Here are some select samples of my audio work.
Here are some select samples of my audio work.
My career has involved many "firsts" and my current project, Dark Factory VR, continues that trend.
• John Madden Football II was one of the first (if not the first) game simulations.
• Shatter was the first computer-generated comic book.
• Laser City Studios developed most of the tools still used in today's laser shows.
• My work appeared in Print Magazine's 1st Computer Art and Design Annual.
• Co-Director on a secret CD-ROM project for the biggest band in the world at the time.
• Consultant for Paul Allen's technology/art think tank, Interval Research Corporation.
• Co-created the world premiere stage adaption of William Gibson's Burning Chrome.
• Team member on one of the first Apple Vision Pro apps (developed by EX3 Labs).
And now I am exploring using VR to enhance the experience of a written novel with author, Kathe Koja.
BURNING CITY IS CHARLIE ATHANAS
DARK FACTORY VR
I am currently working on a virtual reality project called Dark Factory VR with author, Kathe Koja. We are exploring the use of VR to see how we can augment and expand the experience of reading the related novels. This is not an adaptation of the Dark Factory books, but rather a way to let the viewer experience some of what the characters are going through in environments inspired by the events within the books. We want the viewer to experience "Dark Factory" and the ideas behind it through other senses and actions beyond reading or listening to the written word.
We are building out the application's script and design right now. I have been sketching and making my typical 3D models out of foam core to help Kathe and me get a visceral sense of the spaces we are working with.
And we have begun to gather other artists in many disciplines to collaborate with on both visuals and sound within the VR app.
LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD MUSIC VIDEO
I was a co-director/co-editor with Joel Lopez (Lumbra Productions) on The Joy Thieves' cover of Pat Benatar's Love Is A Battlefield. I also did all of the CGI Blender animation of the music video's featured singer, I Ya Toyah, creating a cyberpunk version of her in a futuristic city setting.
DESIGNING SETS AND NIGHTCLUBS
Designing for real world 3D spaces, I have created theatrical and film sets along with real spaces. The largest real space project was a two-story restaurant, bar, and nightclub. I use software tools like SketchUp and Blender, but always start with pencil sketches which then become 3D scale models made out of foam care.
STAGE ADAPTATION OF
WILLIAM GIBSON'S BURNING CHROME
I had three different creative roles while working on the world premiere stage adaptation of William Gibson's short story, Burning Chrome. The first was as dramaturg where I used my expertise with the "cyberpunk" genre to help create the script and design.
I also designed all of the cyberpunk props - simstims, VR helmets, etc. - for the show. I engaged the help of a team from IDEO to build these functional stage props.
And finally, I designed the show poster and website utilizing some of the 3D versions of the props within the illustration and the site.
DIGITAL COMIC BOOKS
I was an artist on First Comics' Shatter, which was the first professional comic book to use computer graphics to create the artwork. (The color was added using traditional methods.)
I continued working in this illustration style on other projects, like the "comic book within the manual" for a piece of software from the company, Whitewater Group.
COMPUTER GAME/SIMULATIONS
My first computer game was John Madden Football II for the PC. I was part of a three-person team that included a designer, a programmer, and myself as the graphics/animator. Madden was revolutionary because it was a true simulation using weighted algorithms and actual stats that never played the same way twice.
Taking the lessons learned from the football simulation we created Shadow President and its sequel, CyberJudas. These were global political sims that also never played the same way twice and used country data from the CIA World Factbook.
As the Creative Director on these games I designed and built the UI and cutscenes, along with the packaging. We were one of the first companies to use Wavefront 3D software, which later became Maya.
Shadow President's innovations garnered us a CES Innovation Award and the algorithms for these games were later sold to the U.S. State Department to help analyze how countries join and break alliances. We were also the first piece of software to be reviewed by The Economist.
DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION
A large part of my career has been spent using technology for illustrations. In the beginning, access to computers and software was through universities and corporations (at night). There were no "personal computers". My work on the comic book, Shatter, gained some attention when PRINT Magazine acknowledged the growing use of computers with their first Computer Art and Design Manual.
Initially the art was very low resolution and only in black and white for print use. As time and tools progressed the art began to become indistinguishable from traditional artwork. I'm now exploring the possibilities in virtual reality on the Dark Factory VR project.
GLOBAL PROJECTS
I have been lucky to have my work seen in various parts of the world thanks to being part of SIGGRAPH Traveling Art Shows and their companion video collections.
The very first computer art I worked on was for an interactive art piece, Wraparound, that allowed viewers to create their own animations. This installation with Sally Rosenthal and Copper Giloth was seen seen at the Isetan Museums in Tokyo.
A major piece for me was the Ralph the Punk music video I did with Johnie Hugh Horn for SIGGRAPH. It was included on the Traveling Show compilation video and won many awards and accolades across the U.S.
The music for both pieces were done by me. For the Ralph the Punk video the song was written and performed with Brian Messiah.
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS SOUND
My 40-year journey in computer graphics started because of sound. I was a synth player and was asked to create music for some visual artists in Chicago. I recruited Dave Riley (later of Big Black fame) to help me. It was Dave's first Chicago gig. From the success of that show I began doing soundtracks for other visual artists who were using computers at the Electronic Visualization Lab of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
I continued playing in bands and doing soundtracks and audio design for computer games, plays, live events, and more music videos.
Recently, the Moog Prodigy synth that has been through this entire journey was on loan to Martin Atkin's Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music (As can be seen on the right. That's Martin in the museum.)
Music plays a very large part of the novel, Dark Factory, and the VR project we are working on, so it has all come full circle.
