I am an experienced real-time 3D technical artist with more than 15 years of experience in the field of real-time rendering. I specialize in lighting, level beautification, UX & tools design, and pipeline & workflow improvements. I hold a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
I currently work for Unity Technologies as Senior Manager, Technical Art. I manage multiple teams of Technical Artists focusing on all aspects of real-time graphics, such as rendering, lighting, visual effects and visibility. My group’s mission is to improve artists’ efficiency, develop new features alongside engineers and designers, validate the technology, and inform users globally thanks to the publication of educational and marketing materials.
I strive for efficiency, I am a great communicator, a fast learner and always look forward to creating stunning worlds with the most innovative rendering technologies and workflows. I believe tools should be fun to use and never hinder creativity.
I have worked on award-winning games and large AAA productions including the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Therefore, I have a proven understanding of the art, rendering technologies and tools requirements for many types of projects, from highly scripted cinematic experiences to large-scale open worlds, as well as competitive multiplayer games.
Detailed Biography
I started my career in the video game industry more than a decade ago. In 2007, out of curiosity for real-time rendering and a passion for photography, I developed in my spare time the Natural Mod for Crysis, a famous lighting modification for Crysis, which quickly reached several hundred thousand downloads. As a result, Crytek, the developers of Crysis and pioneers in real-time 3D rendering, offered me a role.
Crytek, 2008 – 2014
In 2008, after I obtained my degree in Computer Science and Information Management and completed my compulsory military service in the Swiss Army as a tank driver, I finally joined Crytek to work on Crysis 2 as their sole lighting artist at their headquarter in Frankfurt, Germany.
Later in 2011, I remastered the lighting for the release of Crysis 1 on Xbox 360 and PS3, using the greatly optimized CryEngine 3.
As a Senior Lighting Artist, I solely created the lighting for the single-player campaign of Crysis 3, which remains nowadays a significant visual and technical benchmark for real-time graphics, despite being a decade old.
In addition to the Crysis franchise, I created the lighting for the free-to-play multiplayer shooter Warface, several GDC tech demos, and unreleased projects.
I spread my knowledge about lighting, rendering and CryEngine workflows among multiple Crytek studios, licensees, and outsourcing studios. I gave several talks at GDC and FMX and contributed to the publication of multiple technical papers about real-time 3D rendering.
As a Lead Level Artist, I supported the production of the Xbox One exclusive title Ryse: Son of Rome by designing the lighting for the coliseum multiplayer levels, generating marketing materials, as well as mentoring fellow lighting artists.
In addition, as a Lead Level Artist, I specified the next gen level art requirements for an undisclosed large scale open-world game. This consisted in creating several detailed specs for new tools, procedural systems for lighting and terrain systems, and general workflow improvements for the CryEngine.
Finally, as a valued member of the CryEngine Core Team, I supervised a team composed of a dozen artists, animators, and programmers for an undisclosed cinematic project designed to push the boundaries of real-time graphics and promote the CryEngine.
Rockstar Games, 2014 – 2018
In 2014, Rockstar Games offered me a position at their head office in Edinburgh, Scotland, to work on the next generation upgrade of Grand Theft Auto V for PS4, Xbox One and PC. In particular, I reworked multiple key cutscenes and interiors of the single-player campaign.
I intermittently designed the interior and cutscene lighting for most GTA Online DLCs between 2015 and 2018, notably the large “Heists” and “Doomsday Heist” updates.
I worked as Principal Lighting Artist on the critically-acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2. As a lighting generalist with considerable knowledge of the interior, exterior and cutscene lighting pipelines in Rockstar Games’ proprietary engine (RAGE), I focused predominantly on the research, the specification and the design of tools and systems to radically improve the creation, the maintenance, and the review of the lighting in complex open-world scenarios with fully dynamic lighting and weather. Therefore, I worked constantly with tools, animation, and graphics programmers to solve the technical issues encountered during the production.
In addition, I created and maintained large databases for PBR materials and lights, and documented workflows to improve the rendering quality in the RAGE engine and transmit my knowledge within Rockstar Games to fellow artists.
