Meet Bryan Blandine | 3D Modeler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Blandine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It was the only thing that made sense to me. I was always drawn to art, science, nature, and building things. As an avid gamer growing up, the rich immersive stories that captivated me also fueled a fire to enter this industry. I remember when I made that choice. I was around nine years old and I had just beaten Jak III. I felt the impact of the character’s journey and the consequences it had on them throughout the series. Mixed in with humor, unique creature work, and a fun style. I thought about all the games I had played and what they had to teach me, and why I was drawn to them. Most importantly I realized it was a story, crafted by people. It was a career that many people had, and that I could have. From then on I was laser focused on reaching that goal.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
That is quite a lot to cover. Let’s start with the beginning, was it easy? No, no it was not. But what would it be worth if it was?

How did I get here?

I spent three years saving up for a car with the full intention of driving it to the other side of the country and living in it until I could set myself up. LA is where the best schools in the country for game development are, so it’s where I needed to be. I worked twenty hours a day, seven days a week for a long few years. I think there were a few months there fueled entirely by bread and caffeine. I was sending money back home to the family, working in pharmacy and the rest of the time was either at class or doing extra work to compete with classmates a lot better than I was. I was entirely dedicated to honing my craft and bettering myself. I would look at students around me, at professionals in the field and hold my work accountable to that standard. By the time I joined Gnomon I had far more knowledge and experience under my belt than when I began. But I was also surrounded by working professionals and artists of the highest caliber. The bar was incredibly high and everyone was just as dedicated as I was, but also very open and kind. It was a phenomenal experience and I owe my success to the guidance of so many talented, hard working people. There was a solid group of us staying from the minute the campus opened to the second it closed, day in and day out. I had the opportunity to work with a fantastic start up during my tenure at Gnomon and post graduation it didn’t take long for me to find work. I spent almost two and a half years working with Heavy Iron on high traffic AAA games as well as our own internal pursuits. It was without a doubt the best job I have ever had.

You asked what I was most proud of and that was definitely it. To go from peaking at the Gnomon website and seeing incredible work that I could never do to being featured on their website with multiple best of term winning projects. To go from playing games and looking up the artists and feeling so far behind, so disconnected from that industry to being a part of it myself, and seeing the names of friends pop up in credits. It’s an unbelievable feeling.

But that’s the key. You envision the best version of your life, what that looks like to you. Be specific. Then take stock of where you are now. Be honest with yourself. Then start connecting those dots. Whatever it takes, doesn’t matter how bad the plan sounds or how long it might take. If that’s what needs to be done, you get it done. There will definitely be days where you question if it’s worth it. Way too many late nights turning into red eyed early mornings. But if you can push through it, you will get there.

What I’ve learned is that the work is never done. I am constantly hungry, always learning more about our world so I can build worlds that feel tangible and grounded. Everything from foliage to mechanical engineering to anatomy and architecture. The psychology of level design, geology, biology, modeling, texturing, material creation, vfx. I like to keep my hands busy. I can’t walk down the street or take a hike without thinking about how I would go about recreating what I see or how I could use it to inspire something new.

If there is anything to take away from my story, I want it to be that this industry isn’t as far away as it might seem. It doesn’t matter where you come from, how little money you may have, how little “talent” you may be starting with. If you have the passion, if this is something you are truly excited about. You can get there. And yes it does feel exactly as great as you hope it will.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA is a huge place, a lot bigger than I anticipated when I got here. I would say for some good authentic tacos, El Oaxaco on la brea is the way to go. It’s also conveniently close to Randy’s Donuts. Little Tokyo is great for food and drinks and fun desserts. But if you want a great pub, Brennans is where it’s at. They have great drinks, games and turtles. For lovely views take the PCH up to El Matador. If hiking is more your speed then Runyon or Topanga would be a good choice. You can’t forget about the museums, the Natural History Museum or Science Center, The Tar Pits, LACMA, The Broad, Museum of Death. Can’t call it a true experience without visiting the Santa Monica Pier or Venice. Depending on what’s happening the Chinese Theater or the Mayan are great for entertainment.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
More people than I could ever thank in two lifetimes. My parents for taking my dream seriously. My high school drafting and architectural teacher Mr. Coren, who pushed me to be better and ultimately helped form the foundations of my 3D knowledge. My flatmate Ali, who encouraged me to pursue Gnomon School of Visual Effects. My instructors like Max Dayan, Christophe Desse, John Brown, Maddie Spencer, Damon Woods, Bobby, Anton, and Paul Gaboury. My friends and classmates like Cam Drain, Ty Manteuffel, Soohyun Cho, David Zhu, Coraline Lyu, Jennie Griswold, Pasquale Pellegrino, Ada Vychopnova, Sasha Honcharova, Rain Rhouhani, Ethan Clark. A special thanks to Josh Hernandez who drove me to campus every day after my car was totaled. My partner Avery, who has been incredibly supportive. And so many others that have followed and supported me on this journey. I am grateful for every one of you that have pushed me to be here.

Website: https://bryanblandine.artstation.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-blandine/

Image Credits
Victorian Bathroom – original concept by Andrej Rempel