2024 Guest Speakers
Randy Pitchford – Founder of the Gearbox Entertainment Company
Randy Pitchford is a video game industry veteran of more than 30 years and founder of the Gearbox Entertainment Company, which develops and publishes award-winning and best-selling video games through its subsidiaries, Gearbox Software and Gearbox Publishing, and produces groundbreaking film and television content. Gearbox is a recognized AAA studio and was nominated as a “Best Place to Work” by the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Business Journal. Randy has created, developed, produced, directed, written, designed, and otherwise driven or significantly contributed to some of the most successful and famous video game franchises of all time. From leading the creation of the critically acclaimed, record-breaking original franchises Borderlands and Brothers in Arms to helping build industry-leading, genre-defining games with licensed properties including Half-Life and Halo, Randy is one of the most impactful and respected video game developers in the world.
Randy’s credited titles across generations and platforms have sold more than 100 million units generating billions of dollars in revenue.
Randy’s commitment to bringing joy to lives of others is manifest in more than video games. Under Randy’s leadership, Gearbox partnered with the humanitarian organization, Direct Relief, to raise tens of thousands of dollars and provide personal protective equipment to millions of medical workers leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Randy Pitchford also spearheaded an initiative with McGill University, Massively Multiplayer Online Science, and the Microsetta Initiative at UC San Diego School of Medicine in April 2020, to launch Borderlands Science, a mini-game within Borderlands 3. Borderlands Science enables players to contribute to vital medical research by solving puzzles that help map the human gut biome. As of August 2020, more than 1.3 million players have solved more than 56.6 million puzzles, aiding critical scientific study.
In 2000, Randy Pitchford accepted the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for Best PC Action Game of the Year for Gearbox Software’s debut title, Half-Life: Opposing Force (1999, PC), for which he served as Executive Producer, Director, Writer, and Designer. With Gearbox, Randy also executive produced, directed, produced, wrote, and/or designed dozens of video games spanning genres and platforms including Half-Life (2001, PS2), Counter-Strike (2001, PC), 007 James Bond: Nightfire (2002, PC), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2002, PC), Samba de Amigo (2008, Wii), and Halo: Combat Evolved (2003, PC).
Randy Pitchford served as Co-Director and Executive Producer of Gearbox’s first original franchise Brothers in Arms. In March of 2005, Gearbox launched the franchise with publisher Ubisoft on multiple platforms to achieve record sales, critical acclaim, and numerous industry awards and accolades making it the best-selling and highest rated WW2 action game ever released on the Xbox video game system. Since its launch, under Randy’s guidance, the Brothers in Arms series has released over a dozen games across all major console and mobile platforms generating over $300m in gross revenue. The most recent release, Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway, was an Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Original Story.
In 2009, as Executive Producer, Randy Pitchford launched Borderlands, the fastest selling new video game brand of the year. Borderlands was released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, and other digital platforms worldwide in October of 2009 to earn universal critical acclaim and record-setting sales. Featuring seamless single player and cooperative game play, Borderlands, as Randy put it, “is the first, great shooter looter.” Borderlands was nominated for and won multiple Game of the Year awards throughout the industry and was nominated in two categories in the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. In 2012, as Executive Producer, Randy launched Borderlands 2, which went on to earn even more critical acclaim than the original Borderlands, including winner of four trophies at the 2012 Video Game Awards and Action Game of the Year at the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Borderlands 2 went on to become the best-selling game in the history of Gearbox Software and in the history of the 2K Games publishing label.
Under the guidance of Randy Pitchford, Gearbox Software has created multiple, award winning, best-selling original properties, has acquired world-famous and industry-leading, genre-defining video game properties including Duke Nukem and Homeworld and is in development on a number of original video games across all of its intellectual properties.
In 2015, Randy Pitchford founded Gearbox Publishing, a subsidiary of Gearbox Software, with an ever expanding portfolio of internally and externally developed titles including Godfall, Tribes of Midgard, Homeworld: Remastered Collection, Homeworld, Deserts of Kharak, Duke Nukem 3D 20th Anniversary World Tour, Bulletstorm, Fortnite, We Happy Few, Astroneer, Risk of Rain 2, World of Warships: Legends, Into the Dead 2, Trover Saves the Universe, The Banner Saga Trilogy, Burnstar, Earthfall, Hello Neighbor, and Penn & Teller VR: Frankly Unfair, Unkind, Unnecessary and Underhanded.
In 2020, Randy Pitchford and the Gearbox team accepted three Webby Awards for Borderlands 3, which won for “Best Art Direction,” “Best Game Design,” and “Best User Experience.”
Randy Pitchford is a sought-after video game industry leader featured at trade shows, news features, and documentaries. Before becoming a full-time video game developer, Randy was a professional magician in Hollywood occasionally performing at the famous Magic Castle between classes at UCLA. Under the handle “DuvalMagic” Randy is also a feverishly dedicated gamer who has earned a competitive reputation since the days of Doom to the end-game raids of World of Warcraft. His Xbox Live Gamer Score, Blizzard battle.net Achievements, Steam Achievements, PSN Trophies and even his Apple Game Center records all tell the story of a man who has committed his life to making and playing video games. You can find Randy and his 700,000 followers on Twitter with his handle @DuvalMagic.
