Alumni Success: Larry Charles

Portfolio Magazine

(Art Institute of California - Orange County, Winter 2009)

Fifteen years ago, Larry Charles was just playing video games and now he's working for one of the most well known developers of RPG's (that's role playing games for you non-gamers). As an assistant producer at Obsidian Entertainment, a privately owned independent game developer based in Santa Ana, Charles is getting the chance to apply the skills he attained as a Game Art & Design student at The Art Institute of California - Orange County. "Every day, when I walk down the hall and realize what it is that I am actually doing for a living I still get overwhelmed," he says. "I am doing what I love, and on top of that, every few weeks I get paid for it." Right now, Charles is producing a video of Aliens game footage that was sent to upper level executives at Sega for review. His team created a game-play trailer complete with story, rising action and a cliffhanger conclusion. Eventually, charles hopes to become an executive producer, but before he gets there, he knows that he will have to overcome many obstacles along the way.

"My personal goal while I am here is to learn," Charles says. "In my position I am given a smaller realm of management responsibility where I am able to try and succeed or try and fail as long as I get better. This environment will help me learn the production strategies which are most effective for me and it will help me build experience and enhance my on-the-fly problem solving."

For current students, Larry recommends finding a niche and perfecting it. "Pick a focus and then focus on it," he said. "Take your greatest strength and sharpen it as much as you can before you leave school and you will be better off."