your life?

The ETC taught me how to work well in interdisciplinary teams, which isn’t something offered in many programs. I now work as a 3D character artist in video games, and I don’t just collaborate with other artists. I work with engineers, technical artists, riggers, lighters, and more. Being in an environment like the ETC accelerated my growth and made stepping into a studio feel natural.

What is the most interesting or enjoyable thing that you’ve gotten to do in your career so far?

I was given the opportunity to help create a robust system for generating 10,000 heads for “EA Sports College Football 25.” It was a pleasure to work alongside brilliant minds and help build a pipeline that turned a daunting task into something manageable.

What advice would you give current students?

If you want a career in a competitive field, don’t give up. The right team, the right studio, and the right people will see you and want to work with you. If you’re passionate about what you do, keep creating and doing what you love. Your opportunity could be right around the corner.

Describe the ETC in one word.

Catalytic.

What are you working on now that excites you?

I can’t talk about that yet!