MARIO O. ZAVALA
ILLUSTRATOR / CONCEPT ARTIST/DESIGNER /PRODUCT DESIGNER
―Webby Award-Winning Designer ¨ Boundless Imagination ¨ MMO and Mobile Game Design Experience ―
Specialty in Entertainment, Gaming Activities, Toys & Games
An innovator with 20+ year's expansive career in design and creative development in the entertainment, gaming activities, toys, and games industries for some of the world's leading brands. Hugely successful in innovating and launching new concepts that have achieved outstanding results in consumer engagement and revenue capture. Blends innovation with practicality; holds an unswerving focus on results; never settles for status quo.
—HIGHLIGHTED ACHIEVEMENTS & CONTRIBUTIONS —
Disney Family.com: Forged strategic synergistic opportunities with Disney Mobile Studios, Marvel.com, and Lucasfilm LTD.
Ideated 3D paper toy concept that held the #1 ranking for two months. Introduced an entirely new concept that outperformed the Food Category for the first time, a category that had consecutively held the #1 position for years.
Disney Mobile International: gained extensive hands-on experience in story, character, and visual development, conceiving original stories for animated episodical shorts sold in Japan.
Sunsoft of America: at the forefront of the emerging gaming industry developing character and vehicle concept designs for major video game titles on Sega and Super Nintendo gaming systems. Instrumental in developing gameplay mechanics and title strategies.
—AREAS OF EXPERTISE—
Illustration ■ Concept Art ■ Digital Painting ■ Product Design ■ Layout/Background Design ■ 2D/3D Designs ■ Animation
Character & Story Development ■ MMO and mobile Gaming Title Experience ■ Marketing/Advertising Mindset
Outstanding Communication & Leadership Skills ■ Strong in Synergistic Partnership Development.
—TECHNICAL—
Adobe Photoshop CC/ Adobe Illustrator CC, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, Google Sketchup, Procreate; Familiarity with Adobe Flash.
learning Blender, Adobe Animate CC/ After Effects CC/ Character Animator CC.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
AGE OF LEARNING INC, Glendale , CA, 2013-2021
AGE OF LEARNING “STUDIO TEAM”
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR/SENIOR 2D ARTIST, 2020-2021
Designed content for live-action shows "Word Wake Up", "Word Shop", "Super Yum-Yum" for domestic and international markets.
Created layout/background and prop artwork for episodical green screen video segments.
Worked with art director to conceptualized environmental designs based on live-action plates to blocking in show scenes.
“MY MATH ACADEMY MOBILE GAMES”
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR/MENTOR, 2019-2020
Created layout/background art and rendered final layered art in Adobe Illustrator, prepped files for Maya pipeline, Generated concept art of game levels, character art, and props.
Assisted in upgrading Character style guides by creating personality poses for primary game characters.
Entrusted with art directing junior team member to help improve their artwork to better align with the game's art style.
Created game banners in conjunction with the marketing department.
“ADVENTUREACADEMY.COM”
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR, 2018-2019
Tasked with the development of concept, backgrounds, and production art for MMO game Adventure Academy.
Work closely with Art Director in the development of avatar and NPC character designs.
Championed the concept of integrating public domain characters from the literary world as NPC characters throughout the game.
Create environmental-level designs based on game scenarios and objectives.
Worked closely with Art Director to produced 2D prop designs.
Work closely with writers and Art Director on the development and Ideation of in-game and print book projects adapting both house and original style illustrations.
ABCMOUSE.COM “ART ACTIVITES/PUBLISHING”
ILLUSTRATOR/SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR, 2013-2018
Tasked with the development of Illustration and graphic designs for the Art Activities and Publishing team under the ABCmouse.com brand.
Helped develop a work-flow production pipeline for the Art Activities team.
Work closely with project managers and creative director on the development and Ideation of art activity and book projects adapting both house and original style illustrations.
Mentored junior team members in improving their skill sets.
DISNEY INTERACTIVE MEDIA GROUP, North Hollywood, CA, 2000 – 2012
Disney Online Mom & Family Creative | Disney Interactive Sites: Family.com, Spoonful.com
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR/DESIGNER (Supervisor), 2006 – 2012
Provided fresh new perspective and creative leadership, served as a change agent. Ideated and launched new gaming activities and toy product concepts, incepted and forged dynamic, synergistic partnerships, and introduced new collaborative revenue initiatives to the marketing/advertising divisions.
Recognized for outside-the-box thinking & visionary insight. Promoted to lead new creative direction for the Papercraft and Printables categories, overseeing an illustration department/concept-art team of 5+ that included both internal team and external contractors.
Propelled team's creative output and innovation to new levels. Provided engaged leadership and ongoing mentoring. Instilled a synergistic, collaborative environment that championed new ideas.
Increased creative production by 30% annually. Persuaded management to invest in WACOM Cintiq drawing tables and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro software to increase productivity.