Leah Hoyer CEO & Head of Creative at Level Headed Games
Website: https://levelheadedgames.com/
FROM SURVIVAL TO THRIVAL: Taking Charge of your Animation and Games Career in a Tumultuous Time.
I create entertainment experiences. Actually, I work with teams of talented people who make truly incredible, interactive, entertainment experiences—because nobody makes something that is loved by millions of people on their own. I build teams, mentor people, foster great ideas, and find the best way to get those produced.
Author / Historian / Filmmaker
Website: http://www.mindyjohnsoncreative.com
MOVEMENTS IN MOTION: The Transitional Evolution of Animation Artistry & Technology.
Award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, and preeminent expert on women in early animation, Johnson’s groundbreaking book, Ink & Paint –The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, (Disney Editions) redefines our collective history. This essential volume casts a light on the thousands of unsung female artists behind the creative and technical advances within the animated art form.
Recipient of the 2023 ASIFA June-Foray “Annie” Award, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences – AMPAS/Oscars.org Film Scholar Award, along with the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Educators Forum Grant, Mindy’s research continues into the earliest women of animation with several forthcoming books and film projects. Most notably, she recently unearthed the oldest-surviving hand-drawn animated and directed films by a woman. This game-changing discovery of Bessie Mae Kelley and her early work at the dawn of animation redefines the established understanding of our collective past. Kelley’s restored films debuted in their World Premiere at the Academy Motion Picture Museum in Los Angeles – 100 years after their creation.
Mindy’s young-reader volume entitled, Pencils, Pens & Brushes – A Great Girls’ Guide to Disney Animation, (Disney Press) celebrates the contributions of 20 remarkable women within early Disney animation and is a treasure for all ages. Hercritically acclaimed debut, Tinker Bell – An Evolution (Disney Editions) was honored with rare consecutive Family Choice Awards, and she is a contributing writer for the epic volume, The Walt Disney Film Archives –The Animated Movies 1921-1968, (Taschen); as well as the celebrated collection, Marc Davis: Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man, (Disney Editions).
A sought-after commentator, speaker, lecturer and panelist, Mindy explores a wide range of subjects within her presentations and appearances at numerous studios, campuses, international festivals, and conferences including: The Smithsonian Speakers Series, The Pordenone Silent Film Festival (Italy), Hippfest (Scotland), Ottawa International Animation Festival, NAFF Festival-Bosnia Herzegovina, Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, TCM ClassicFilm Festival, Film Forum-NYC, D23 Expo, ABC-Network Specials, San Diego ComiCon, CTN Expo, World Animation Festival and more. She has written for numerous international publications and produced record-breaking global campaigns for the film industry.
Mindy’s creative work extends to a wide range of film projectsincluding associate producing the award winning documentary Pencils vs. Pixels(2023), and creative work for a growing list of clients, including: AMPAS/Oscars.org, TCM/Turner Broadcasting, WNET/American Masters, SPARK Animation Fest-Vancouver, The Walt Disney Family Museum, The Walt Disney Company, HoriPro Entertainment, Pixar Studios, StageNine Exhibitions, Sony Animation, Primary Wave, SiriusXM Radio and more.
In addition to a background in network television and film production, Mindy is also an award-winning playwright, Grammy-nominated songwriter, musician, and a contributing artist on several internationally acclaimed recordings. When she isn’t speaking, researching, or writing on a myriad of subjects, Mindy also teaches film/animation studies, women’s animation history, screenwriting & intercultural film at CalArts, UCLA and other campuses in Southern CA, as well as Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
MOVEMENTS IN MOTION
The Transitional Evolution of Animation Artistry & Technology
w/ Mindy Johnson
For centuries, artists and their tools have evolved to meet creative, economic and technological demands in bringing their visions and stories to life. Throughout the course of its brief history, the animated artform has endured continual transitions as it developed into the powerhouse industry it is today. Yet, with entirely new creative horizons ahead, questions loom large on where we’re headed and what’s next for the animated artform. Join award-winning author/historian Mindy Johnson for a revealing look into where our animated past might hold a few answers to enlighten, inform and define our animated future.
www.mindyjohnsoncreative.com
Emerson Tung – Art Director, Concept Artist and Illustrator
Website: https://emersontung.com/
FROM SKECHBOOK TO ARTBOOK: How I created TANKHEAD.
Emerson is an Art Director, Concept Artist and Illustrator with 13 years of experience working in the entertainment industry, contributing to franchises such as DOOM, Transformers, Warmachines, Warhammer 40K, Angry Birds and many more. He has his art featured in publications such as Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, ImagineFX and Society of Illustrators Annual. He recently partnered up with UDON Entertainment to publish his first ever narrative artbook, TANKHEAD