Enzo Sprigg, Sr. World Artist, DICE LA
A conversation with Senior World Artist, Enzo Sprigg
In Their Own Words:
There are so many opportunities to work in gaming all over the world. Meet Enzo Sprigg, a Senior World Artist from DICE LA.
How did you start your career in the games industry?
Out of art school, I applied for a job as an illustrator for a small educational software company, doing pixel graphics for their learning games. Luckily, I was already doing a lot of "pixel pushing" on my Amiga 500 at home. I stayed there for a couple of years and really enjoyed it. I’ve been an avid gamer from childhood, and I really wanted to move onto doing game console work. I eventually found my way there and have since worked on many games throughout the various console generations.
How did you start your career at EA?
The first EA game I worked on was Medal of Honor Vanguard for the PS2 and Wii. That project's pace was fast but I really enjoyed working with the people on that team and I still work with some of them to this day. From there I moved onto Medal of Honor Airborne DLC, Medal of Honor 2010 and Medal of Honor Warfighter. Now as part of DICE LA, I work on the Battlefield franchise and have most recently worked on Battlefield 1.
What are some of the challenges you face in your role?
Ideally, world artists are an artist-manager-tech hybrid. The work requires you to elegantly juggle many things. Developing and evolving a world in a game like Battlefield 1 can be a very delicate balancing act. We play our levels constantly to make sure the world is functioning for playtests, which allows for developers to give you and the designer feedback. The art side needs to go in the right direction from a broad composition and realism standpoint. Lastly, the technical side is where you ensure the world will ultimately be performant and fit within memory constraints.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I absolutely love watching our players enjoying themselves with our games. It reaffirms my passion and belief in what I do. I'm very proud of being part of the game industry. I believe it is the defining art form of the 21st century, just as film was for the 20th century. Unlike movies though, our medium is still transforming and I feel we're just getting started.
I absolutely love watching our players enjoying themselves with our games. It reaffirms my passion and belief in what I do.
What has been your favorite title to work on?
Being part of such an amazing game like Battlefield 1 has been incredible! At DICE LA we saw a very early version of it and even then, the game looked spectacular. Not too long after we were asked to help out on the single-player campaign. It was an immense challenge but also very exciting and rewarding. Since then, DICE LA has continued to work on Battlefield 1's DLC and I couldn't be happier to be part of it.
What is your favorite thing about the working at DICE LA?
I think DICE LA's environment has the best of both worlds. We're not a huge studio as far as head count, but we get to work on some of the biggest titles in the industry. Since our group is smaller, we all know each other very well and have forged great trust and playful camaraderie within the studio. This permeates the walls of this place and you can feel it daily.
How do you unwind and unplug?
In my spare time I'm a singer/songwriter and have released three full length albums independently (so far). I find that music is a great creative counter balance to the intensive art related challenges we work through as world artists. When I get home after a full day of environment work, my mind is still tense and racing. Writing songs helps me ramp down while also keeps me in a creative mindset. I find that my excitement for both game work and music work never wanes because I have both to ping pong back and forth from. It also gives me a very positive outlook on things that I try to take to work every day.
What advice can you give to someone who aspires to a career in the gaming industry?
Passion can get you in if you're willing to work hard. I think the game industry loves bringing in fresh young talent that shows drive and initiative. I always remember the candidates who try to make their own games. That can really reflect their passion and determination to make something. Ultimately that's what it takes to be in the industry so seeing that early is always a standout.
Want to work at DICE LA? Join the team here!
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