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Education:

  • Drexel University

    • Masters of Science in Digital Media

    • GPA 4.0/4.0

  • The College of New Jersey

    • Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Multimedia

    • GPA 4.0/4.0 Summa Cum Laude

Programming Languages:

  • C++

  • Angelscript

  • Blueprint

Software Tools:

  •    Animation/Modeling: Maya, zBrush, Blender

  •    Graphic Design:  Photoshop, Illustrator

  •    Video Game Creation: Unreal Engine, Unity

  •    UI/UX Design: Adobe XD, Sketch, Invision

  •   Audio/Video Production: After Effects, Sony Vegas, Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, OBS

  • Version Control: Perforce (Helix Core), Git

Honors and Presentations:

  • Session Speaker, “Accelerating Real-Time XR with Cesium for E1 Series,” Cesium Developer Conference, Philadelphia, PA,

    2025.

Languages:

  • English, Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese

About Me

Hi, I’m John Liou, a graduate of Drexel University. My hobbies include video games, game design, digital animation, and 3D modeling. My major is Digital Multimedia, with my focus being on virtual production and game design. Feel free to check out my work!

WORK EXPERIENCES:

Badass Studios: Unreal Engine Lead Developer (2023-Current)

E1 Racing Game

  • Developed a multiplayer boat racing game with physics-based boat controls, realistic water interaction, and low latency raw input systems for racing peripherals and VR. Showcased at E1 events where players raced in game, alongside the real boats as competition.

  • Designed boat handling and race mechanics to mirror real-world racing, including wake and current systems where a boat's movement dynamically affects the handling of nearby boats.

  • Created interactive environmental systems such as dynamic water, weather, and lighting to enhance player immersion and engagement.

  • Built editor tools in Unreal Engine (Blueprints/C++) to automate construction of large, repetitive environments, significantly reducing manual level-building time.

E1 Broadcast (AR/VR)

  • Built data-driven digital twin systems for live public broadcasts, enabling directors to control dynamic, spatially accurate graphics as well as AR/VR overlays in real time.

  • Designed and built the virtual camera system used by Badass Studios at all live broadcast events with features such as smooth camera interpolation and rotation, target selection with movement prediction, camera transitions, event specific camera actions such as data panels and map-wide events.

  • Developed OSC-linked graphic control tools enabling non-technical artists and designers to modify graphics live during broadcasts, turning a former engineering dependency into a self-service, broadcast-ready feature.

  • Implemented buoyancy-based floating interactions in Unreal Engine (Blueprints/C++) to bring the digital twin environment to life while supporting interaction with GPS-driven data elements.

  • Served as the primary point of contact between the team and outside stakeholders (investors and directors), keeping both sides aligned throughout the project.

Nightscape: Unreal Engine Lead Developer (2022-2023)

  • Added pixel streaming functionality to all currently operating projects to allow for smooth and interactive digital experiences on any device.

  • Created multiple base frameworks for Unreal Engine projects to be reused in future endeavors and designs.

  • Assisted, mentored, and cooperated with other teams, communicating directly with the CEO and clients.

  • Maintained and revised previous projects, updating them to current standards.


Nightscape: Unreal Engine Environment Designer (2021-2023)

  • Designed immersive 3D environments for physical production spaces for events including the NFC Championship Game 2022, South by Southwest, Coachella, Lays, and in-house events.

  • Programmed Unreal Engine projects to send and receive API and OSC data to activate changes in the map in real time for performances and update score lines and betting odds.

  • Optimized Unreal Engine virtual production environments for framerate and production level quality for a smooth viewing experience.

Drexel University (PXL Lab): Graduate Research Assistant (2021)

  • Devised a qualitative research study on the development of mental models regarding the topic of neural networks.

  • Designed and programmed six Unity game prototypes exploring the design space of machine learning algorithms as entertaining game mechanics.

  • Collaborated with AI researchers in evaluating and improving AI games with the purpose of introducing AI to students.

Olympus Labs: Interactive Multimedia Designer (2018-2019)

  • Made the highest engagement piece of social media content in company history.

  • Designed and animated social media advertisements, product brochures, and Amazon EBC content from concept through completion.

  • Used Autodesk Maya to create renders and visual mockups of existing and upcoming products for internal use and advertising.

  • Worked closely with the CEO to create engaging and eye-catching graphics that were used in online ads and in social media campaigns.

  • Created promotional videos and graphics displayed at company sponsored events.