Leland Smith

Animation Technical Design Intern Portfolio

My Home

Link to game

In My Home, you are an alien colonist who decided that this little blue planet was the prefect place to settle. Regardless of what the local human population has to say about it.

My Home, is an 3D tower Defense game made using the Unreal 5 engine, made for my Game Dev 1 class. I was the lead artist and created all the 3D models, animations, and textures except the grass and the ground texture. I also made the concept art and a Post-processing script to create the cell shaded look the game has.

Below are a sample of the in game animations and models from Blender, including models and features that were not implemented into the game due to dropped enemies or features.

Mecha BigFoot Returns

Link to game

In a cyber-filled world, Bigfoot felt abandoned by human society. Thinking without consequence, BigFoot turned himself into a robotic version of himself not realizing that the humans he once sought the attention of would capture and contain him. Follow the journey of BigFoot rebuilding himself and escaping after the human containment facility was abandoned.

Mecha BigFoot Returns, is a Unity based game made for my Game Dev 1 class. I worked along side three other students to create this game.

I created all the 3D models, 3D animations, and textures, except the desk computer. Below is one untextured renderings of the animations and some concept art. At the bottom is a selection of the in game models.

Emotional World

Link to game

Emotional World is a platformer adventure game set in a world after a series of unknown and unnamed events, where people’s emotions control their appearances morphing them into their true feelings. You play as a nameless human protagonist, awakened in this strange new world with the ability to dash and jump. Along the way, you meet a few diverse nonhuman friends and help a sad-looking fellow as you platform through an unknown cave dodging danger left and right.

Created in Unity Engine, I was the producer, character designer, 2D animator, writer and backup programmer. Most of my responsibly was to manage the team, produce the 2D animations, and integrate the animations into the engine.

Below are a sample of the character animations and concept art I produced

Forgotten Dragon

Link to level prototype

Forgotten Dragon is a single-player walking, linear level in which the player has to traverse an old and abandoned dungeon that seems damaged by a great fight or war after receiving a quest to slay the dragon who resides in this dungeon. Along the way they see a thriving ecosystem of decomposers, wiggling and darting around between the landscape. As the player traverses they unfold the story of the dungeon learning that this place is not what it seems.

The scope of this level is a one-way linear path guided by lights and the slow unveiling of information through this dungeon. The goal is to test the overall narrative design and pacing before adding more costly features that would test skills, such as lockpicking and sword fighting already received by the player.

Below are the level’s concept art.

A screenshot of the starting area shows the Quest Giver’s sign giving the player the quest to kill the dragon and the pelvic bone of the dragon.
A screenshot of the door showing maggots, the first set of doors, and a spear tip all placed roughly in the middle section.
The dragon’s skull and the grand reveal, the dragon you have been sent to kill has been head for years, killed by some higher force with spears, and this dungeon is just the rotting remains of it.

Desk Orchid

Link to download

An interactive virtual desktop companion created in the Godot game engine and written using GDScript. Features include walking across your screen, reacting to certain games you are playing on your screen, and making squeaking noises.

Below are the animations I created for this project, showcasing my animation knowledge.

:About Me :

 I am studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to earn a BA With a Degree in Computer Science and Games, Art, and Simulation planning to work Game Industry being able to flexibly switch between art, and programing roles in projects.

 I wish to create video games that blend the concepts of entertainment, the arts, interactivity, and narrative allowing the player to actively step into environments born from our imaginations.

:FUN FACTS:

  • Favorite Games:
    • Journey, Spore, Stray, No Man’s Sky, Monster Hunter Rise, Stardew Valley, Overwatch
  • Favorite Things:
    • Plants, Cats, Speculative Biology, Space, Birds

Thank you for your time and consideration!