The Techwizard of Oz
The Techwizard of Oz

A personal project to show off some of the skills that people see only in my NDA work.

 Animation to test the viability of the long fur skirt—how to keep the fur from becoming too chaotic.

Animation to test the viability of the long fur skirt—how to keep the fur from becoming too chaotic.

SamNielson_Wicked_Witch_of_The_West_2.jpg
SamNielson_TinMan_1 copy.jpg
SamNielson_CowardlyLion.jpg
SamNielson_Oz_Monkeys_01.jpg
SamNielson_OzMonkeys_03.jpg
 Another personal project about women that use nanotech “magic” to become a coven of witches that pull off heists.

Another personal project about women that use nanotech “magic” to become a coven of witches that pull off heists.

Finalized Infinity concepts
Finalized Infinity concepts

A skill I’ve had to use multiple times in my career: bringing a diverse cast of IPs into a shared style.

Chitauri enemies
Chitauri enemies

This was all about extrapolating the design of new characters from existing characters in ways that would meet gameplay needs, and pushing them stylistically toward the toy realm.

 Trying to honor the more detail-driven world of Star Wars in the Infinity Style.

Trying to honor the more detail-driven world of Star Wars in the Infinity Style.

Early style takes for Disney Infinity
Early style takes for Disney Infinity

Testing multiple characters together to see how design language carried across IPs. This is obviously not the direction we ended up going.

 Imagining what a Commander Keen revival might look like.

Imagining what a Commander Keen revival might look like.

Peter and the Leviathan
Peter and the Leviathan

Another personal project: Peter and the Leviathan. Four friends descend to the bottom of the sea to hunt for the creature that has been terrorizing their village.

SamNielson_Characters_Leviathan_CatMech1.jpg
Grandfather Designs for Peter and the Leviathan
Grandfather Designs for Peter and the Leviathan
Creatures for Peter and the Leviathan
Creatures for Peter and the Leviathan
SamNielson_Characters_Botworld_Lobb1b_ColoringBook4.jpg
 © Disney, a canceled project called “Jabberwocky”

© Disney, a canceled project called “Jabberwocky”

SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Monster08_Guardian4.jpg
Monsters for Jabberwocky
Monsters for Jabberwocky
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Monster19_Take3.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Sage.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Monster2_Paint4.JPG
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Brillig_Colortemp1.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Myria.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Max_Costumes2.jpg
 Imagining a Hansel and Gretel film, trying to make a witch that is equal parts fuzzy/likable and dangerous.

Imagining a Hansel and Gretel film, trying to make a witch that is equal parts fuzzy/likable and dangerous.

SamNielson_Characters_HanselWitch3b.jpg
 Random character sketches

Random character sketches

SamNielson_Characters_Random_CurlPunk1.jpg
Sam_characterdimension_villain.jpg
SamNielson_Batgirl_1.jpg
SamNielson_ZorroGunman_89.jpg
SamNielson_Mechateer_lady1.jpg
SamNielson_CaterpillarWarrior_91.jpg
SamNielson_Cutefighter2.jpg
SamNielson_PrincessFrankenstump1.jpg
SamNielson_neighborwoods_boy6 2.jpg
SamNielson_Tuatara-3_Final.JPG
SamNielson_Redsquirrel_1 2.jpg
The Techwizard of Oz
 Animation to test the viability of the long fur skirt—how to keep the fur from becoming too chaotic.
SamNielson_Wicked_Witch_of_The_West_2.jpg
SamNielson_TinMan_1 copy.jpg
SamNielson_CowardlyLion.jpg
SamNielson_Oz_Monkeys_01.jpg
SamNielson_OzMonkeys_03.jpg
 Another personal project about women that use nanotech “magic” to become a coven of witches that pull off heists.
Finalized Infinity concepts
Chitauri enemies
 Trying to honor the more detail-driven world of Star Wars in the Infinity Style.
Early style takes for Disney Infinity
 Imagining what a Commander Keen revival might look like.
Peter and the Leviathan
SamNielson_Characters_Leviathan_CatMech1.jpg
Grandfather Designs for Peter and the Leviathan
Creatures for Peter and the Leviathan
SamNielson_Characters_Botworld_Lobb1b_ColoringBook4.jpg
 © Disney, a canceled project called “Jabberwocky”
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Monster08_Guardian4.jpg
Monsters for Jabberwocky
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Monster19_Take3.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Sage.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Monster2_Paint4.JPG
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Brillig_Colortemp1.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Myria.jpg
SamNielson_Characters_Jabberwocky_Max_Costumes2.jpg
 Imagining a Hansel and Gretel film, trying to make a witch that is equal parts fuzzy/likable and dangerous.
SamNielson_Characters_HanselWitch3b.jpg
 Random character sketches
SamNielson_Characters_Random_CurlPunk1.jpg
Sam_characterdimension_villain.jpg
SamNielson_Batgirl_1.jpg
SamNielson_ZorroGunman_89.jpg
SamNielson_Mechateer_lady1.jpg
SamNielson_CaterpillarWarrior_91.jpg
SamNielson_Cutefighter2.jpg
SamNielson_PrincessFrankenstump1.jpg
SamNielson_neighborwoods_boy6 2.jpg
SamNielson_Tuatara-3_Final.JPG
SamNielson_Redsquirrel_1 2.jpg
The Techwizard of Oz

A personal project to show off some of the skills that people see only in my NDA work.

Animation to test the viability of the long fur skirt—how to keep the fur from becoming too chaotic.

Another personal project about women that use nanotech “magic” to become a coven of witches that pull off heists.

Finalized Infinity concepts

A skill I’ve had to use multiple times in my career: bringing a diverse cast of IPs into a shared style.

Chitauri enemies

This was all about extrapolating the design of new characters from existing characters in ways that would meet gameplay needs, and pushing them stylistically toward the toy realm.

Trying to honor the more detail-driven world of Star Wars in the Infinity Style.

Early style takes for Disney Infinity

Testing multiple characters together to see how design language carried across IPs. This is obviously not the direction we ended up going.

Imagining what a Commander Keen revival might look like.

Peter and the Leviathan

Another personal project: Peter and the Leviathan. Four friends descend to the bottom of the sea to hunt for the creature that has been terrorizing their village.

Grandfather Designs for Peter and the Leviathan
Creatures for Peter and the Leviathan

© Disney, a canceled project called “Jabberwocky”

Monsters for Jabberwocky

Imagining a Hansel and Gretel film, trying to make a witch that is equal parts fuzzy/likable and dangerous.

Random character sketches

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