9 Questions with Reagan Heller

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

I am currently the Vice President of Art at Schell Games LLC. It’s been a long and amazing journey from Digital Artist to Art Lead to Art Manager to Vice President. Now, I’m responsible for guiding and growing our Art Department at Schell Games. The best thing is helping to build a great culture for our artists, and fostering a creative space where we can both do incredible things together and thrive individually.

What led you to the ETC?

As an undergraduate graphic design student, I had a CS major friend tell me about this crazy graduate VR class he was in. This was very long ago, when there were very few artists involved with the ETC and it was still a new and growing program. The ETC wanted to be sure they were gathering talent from different disciplines to meet their project goals.

I was brave and waited in line with my sketchbook and portfolio in a creepy concrete hallway at Wean Hall to meet Randy Pausch and apply to participate in the graduate level class. I was SO impressed by everything I saw, and how he talked about the class structure. Not only that, I made the cut to be part of this super cool class called Building Virtual Worlds!

There, I was exposed to the ETC and how amazing the cross-disciplinary work was. It really changed my entire study and career focus. I loved the entertainment work and the different perspectives and skills the students at the ETC shared with me. I realized that making experiences for people to enjoy was what I wanted to do with my career, and that’s why I ended up applying to get my masters degree.

What projects did you work on at the ETC?

• The original Jam-O-Drum!
• An interactive dinosaur experience in the amphitheater at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History!
• A body motion-tracked VR tai-chi trainer!
• A platform motion-based VR fantasy chase game!
• A biohazard training simulation for the fire department!
• A set of zombie-themed pitches and demos!

What’s your favorite ETC memory?

I was able to work on a “Night of the Living Dead” game demo and meet George Romero, a hero of mine. We decorated the whole project room to look like there was an impending zombie attack: broken windows, wooden doors, and lots of artificial body parts. I’ll never forget [ETC co-founder] Don Marinelli walking in, horrified, as I was putting the final gory touches on a disembodied hand in a fake-blood covered smock! But Romero loved it, so I was quite proud. We were able to present a variety of game ideas and pitches — as well as “flesh” out one of the pitches over the course of the semester into a real playable build.

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

The opportunity to work with such a wide variety of skilled people, clients, and media was an incredible experience, one that art school could not replicate. The ETC’s team-based structure required us to work together well so we could execute a project with a clear and coherent visions. Presentation, negotiation, compromise, planning, and communication are powerful tools that every ETC student should focus on mastering, along with excellent core craft skills for project work.

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

I wish I could talk more about this! But I’m always very respectful of NDAs. 😉

What advice would you give current students?

Make sure that your core skills are strong, and you are proactive and determined to grow them in service of helping your project be the best it can be. Take advantage of everything the experience of making games at the ETC affords you. Be humble and curious. Listen to advice, change your assumptions about game development, and help to make the entertainment industry better than it was before you entered it. We all have that responsibility to make sure we are a positive change to a growing community.

Describe the ETC in one word.

Collaborative.

What are you working on now that excites you?

We are at a point where development technology is changing at a hugely rapid rate for creatives. We are working hard to be sure that we approach these new advancements responsibly and thoughtfully in the service of being tools for artists, tools that empower them to keep making amazing experiences.