Ideated 3D paper toy concept that held the #1 ranking for two months. Convinced management to launch new concept that outperformed the Food Category for the first time, a category that had held the #1 position consecutively for years.
Successfully forged synergistic opportunities with Disney Mobile Studio, Lucasfilm LTD, and Marvel.com.
Projects included:
PIXAR Animation Studios: UP, CARS 2, BRAVE, Toy Story.
Disney Animation Studios: Princess and the Frog, Bolt, Rapunzel, Prep, and Landing.
Walt Disney Studios: TRON Legacy, Alice in Wonderland, Muppets, Frankenweenie, Wreck-it-Ralph.
Disney Parks: Star Tours, Star Wars Jedi Training Academy.
Disney Junior: Doc McStuffins, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Little Einsteins.
Disney Channel: Phineas and Ferb.
Disney Mobile: Where's My Water.
Walt Disney Internet Group, Disney Mobile Studios International North Hollywood, CA
ASSOCIATE ANIMATOR (Designer/Background/Layout Artist), 2003 – 2006
Hired to create mobile content for Walt Disney Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America Mobile divisions. Produced visual and story development, layout/background paintings and illustrations, wallpaper content, ring tone flash animations, and more.
Led development of visual & story conceptualization. Ideated original stories for animated episodical shorts that sold overseas in Japan. Created visual and story for classic Disney characters for use in mobile episodicals. Developed layout/background paintings and illustrations for use in KDDI Mobile EZ Movie service in Japan.
Continually innovated new ideas. Created original wallpaper content for Disney and Pixar Animation mobile studio marketing campaigns; developed ring tone flash animations for international and domestic markets.
Created original mobile content for Starwave Mobile focusing on non-Disney original branded licensees, Homies, and Dreamworks Animation Studio film, Madagascar.
Disney Internet Group, International ― Rabid Rat Labs
DESIGNER/ARTIST (Independent Contractor), 2002 – 2003
Further cultivated skills in Flash animation; creating art for the Disney International Blast team's PSI Clubhouse project. Developed stylized environments from sketch phase to final digital format phase; produced Flash-animated props and online collectibles; creating Flash animated interactive host and avatar characters. Developed background and prop designs for games.
Disney Internet Group North Hollywood, CA
DESIGNER/ARTIST, 2000 – 2001
Recruited out of college to support the Disney Online production operations group; charged with developing concept art and immersive interfaces designs for home page sites. Brought concept environment illustrations into a digital format (Flash); designed and illustrated the "Entertainment," Disney Zoog, Winnie the Pooh page UI for Disney Online's home page.
SUNSOFT OF AMERICA, Cypress, CA, 1992 – 1994
ART DIRECTOR / GRAPHIC ARTIST
Cultivated intelligent design and leadership skills in a leading AAA gaming environment; developed character and vehicle concept designs for major video game titles on Sega and Super Nintendo gaming systems, including Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Aero the Acro-Bat 2. Instrumental in developing gameplay mechanics and title strategies. Created panel artwork for Mahjong style arcade console game for the Japanese marketplace.
FREELANCE
LIBERTY ALLIANCE, LLC., TAMPA, FL
FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR November- 2020
Created concept art for prototype naval drone platforms for presentation to the UNSN and DOD.
Worked with United States Navy Seal team members, mechanical engineers, and Liberty Alliance staff.
THE USUAL MONKEYS, Los Angeles, CA
FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR, DESIGNER, ANIMATOR 2012-2017
Hired to create production illustrations for various Disney Interactive game projects, including Disney's "Descendants."
Produced Flash animated props designs and concept art.
Designed NPC character wardrobe, props, and costumes.
NICKELODEON ANIMATION STUDIO, Burbank, CA,
Freelance Prop Designer “Fanboy and Chum Chum” October 2010- July 2011
Worked closely with art director and producer on maintaining an efficient production schedule.
Produced 2D character and vehicle prop designs for 3D artist.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & VOLUNTEER WORK
ASIFA Hollywood: International Animated Film Society- Professional level member 2010-Present
Los Angeles Police Department, Van Nuys, CA 11/2015
LAPD interdepartmental medical supply drive- Non-Profit Organization
Volunteered to create Disney character themed donation box for band-aid drive benefiting local charities.
Little Free Library, Van Nuys, CA, 09/2015
Little Free Library-Non-Profit Organization
Volunteered to paint a Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter themed “Little Free Library” benefiting Van Nuys Elementary School.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Webby Awards – Disney Family.com 2009
Creative team member that helped win the “Best Family/Parenting Site” category.
EDUCATION
Associates in Art, Sherman Oaks, CA, 1996-2000
Figure Drawing/Animation Layout, Background Design/Story Boarding for Feature Film, and Story Boarding for Feature Animation
Animation Guild. Local 839 IATSE, Burbank, CA, 1997-1998
Fundamentals of Animation Mechanics, Layout and Background Design for Animation, storyboard fundamentals.
Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA,
General Education Courses, Art Studies