Welcome to Gloam, Martin Kamminga?
We're delighted to welcome Martin Kamminga to Studio Gloam as our Senior Lighting Artist. Martin brings a rare combination of real-time and offline experience, having worked across the games, film, and advertising industries before finding his home in games. We asked him a few questions to help you get to know him.
Tell us about your background - how did you get into games, and what's brought you to where you are today?
"I actually started as a Visual Effects Artist in the advertising and film industries, doing lighting but also 3D modelling, texturing, and look development. During that time I had the chance to work on some really awesome projects. However, I always wanted to work in the games industry as I am very passionate about video games as a medium. I started learning about real-time rendering outside of my VFX work, and eventually landed my first gaming focused job in Scotland."
That path shows in his credits. Before joining Gloam, Martin spent two years as Senior Lighting Artist at Build a Rocket Boy on MindsEye and two unannounced AAA projects, worked as a Key Texturing and Lookdev Artist at MPC on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and most recently delivered character lighting for Epic Games' Fortnite marketing at Halon Entertainment. He's also a Chaos certified V-Ray Licensed Trainer - someone who doesn't just practice his craft, but teaches it.
Why Studio Gloam?
"I believe that lighting and tech art is often overlooked during the art production of a game, which can create challenges during the later stages of development. A co-development studio that can support multiple studios and solve these challenges can have a great impact on the industry, which seems to be what Gloam is all about. I also really like the idea of being part of a collective of other motivated lighting and tech artists, so we can all learn from each other and grow as individuals."
That's exactly the problem we built Studio Gloam to solve. Hearing it reflected back from someone with Martin's experience is a good sign we're on the right track.
What do you love about your craft?
"I feel that lighting plays an extremely important role in how a game's graphical presentation gets perceived, and how well it will age down the line. Like a game's soundtrack for example, the lighting and colour palette contribute significantly to the feeling the player has when they go through the game. That's why people can play a game released twenty years ago and still think it's beautiful to look at, even if the tech might be outdated. I take a lot of joy in being able to contribute on this front in some way, which is why I really love working as a lighting artist."
The soundtrack comparison is one of the best descriptions of what lighting actually does that we've heard. It's not decoration. It's atmosphere. It's memory. It's the reason certain games stay with you long after the credits roll.
Outside of work, what are you into?
"Outside of work, I enjoy distance running, strength training, and reading about philosophy, history and culture. I also try to play lots of videogames of course! My favourite franchises are The Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil and Assassin's Creed."
Someone who runs long distances, thinks carefully about the world, and plays games with genuine enthusiasm. Fits right in.
Welcome to the team, Martin. We're glad you made the move into games, and we're glad you landed here.