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Resume

Paul Forest

Summary

  • Over 7 years of experience with a passion for developing software and video games, specializing in Flash
  • Extensive technical and programming experience with a wide variety of technologies including Flash, C/C++, C#, Java, Processing, OpenFrameworks, game design and many APIs
  • Solid design pattern knowledge and object-oriented programming techniques

Relevant Experience

Grand Theft Artifact - The Peripherals Initiative, Toronto, Ontario, September 2011 to October 2011

Project Lead, Designer, Software Developer, Hardware Construction

  • Created a physical gaming platform in which players navigate through a maze constructed of electroluminescent wire to steal an artifact. This real-world game used hardware sensors and software to track the state of the players and display the real-time results on a projector and audio system.
  • Utilized Arduino, Processing, Google Sketchup, electronics and construction of a large play environment inside a movie theatre
  • This game was presented at the Digifest technology festival at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.

Alone Together - Art Project, CFC Media Lab, Toronto, Ontario, July 2011 to August 2011

Flash Developer

  • Created a Blackberry Playbook application for an art installation for Nuit Blanche 2011 using Flash and Adobe AIR. Project is to be projected on the front of the Bata Museum in Toronto during this festival.

Organic, Inc., Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, March 2011 to April 2011

Web Developer (Contract)

  • Created ads, landing pages and other front-end tasks for various clients

LostGirlSeries.com, Bedlam Games, Toronto, Ontario, September 2010 to February 2011

Web Developer

  • Work was nominated for a 2011 Gemini in category Best Cross-Platform Project – Fiction
  • Created key features of the official site for the Showcase television series Lost Girl
  • Dramatically increased traffic growth, increased search rank, positive client and user feedback
  • Added six new “interactive motion comic” chapters, which are animated comic books with mini-games
  • Utilized ActionScript 2 & 3, Flash 10, Pixel Bender shaders, JSON, XML, Drupal, SQL, Tweening and other libraries

Forest Games Corporation (ForestGames.ca), Toronto, Ontario, August 2009 to Present

President and C*O

  • Developed an award-winning game, but unreleased, children’s game for mobile platforms
  • Performed key Research and Development of cutting-edge technology
  • Executed all business development, business plans, networking, marketing, etc
  • Developed code in many languages and technologies: Unity, C/C++, Java, Python, C#, Processing, OpenFrameworks, Linux

Webkinz (Ganz Interactive), Toronto, Ontario, September 2007 to August 2009

Flash Games Developer

  • Developed four popular children’s games, played by millions of users using Actionscript 1, 2 and 3 using Flash 8 and 9.
  • Innovated new techniques and procedures to improve team efficiency
  • Key developer in new department, creating designs and implementing new features in unannounced project

Visual Sports Systems, Toronto, Ontario, July 2007 to August 2007

Contractor: Golf Demo

  • Designed and implemented a complete demo program for the Xbox 360 using Torque X, C# and XNA

Sick Awesome Games, Toronto, Ontario, March 2007 to June 2007

Flash Developer: Adventure Quest (Action-Adventure MMORPG Game)

  • Coded new game features using Flash

Arnold Interactive, Toronto, Ontario, July 2006 to November 2006

Web Developer: http://www.fmc-law.com

  • Built an extensive webpage using ASP.Net, C# and Sitecore CMS, with pixel-perfect accuracy to designs
  • Performed production tasks such as file uploads, automation and extensive documentation

Cryptologic Inc., Toronto, Ontario, December 2004 to May 2006

Web Developer

  • Migrated systems to Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), JSP, Struts, and Service-Oriented Architecture
  • Created solutions for multiple payment methods in multiple localizations
  • Proactively provided cost-saving initiatives, system administration, automation, documentation, technical support and informal training

Volunteer Experience

International Game Developer’s Association Toronto Chapter, May 2006 to Present

Event Coordinator, Steering Committee

  • Organized group meetings
  • Solicited guest speakers and sponsorships
  • Very active in community since 2002, networking people with jobs and events

TW-Light (Open Source PC Game), September 2002 to September 2005

Developer, Designer

  • Improved the software by contributing and maintaining C++ and Python code, Network code, GUI, Graphics (Allegro), Sound, maintaining multiple platforms
  • Greatly improved group organization by switching to Sourceforge services and providing a forum
  • Provided informal training; recruited new personnel to the project; committed patches from the community; wrote a manual

TOJam.ca, 2005 and 2006

Organizer (2005, 2006)

  • Organized TOJam, an annual 3-day game development event
  • Helped locate event space; provided promotion, sample code, web pages, YouTube videos and support

TOJam.ca, 2005 to 2011

Participant (2005 - 2011)

  • Wrote small games at each of these events as a participant, each within three days. Typically, these games were designed and programmed by me, with art, sound and music assistance by members of the community.
  • Games Created:
    Sally's Racing Stripe (TOJam 1, 2005).
    Used Python + PyGame.
    A driving game from the perspective of a line-painting truck, loosely inspired by Spy Hunter.

    Vimy (TOJam 2, 2006).
    Used Flash + Poser.
    A WW1-themed shooter.

    Attention Shoppers (TOJam 2, 2007)
    Used Flash.
    A Tower Defence game where the the player places shopping aisles for customers.

    Titanic Pinball (TOJam 3, 2008).
    Used Flash and Box2D.
    A quirky pinball game where you try to keep a ragdoll person from drowning from the deck of the partially submerged Titanic.

    Attention Shoppers (TOJam 4, 2009).
    Used Flash.
    A Tower Defence game where the the player places shopping aisles for customers.

    Nom Nom Nom Nom (TOJam 5, 2010).
    Used OpenFrameworks, C++, Box2D and a fluid physics library.
    A physics-based game similar to Hungry Hungry Hippos, but set in an inch of water. This game won a Silver People's Choice Award.

    You're Too Slow (TOJam 6, 2011).
    Used Unity + a behaviour library.
    A game set in a subway station in which you must force your way into a subway car, at the expense of the safety of other passengers.

Global Game Jam

Participant (2011)

  • Part of a team to create a Kinect-powered with Unity
  • Game is "Classical Jam," a musical gesture-matching game in the same vein as Rock Band

Education

University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario

B.Sc. Computer Science

  • Focused on computer graphics, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, Java and databases
  • Tutored several computer science courses including an assembly language course

References Available Upon Request