John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Completely my opinion; Its because there are too many old guard execs that did not have careers prior to video games. That's not to slight their work, just to say their frame of reference is tainted to begin with. Too many people think they're saving lives when they're just destroying their own. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Open to work. Tech art, vfx, shader, magic, sparkles, finance even. Let the cash, I mean sparkles flow.static.klipy.comMagic Confetti ClapALT: Magic Confetti Clap 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Its tax day tomorrow for estimated quarterly payments, USA freelancers. Don't sleep on it and catch a surprise bill next year. #freelance 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Sounds like an economist that didn't research the industry they're supposedly studying. 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Trying something new with my resume to see if it converts into interviews for full time roles. Probably won't, but who knows? Put those personal unnamed projects on! 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 15/06/2026Ripped wWise out of a project today to upgrade it and remove a third party need. Ouch. 040
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Reminder to all the other US based freelancers and contractors... estimated taxes for Q2 are due on June 15!static.klipy.comThe Simpsons: Bart's Savings & Tax TimeALT: The Simpsons: Bart's Savings & Tax Time 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026I see you encountered the legendary fx vomit. Its like a 21st birthday in the US. Everybody gets a little drunk (learns fx), make bad choices not stopped by friends (no style guide, let 'er rip; art director), and wake up groggy in the morning saying they'll never do it again (but probably will). 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Back on that ARPG game design train and it feels good. Doing some HUD elements at the moment. Next up will be menu modals redesign and states or enemy AI swtup. Enemy is higher priority but UI just feels so good to do. 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 21/03/2026So we're making Outlaw Star now? Got it. Let me go get my caster.media.tenor.coma cartoon drawing of a red object with the letters eee on itALT: a cartoon drawing of a red object with the letters eee on it 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Yup, that helps!media.tenor.coma group of cartoon characters are standing in front of a castleALT: a group of cartoon characters are standing in front of a castle 110
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Curious what others are using for damage numbers. Are you using UI widgets or particles? Please explain. #gamedev #techart 231
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/03/2026I gotta fight myself too much as is, can't add another opponent to the mix. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 08/03/2026That is a fine evening right there. Maybe add in Down Periscope for comedic relief (poor aging bits aside), or U-571 if you want to go WW II. 100
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 07/03/2026I kind of like the idea that there are Hutt enforcers in their crime organizations and not just all bosses whose sole trait is being a rich worm. Gives me hope for a Hutt jedi someday. 120
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Is it too much as an fx artist to dream of doing this for my business cards? Has been in the back of my mind for around 5 years now. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 21/02/2026Welcome back .hack! Didn't even know CyberConnect2 was still around. www.cc2.co.jp/hackzero/en/cc2.co.jp.hack//Z.E.R.O. Official Website - CyberConnect2.hack//Z.E.R.O. now under development. Welcome back to "The World". 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 19/02/2026Having fun adding quantization to post processor shaders and UI shaders to make a game look low resolution arbitrarily. #Shaders #GameDev 041
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Its always some checkbox. I think I read all of the project settings today trying to find what I had missed. Then a Google search later (because of course) and I realize enabled isn't what I need. I need enabled with stencils. 🙄 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Annnnd now I have to go relisten to the phenomenal Yuki Kajiura soundtrack. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Turns out for stencils to work... you have to enable stencils.media.tenor.coma man in a suit and tie is standing in a crowd of peopleALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing in a crowd of people 110
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Trying to understand why a shader that works fine in one project does not work in another. Same exact setup, same engine version. Just... why? 110
Reposted by John EmersonLee Scheinbeim @lee.scheinbe.im · 14/02/2026"share a fight scene made by actual humans" its all of them, movies are made by humans. vfx artists are humans. 2163
