MATT ALLAN

SUMMARY

A people-person accomplished in building, working with, and leading teams, games, and art pipelines for successful startups and established studios.

Focuses at finding and amplifying the fun; with an intuitive understanding of the interplay between game design and art.

Believes games should be fun to play and to make!

EXPERIENCE

SELF-EMPLOYED / FREELANCE

January 2023 - November 2025

Running my own company and working with:

• Surface Digital

• Netflix Games

• Metacore

• As well as my own Indie Projects and startup consulting.

SUPERCELL

GAME ARTIST / ART DIRECTOR

August 2018 - April 2022

Art direction and asset creation for Hay Day Pop.

Art development, art pipeline and game-engine development for Boat Game.

• 3D game art creation from concept to final assets

• Outsource management with external partners

• Driving technical art pipeline and game engine improvements at a team and company level

• Design discussions, game prototyping and team goal planning

• Designing, prototyping and leading UX improvements to our in-house game editor.

• Communicating with artists on game teams to understand and organize requirements for tools.

• Documentation and training materials for artists and designers.

SEGA HARDLIGHT

LEAD ARTIST

September 2016 - August 2018

Lead Artist on “Sonic Forces: Speed Battle”:

• Setting art style and directing all concept art and 3D gameplay art (characters,environments and effects).

• Workflow and style guide documentation, asset tracking, feedback and task management.

• Collaborating with code and design on the development of an intuitive track editor to maximise output by the team.

• Maintaining authenticity via regular communication with the head of Sonic Team and a personal enthusiasm for the franchise.

SENIOR ARTIST

May 2015 - September 2016

Senior Artist on “Kingdom Conquest: Dark Empire”. Responsible for:

• Concept sketches

• Style development and guides

• Workflow/pipeline development and documentation

• 3D asset creation

• shader writing

• UI

• Animation

• Particle Effects

• Feature implementation

• Presentations and knowledge sharing

• Task planning

• Recruitment and outsource management.

GOODBOY DIGITAL

CREATIVE LEAD

February 2014 - May 2015

Art, art direction, game design, and a little Javascript to make the game visuals shine and help develop a small startup into a successful business with friends.

Pitching and creating cross-platform games (HTML5) in a very small, but powerful, team with high-profile partners such as Disney and the BBC,including successful pitch development for Star Wars and Danger Mouse.

DLALA STUDIOS / MICROSOFT

SENIOR ARTIST

February 2013 - February 2014

Creating and developing new mobile IP and physical products with Dlala Studios, under Microsoft Lift London's Incubation programme.

Working with external partners to develop visual bar look and feel.

Updating and pitching to key stakeholders and VPs on project status during presentations and Greenlight meetings.

In 2013, Dlala received nominations for two Develop awards. We were also recognised as one of the 'Top 100 UK Developers' and 'Top 100 Most Exciting European Game Startups'.

BOSSA STUDIOS

LEAD ARTIST

February 2011 - February 2013

Lead Artist on Bossa's BAFTA winning debut social game: "Monstermind” ,as well as “Merlin: The Game”.

Helped build the art team during the studio’s startup phase.

Managed work for 6 internal artists and 2 external outsource studios in China.

3D environment and character assets, art direction, 2D art and design,marketing materials, team and outsource management, recruitment. Pipeline and workflow setup, Sequential and Agile project management.

ENII K.O

DIRECTOR AND DIGITAL ARTIST

February 2009 - April 2011

Ran a small company for independent game development and offering services as an art contractor.

BLOC MEDIA

3D ARTIST

February 2007 - September 2010

Sole 3D artist at the studio, creating 3D and 2D art for high profile and awardwinning, television, games, apps and websites.

Clients included EMI (Genesis and Pink Floyd), Sony Playstation Europe and The BBC.

Input into the development of custom Flash 3D engines and workflows.

CARTOON NETWORK

ART/ANIMATION INTERNSHIP

June 2003 - August 2005

Several internship periods at the London studio working on idea development and assisting with the creation of cartoon bumpers and idents for Johnny Bravo, Scooby Doo and Roobarb & Custard.

EDUCATION

ESCAPE STUDIOS

Autodesk and Escape certified, Game Art Production · (2010 - 2010)

UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS

First Class BA (Hons), Animation · (2003 - 2006)

AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS

PATHFINDERS BY J.L COLLINS

This book features my submitted personal story about leaving the games industry. Published in 2023

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ENCYCLO-SPEED-IA

Work on Sonic Forces : Speed Battle featured in this book published in 2022

TIGA

Shortlisted - Best Casual Game, Small Studio: "All at Breakfast" Nov 2014

DEVELOP 30 UNDER 30

Dec 2012

BAFTA

Longlisted for Breakthrough Brits - Sep 2013

Winner - Online Browser Game: "Monstermind" - Mar 2012

Nominee - Debut Game: "Monstermind" - Mar 2012

Nominee - Online Browser Game: "Merlin The Game" - Mar 2013

Nominee - Best Children's Interactive Series: "Meta4orce" - Nov 2008

3D WORLD

Skid Mk featured in Feb 2011 as part of a feature on 3D APIs for Flash.