Art Direction in Independent Games
Time: 18:00-19:30
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güven Çatak, the director of BUG Lab, will moderate a conversation between Can Oral and Serkan Özay. Can Oral is Cultic Games's founder and creative director, and Serkan Özay is Hero Concept's founder and creative director. The conversation will focus on the art direction of independent computer games and the processes involved. Challenges faced by art directors throughout the stages of a game, from the conceptual phase to marketing, and how they can overcome them with examples will be discussed, offering advice to game designers and developers.
About the Speakers:
Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güven Çatak
While studying architecture at Istanbul Technical University, Güven Çatak began writing computer game critiques and directing short films. His shorts "K'nın Dosyası" and "Down-Under" were screened at various festivals and received awards. He joined Bahçeşehir University's Visual Communication Design department, where he developed motion graphics and game design skills and created related courses. He also worked as a freelance writer for PC Gamer, Level, and Oyungezer magazines. He completed his master's and doctoral studies at Yıldız Technical University with theses "The Use of Architecture in Computer Games" and "A Model for the Use of Computer Games in Design Education." In 2012, combining his media experience with his academic background, he founded the Bahçeşehir University Game Laboratory, also known as 'BUG Lab.' Over the years, BUG Lab has become the central hub for the independent game scene in Istanbul. It has evolved into an innovative education and production structure with community events, undergraduate and master's programs in Game Design, and, most recently, a state-supported game incubation center. Currently, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çatak is the manager of BUG Lab and its initiatives at BAU, where he works on "Games for Change."
Can Oral
Starting his storytelling journey through cinema, Can Oral transitioned into interactive storytelling in games after directing numerous films and advertisements, with the success of his first game, Stygian, on Kickstarter. He has been Cultic Games's manager and creative director for over eight years. While Stygian was ranked first on the list of best video games inspired by Lovecraft by Game Rant, Cultic's second game, Cats and the Other Lives, is described by users as a "punch to the gut" due to its theatrical narrative.
Serkan Özay
1992 his world changed when he finally acquired an Amiga 500 after saving money for two years. He began his professional career as a graphic designer in 1997 and continued as a video game art director and designer from 2002 onward. He co-founded Hero Concept in 2017 and served as creative director and game designer in the development of three PC and console games, including Mayhem Brawler, which won four Crystal Pixel awards.
* To attend this conversation, you can register by using the "Register" button on the page and receive your free event invitation. Registrations will open 1 week before the event date (25.04.2024, at 18:00) and the "Register" button will become visible then. Participation is limited to a quota of 120 people.