Neil Wakefield

Curriculum Vitae

References available upon request

 

 

Skills:

 

Languages:                           C/C++, C#, x86/PPC assembler, Python, Haskell

APIs:                                      Win32, DirectX8/9, XDK, FMOD, OpenAL

Platforms:                             Win32, Xbox360, Solaris

Areas of expertise:              Real-time audio engines, sound design/authoring tools, audio asset management and build systems

 

 

Relevant experience:

 

Oct 2005 – Current            Audio Programmer, Central Technology, Lionhead Studios

Various projects (Windows and Xbox 360):

·         Responsible for all audio technology R&D within Lionhead Studios

·         Designed and implemented cross-platform audio engine for use in all Lionhead games, featuring:

o    A fully asynchronous API

o    A plug-in architecture for codecs, filters and compound sound types

o    Realistic 3D audio with natural distance/gain modelling

o    Environmental and mastering filters (reverb, compression, multi-band parametric EQ)

o    Customisable logic to generate complex soundtracks from individual samples based on game feedback

o    Live asset updates

·         Built audio authoring package as a plug-in for Lionhead’s C# tools framework

·         Designed speech asset management tool to generate and maintain synthesised, placeholder (recorded) and final voice files for all target languages

·         Created audio asset pipeline and tools suite for pre-processing, encoding and bank construction

 

Oct 2003 – Oct 2005          Gameplay & Audio Programmer, Lionhead Studios

Black & White 2 (Windows):

·         Implemented game-side audio system, including algorithmically-generated ambient sound, AI-controlled dynamic digital music and interactive mixing/balancing

·         Implemented run-time player statistics gathering and analysis system

·         Wrote various AI states for villagers and other NPCs

·         Created wildlife simulation including life cycles, flocking and predator/prey behaviour

·         Implemented extendable client/server asset build system using Alienbrain 5

·         Implemented automated CD/DVD image build system to generate installable test builds from source code and assets

 

Dec 1997- Sep 1998           Contract Programmer, C! Computer Solutions

Various projects (Windows):

·         Design of commercial database applications using Microsoft SQL Server and Visual Basic ¾

·         Met with customers to determine software requirements and gain feedback on deployed applications

 

 

Education:

 

Degree:                                  BSc (Hons) Computer Science, University of Bath

A-Level:                                Maths (A), Physics (A), Chemistry (B)

AS-Level:                              Applied Maths (A)

GCSE:                                    Maths (A), Science (AA), French (A), German (A),

Design (B), English Literature (C), English Language (C)

 

 

Personal Information:

 

Full name:                             Neil Andrew Wakefield

Date of birth:                        26/05/1981

Email:                                    neilwakefield@hotmail.com