Unity Technologies, 2018 – Present
In 2018, I was offered the opportunity to join Unity Technologies‘ Spotlight Team, as a Senior Lighting and Rendering Artist. I supported high-profile developers both artistically and technically across multiple industries such as game, automotive, aerospace, architecture and engineering, and film.
Thanks to my experience in the field of 3D real-time rendering, I was able to analyse customers’ projects and recommend techniques to maximise their visual quality and performance. Furthermore, we used customers’ feedback to influence Unity’s roadmap, and develop tailored features and tooling.
In 2020, to expand my horizons, I transitioned to a Manager role: I led fellow technical artists specializing in lighting & rendering, while working on high-end rendering features for the High Definition Render Pipeline, such as the volumetric cloud system and the hybrid raytracing. In 2022, I was promoted to Senior Manager, Technical Art: I now manage several teams of Technical Artists for all rendering pipelines (URP & HDRP), Lighting, Visual Effects and Scene Visibility.
Continuously, I work with engineers to push the real-time graphics boundaries and improve the content creators’ workflows in Unity’s software. Furthermore, I regularly write official technical articles and expert guides to transmit my knowledge and best practices to fellow Unity users, and give workshops and talks about rendering at conferences.
Credits
Unity (Technology Division)
2022: Unite 2022: How to Light an Environment in Unity (Senior Technical Art Manager)
2021: Volumetric Clouds in Unity with HDRP (Technical Art Manager)
2021: SIGGRAPH 2021: New Lighting Features in Unity (Technical Art Manager)
2021: NVIDIA Webinar: Ray Tracing in Unity (Technical Art Manager)
2021: HDRP Template for Unity (Technical Art Manager)
Unity (Spotlight Team)
2021: Lost in Random (Senior Technical Artist)
2020: High Fidelity Graphics for games with HDRP (Senior Rendering Artist)
2020: High-end visualizations in Unity (Senior Rendering Artist)
2020: Virtual Production in Unity – Lexus (Senior Rendering Artist)
2019: Phoenix Point for PC and Mac (Uncredited)
2019: Sea of Solitude for PC, Xbox One and PS4 (Uncredited)
2019: Create high-quality light fixtures in Unity (Senior Rendering Artist)
2018: 11-11: Memories Retold for PC, Xbox One and PS4 (Uncredited)
2018: Set up the Lighting Pipeline in Unity (Senior Rendering Artist)
Rockstar Games
2019: Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC (Principal Lighting Artist)
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 and Xbox One (Principal Lighting Artist)
2015: Grand Theft Auto V for PC (Senior Lighting Artist)
2014: Grand Theft Auto V for PS4 & Xbox One (Senior Lighting Artist)
Crytek
2022: Crysis 3 Remastered for PC, PS4/5, Xbox One (Senior Lighting Artist)
2022: Crysis 2 Remastered for PC, PS4/5, Xbox One (Lighting Artist)
2015: Evolve for PC, PS4 & Xbox One (Lead Level Artist, support)
2014: Ryse: Son of Rome for PC (Lead Level Artist)
2013: Ryse: Son of Rome for Xbox One (Lead Level Artist)
2013: Crysis 3 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 (Senior Lighting Artist)
2011: Warface for PC (Lighting Artist)
2011: Crysis 1 for Xbox 360 and PS3 (Lighting Artist)
2011: Crysis 2 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 (Lighting Artist)
2007: Natural Mod for Crysis for PC (Amateur modder)
Conference Speaker
Unite 2022: How to light an environment in Unity
SIGGRAPH 2021: New Lighting Features in Unity
NVIDIA Webinar 2021: Ray Tracing in Unity
Unite Now 2020: High Fidelity Graphics for games with HDRP
GDC 2013: Shining the Light on Crysis 3
FMX 2013: The Art and Technology behind Crysis 3
GDC 2011: Lighting in Crysis 2
Specialties
Lighting
– Proficient in outdoor, indoor & cinematic lighting
– Familiar with open world, linear and multiplayer games requirements
– Proven knowledge of physically-based rendering and lighting theory
– Experience with real-time and baked lighting workflows
– Expert understanding of color grading, post-processing, and visual styling
– Expert knowledge of photographic concepts
Direction & Management
– Translate art direction requirements into technical specifications
– Create mood boards, color scripts, reference boards, and style guides
– Provide feedback to improve scene composition and asset quality
– Manage and mentor teams of artists, designers and engineers
UX