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/01/2026One of the reasons I want to develop a Nintendo title someday is for the sweet box art. I mean the eye candy that expands upon what you see in game circa the 1980's/90's, not just a marketing made and approved comp shot. . . Something that adds weight. 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 18/01/2026Finally finished setting up the project my students will be working in this semester. Feels good to have that done. Now to just finalize blackboard (the educational app that drives me insane). 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 09/01/2026What is "past performance does not indicate future performance"?media.tenor.coma man in a suit and tie is standing behind a podiumALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing behind a podium 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 24/12/2025Started replaying Dark Cloud earlier this year. Spent too much time developing the town and laying it out precisely. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Torn between setting up a Halo like template project for my students or an ARPG. Right now leaning towards the latter so I don't have to deal with multiplayer replication. 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025The classic wrap around: youtu.be/uDTPv4gHd54?...youtu.beSteel Drum Explosion (Games) Cached PlaybackYouTube video by John 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Decided to wrap the explosion work here. There are things I could clean up further, but its OK to call a thing done. #realtimevfx #gamedev youtu.be/mfZKI2FUVbc?...youtu.beSteel Drum Explosion (Games)YouTube video by John 172
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Watching Sesame Street and can't help but notice Abby and all fairy magic sparkles do not have alpha opacity multiplied. I know nobody probably cares, it does not diminish the show at all and she is my daughter's favorite, but the fx artist in me really wants to fix it. 030
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 12/12/2025Explosions gonna explode. Still a little left to do for clean up, but not bad. #realtimevfx #gamedev vimeo.com/1145778298?s...vimeo.comOilDrum_Take_04This is "OilDrum_Take_04" by John Emerson on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. 051
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/12/2025We have had 3 live action Sonic movies and only 1 Pikachu movie. That ain't right. Pikachu is worth at least a sequel, if not a trilogy.media.tenor.coma picture of a stuffed animal with the words i 've been so lonelyALT: a picture of a stuffed animal with the words i 've been so lonely 000
Reposted by John EmersonKeith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 08/10/2025Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it. 4222685310165
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 08/10/2025Is Figma still the tool for this? Cause that's how I'm doing it at least. 110
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/09/2025Or just use A (kei), AA (midi), AAA (formerly AA or AAA depending), and Majors (former AAAA) at the top. Easy to understand and use. Just knuckle balling here. 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 17/09/2025My only problem with this is the naming. We started with baseball terminology to describe the bigs so why not just keep using that? A (Kei), High A (Midi), AA, and AAA work. 100
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 16/09/2025Getting that next level up on my demo project out there. Enjoying stretching myself in non-VFX ways. #UnrealEngine #gamedev youtu.be/sysc1B44VTcyoutu.beHoeae Design DemoYouTube video by John 0103
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/09/2025Started making the demo scene today and realized I had worked with a key mesh asset 2.5 times it's imported size so my scale was completely off for the rest of the world. Thankfully it was only 1 day and I can easily correct but... dang.media.tenor.coma man in a tuxedo with a microphone that says imdb on itALT: a man in a tuxedo with a microphone that says imdb on it 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 13/09/2025As someone who never saw the anime and was not over attached, I loved it and I wish it got more seasons. I'm convinced fandoms are killing their own stories because, gasp, someone chose to try it in a different medium. Here's hoping One Piece keeps rocking! 020
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 12/09/2025Reminder for all the USA freelance and business owners. Quarterly tax payments coming due soon. I just spent an hour categorizing 2 months worth that I had back burnered. Don't be like me. 010
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 11/09/2025Some basic math today revealed I need around 800 dialogue entries for the demo of my game without considering duplicate use. At a max of 250 characters per entry that is 200,000 keypresses. I better start writing before the carpal tunnel gets me. #gamedev 0113
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 03/09/2025Unpopular opinion: Akira (1988) is not as good as people want to believe it is, everybody just likes Tron style motorcycles. 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 25/08/2025Now character specific dialogue is in and working. Fixed up a couple issues as well. Still some fine tuning but its working. Lots of writing to come in the future. #gamedev #UI #narrativedesign 051
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 23/08/2025Getting a dialogue (narrative?) system up and running was easier than I imagined. Now I gotta come up with the words though. Something like 40 characters and 30 quests? This is gonna take a minute. #gamedev #UI #narrativedesign 161
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 22/08/2025It seems to me that CommonUI should be automatically enabled and used by Unreal. Course I'm on 5.3 so maybe it is in 5.6? 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 19/08/2025I see other parents of young children and can't help but feel so young in comparison. Is this impostor syndrome for parenting? 000
John Emerson @jemerson.bsky.social · 04/08/2025Wrapping up a contract and am available for work as either contract or FTE in real time VFX. If you need assistance meeting your goals, please reach out. Together we can achieve something great! #gamedev #realtimevfx #vfx #unrealengine johnemerson.artstation.comjohnemerson.artstation.comJohn EmersonVFX Artist 083