Benjamin C.

Poynter MFA

Senior Software Engineer | Inventor | Artist | Game Developer

benjipoynter@gmail.com Los Angeles, CA, USA +1-405-410-5988 www.benjaminpoynter.com

High Level Statement

A multi-talented, world travelled artist, engineer, and inventor with 10+ years of industry experience in game
development, interactive new media experiences, independently driven and successful media projects, and patent
awards from intellectual property. Experience and roles expand through Los Angeles, Beijing, Shanghai, New York City
while working with MSG Sphere, Nickelodeon, Looking Glass, New York Institute of Technology, and more.

Career Accolades & Awards

MSG Sphere / Madison Square Garden Company
Senior Software Engineer, Inventor
New York City, NY / Los Angeles, CA 10/2019 – Current
Researching, developing, prototyping, and performing work on games
for live venue experiences, simulation technologies for developing for
a venue from remote setting, and innovating for purposes of generating
unique intellectual property for company et large.
Nickelodeon
Interactive Content Author
New York City, NY 6/2019 – 10/2019
Software engineering and technical art for interactive episodes of
Nickelodeon content includes Blue’s Clues & You, prototypes for
Nickelodeon shareholders, and more. Development with and
contribution to custom tool for authoring digital content.
Ogilvy
Associate Lead Digital Developer
New York City, NY / Parsippany, NJ 8/2018-10/2019
Creator and developer of branded, new media projects; artist-animator
of experiences and visual with emerging technology in innovation lab.
Notice of allowance and patents soon awarded
for US 17/237808 (Interactive Audiovisual
Synchronization for Venues) & US 17/314252
(Mobile Device Tracking Module Within a VR
Simulation). Simultaneous patents in current
process of review. Lead inventor. 2023
International Mobile Gaming Awards, Nominee
for Best Serious Game, San Francisco, CA,
USA. 2013
Lumen Prize Special Exhibition Artist and
Lecturer at Jin Space Gallery and Shanghai
Institute of Visual Art, Shanghai, CN, 2015
New Media Art Residency, D6 Culture,
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK. 2014
Nevada Museum of Art, 3m Film Festival,
Grand Jury Prize Awarded, Reno, NV, USA.
2013

Looking Glass New York Institute of Technology, GFSRC

Unity Developer, 3D Artist-Animator Global Grant Recipient, New York, NY, USA,
New York City, NY 3/2017-8/2018 Beijing, CN. 2015
Prototyping with interactive games and experiences innovative,
holographic technology for trade shows, game conventions, and more. Nickelodeon, Intergalactic Shorts Program
Pitch, New York, NY, USA. 2019
New York Institute of Technology
Assistant Professor of Computer Graphics and Animation (Full-Time) Games for Change, EU Play Today Game Jam
Beijing, CN / New York City, NY 2/2015-8/2017 Honoree, New York, NY, USA. 2014
Skill Sets & Specializations

*Engines & IDEs : Unreal, Unity, Arduino, PyCharm, Processing, GameMaker, GameSalad, Visual Studio. High
proficiency in modern, proprietary game engines (Unreal, Unity) in the workflow of arena mass-multiplayer level games,
prototype games, games for new media interfaces, installed interactive experiences, independent single player games,
and more. Have worked with deploying and developing for Windows, iOS, and Android. Versed in how electronics and
mini-computer creations (Arduino, Python) interact and engage with larger engines to create submodule-based
experiences (e.g. Sensors linked to a larger experience, lighting effects, simulation-based hardware, mocap, and more.)

*Programming Languages : C++, C#, C, Python as primary proficiencies. Interchangeably, these are used between
which proprietary engine a project calls for and what specific operation is to be used in addendum to a core gaming or
interaction experience (e.g. a multiplayer game in C++ that calls for a hardware-based add-on for a mobile client written
in Python).

*Digital Arts (3D, 2D, Motion) Prowess : With a fundamental history with the visual arts and how it ties into a core
interactive project, I have extensive experience in the solo creation and workflow with multiples of visual assets including
3D rigged models and rigging, sculpting 3D characters and environments, stepped 3D animation with character, stepped
2D animation will own illustrations, previsualization, storyboarding, and more in the context of a video game or interactive
experience using modern asset generation tools (Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, After Effects, Photoshop, and more.)

*New Media Interfaces and Hardware : Extensive work with and generation of content, individually or team-based, with
engaging front of the line new media hardware including motion capture (Perception Neuron), OpenCV (Python), VR
(Oculus Quest 1 and 2, HTC Vive), VR trackers (Vive Tracker), AR (ARCore, ARKit), Raspberry Pi, Arduino, sensors,
Ultraleap/Leap Motion, Looking Glass holograms, RealSense, and more. Live, physical installation of these components.

*Presentation, Speaking, and Mentorship : World traveled speaker at a multitude of conferences spanning four continents
and multiple projects; via panel or solo seminar. Meanwhile, in recent and past years being able to work with and lend
knowledge to junior engineers and artists on a team-based unit and as a full time-professor.

Selected Public Lecture & Exhibition Credits

Shanghai Institute of Visual Art [Lumen Prize] Hour Lecture: Life, Art, Concepts Shanghai, CN 2015
JIN Space Gallery Lumen Prize Exhibition Shanghai, CN 2015
Abertay University Technology & Innovation Hour Lecture (Remote) Dundee, SCT 2022
Hammer Museum UCLA Game Arts Festival Los Angeles, CA 2013
Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program Pitch New York, NY 2019
Intl’ Symposium of Electronic Art Individual Project & Art Talks (2013, 2014, 2016) Sydney, Dubai, Hong Kong
Game Developer’s Conference Alt.Ctrl.GDC Showcase and Finalist San Francisco, CA 2018
Game Developer’s Conference MSG Sphere Representative San Francisco, CA 2023
Story Generating Apparatus Holland Project, Solo Exhibition Reno, NV 2014
SAAM Arcade Smithsonian American Art Arcade Washington D.C. 2018
Experimental Games ICUC-Beijing Solo Exhibition Beijing, CN 2015
Now ’13 Digital Arts Dark Horse Experiment Melbourne, AU 2013
IndieCade Subversive Games Panel Los Angeles, CA 2017
IndieCade-E3 Showcase E3 LA Convention Center Los Angeles, CA 2013
In a Permanent Save State Sierra Arts Gallery, Solo Exhibition Reno, NV 2012

Education
University of Nevada Reno University of Oklahoma
MFA [Master of Fine Arts] BFA [Bachelor of Fine Arts]
Digital Media, Games, Interdisciplinary Art Interactivity, Film, Video, Photo; Minor: Art History
GPA : 3.957, Graduated: May 2014 GPA : 3.43, Graduated : May 2011