– Gather user data and feedback to drive development roadmaps
– Analyze and document workflows and user stories
– Create highly detailed UI and interactive mock-ups
– Design brand new tools and workflows to solve artist problems
Level beautification
– Terrain generation, painting & beautification
– Level dressing (props, vegetation & VFX)
Technology
– Design, test, maintain and document new features, tools, and pipelines
– Collaborate tightly with programmers to improve engine and workflows
– Create samples and test scenes to validate technologies
– Write technical papers describing new engine features
Marketing
– Compose and capture high-quality marketing materials (screenshots & videos)
Education
– Create high-quality video tutorials, articles, and e-books
Recruiting
– Screen candidates for art department positions
– Conduct behavioral interviews
Experience
Senior Technical Art Manager at Unity Technologies (2022 – …)
– Manage several graphics Tech Art teams: Render Pipelines (URP & HDRP), Lighting, Visual Effects & Visibility
– Mentor fellow tech artists and ensure their wellbeing and growth
– Recruit new team members to reach optimal capacity
– Cultivate a culture of empathy and transparent feedback
– Help build roadmaps for feature development
– Improve artists’ efficiency and advocate for users
– Develop features alongside engineers and designers
– Create educational materials, presentations, videos, and demos
– Interface with high profile customers
Technical Art Manager at Unity Technologies (2020 – 2022)
– Lead by example while managing other technical artists
– Develop rendering features with graphics engineers and UX designers
– Improve and validate Unity’s workflows for content creators
– Create educational materials, presentations, videos, and demos
– Cultivate a culture of empathy and transparent feedback
– Help build roadmaps for feature development
– Interface with high profile customers
Senior Lighting & Rendering Artist at Unity Technologies (2018 – 2020)
– Support artistically and technically high-profile developers
– Push the boundaries of real-time graphics
– Streamline art and world-building workflows
– Refine the user experience in Unity
– Design new tools with engineers
– Create educational content
– Produce educational content and best practice guides
Principal Lighting Artist at Rockstar North (2017 – 2018)
Support the lighting production for Red Dead Redemption 2 (Q3 2017 – Q2 2018)
– Create lighting for cutscenes and interactive sequences
– Design innovative cutscenes lighting tools for production and review
– Solve technical issues encountered during lighting production
– Document best practices for lighting, shading, and optimization
Create the lighting for GTA 5 Online DLCs (Q3 2017 – Q2 2018)
– Light interiors for GTA Online: After Hours
– Light interiors and cutscenes for GTA Online: Smuggler’s Run
– Light interiors and cutscenes for GTA Online: The Doomsday Heist
Maintain light and material databases (Q3 2017 – Q2 2018)
– Maintain a library of hundreds of PBR materials
Miscellaneous (Q1 2018 – Q2 2018)
– Mentor and teach new team members
– Recruit, filter, and interview lighting artist candidates
Senior Lighting Artist at Rockstar North (2014 – 2017)
Remaster the lighting for GTA 5 on PS4, Xbox One and PC (Q3 2014 – Q1 2015)
– Relight entirely several key cutscenes of the single-player for Next Gen platforms
Design new lighting tools and workflows (Q3 2014 – Q2 2017)
– Work closely with programmers to improve lighting pipelines and tools
– Design highly detailed specifications for lighting and animation tools
Create the lighting for GTA 5 Online DLCs (Q3 2014 – Q2 2017)
– Light interiors and cutscenes of GTA Online: Heists Update
– Light interiors and cutscenes of GTA Online: Lowriders
– Light interiors and cutscenes of GTA Online: Bikers
– Light interiors and cutscenes of GTA Online: Import/Export
– Light interiors and cutscenes of GTA Online: Gunrunning
Support the lighting production for Red Dead Redemption 2 (Q1 2015 – Q2 2017)
– Create lighting for cutscenes and interactive sequences
– Design innovative cutscenes lighting tools for production and review
– Solve technical issues encountered during lighting production
– Document best practices for lighting, shading, and optimization
– Create QA guidelines for cutscene reviews
Maintain light and material databases (Q1 2015 – Q2 2017)
– Research, create and maintain a library of physically-based lights
– Maintain a library of hundreds of PBR materials
Miscellaneous (Q1 2016 – Q2 2017)
– Mentor and teach new team members
– Recruit, filter, and interview lighting artist candidates
Lead Level Artist at Crytek (2013 – 2014)
Define the Next Gen requirements for CryEngine (Q2 2013 – Q2 2014)
– Create specifications for procedural environment systems
– Document new features precisely and design highly detailed UI mock-ups
– Create detailed feature proposals for improving the UX in CryEngine
– Work closely with R&D and tools programmers
Support Turtle Rock Studios for Evolve on PC, PS4 & Xbox One (Q2 2014)
– Provide on-site technical training for the lighting team in CryEngine
– Profile levels and provide performance feedback for Xbox One
– Give optimization guidelines for lower end platforms
Lead a team of artists and programmers for an undisclosed project (Q4 2013 – Q1 2014)
– Define the scope, objectives, and timeline of the project
– Coordinate the creation of concept arts, storyboards, and assets
– Create specifications for technical requirements
Support the lighting team of Ryse: Son of Rome on Xbox One (2013)
– Mentor artists and provide technical feedback
– Create the lighting for the multiplayer levels
– Create high-quality marketing screenshots
Document the lighting, VFX and level art requirements for an undisclosed project (Q1-Q3 2013)
– Design the lighting and weather systems specifications for large open world games
– Design the UI of new procedural systems for lighting, terrain, and vegetation
Senior Lighting Artist at Crytek (2012 – 2013)
Create the lighting for Crysis 3 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (2011 – 2013)
– Design the lighting for all levels of the story mode, from prototype to final quality
– Set up the lighting for all real-time cinematics and scripted events
– Set up the post-processing effects and color grading for all levels
– Create HDR sky domes and clouds
– Ensure the consistency across art assets
– Assist the Art Director, especially from a technical point of view
– Co-manage and support the Level Art & Beautification team
– Create high-quality marketing materials (screenshots & magazine covers)
– Act as a hub between engineering, level designer and art
Lighting Artist at Crytek (2008 – 2012)
Create the lighting for Crysis 2 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (2008 – 2011)
– Design the lighting for all levels of the story mode, from prototype to final quality
– Set up the lighting for all real-time cinematics and scripted events
– Set up the post-processing effects and color grading for all levels
– Ensure the consistency across art assets
– Assist the Art Director, especially from a technical point of view
– Create high-quality marketing materials (screenshots)
– Transmit CryEngine lighting knowledge to outsourcing studios
– Act as a hub between engineering, level designer and art
Create the lighting for Crysis 1 on Xbox 360 and PS3 (2011)
– Redesign the entire lighting of the single-player campaign
– Define a new visual identity
Create the lighting for the free to play game “Warface” on PC (2011 – 2012)
– Define the visual identity for 2 types of environments (Middle East & Balkans)
– Redesign the lighting for a dozen levels
– Optimize the lighting for very low hardware requirements
– Teach CryEngine lighting knowledge to Crytek’s Kiev Studio
Amateur Modder (2007 – 2008)
Develop the Natural Mod, an acclaimed lighting modification for Crysis
– Complete redesign of the lighting of the single-player mode for a more photo-realistic experience
– Distribution of the mod as a free modification (more than 350’000 downloads)
Education
Université de Fribourg/Universität Freiburg, Switzerland (2005 – 2008)
BSCS, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Minor: Information Management)
Collège du Sud, Switzerland (2001 – 2005)
Swiss Federal Maturity in Chemistry, Biology & Physics
Personal Info
Nationality: Swiss
Current location: United Kingdom
Languages: French (native language), English (full proficiency), German (academic level)
Computer languages: Java, C, C# (academic level)
Software: Unity, CryEngine / Lumberyard, RAGE (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine), 3Ds Max, Substance Designer, World Machine, Gaea, Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas, Adobe XD, Figma, Miro, Favro, Jira, Airtable
Pierre Yves Donzallaz 