Richard Sandoval
Los Angeles,CA
Summary
Creative Gameplay Capture and Cinematics leader with 12+ years directing AAA marketing cinematics and real-time storytelling. Delivered impactful content for major titles while leading cross-functional teams and developing efficient production pipelines. Skilled in Unreal Engine and cinematic workflows, driving visual storytelling for both established and new IPs in collaborative environments.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Capture Artist (Freelance)
Bungie/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Los Angeles, CA
01.2026 - Current
- Capture gameplay and cinematic footage supporting marketing campaigns, internal creative development, and promotional content for current AAA titles.
- Execute high-fidelity gameplay capture using real-time engine tools (Unreal Engine and proprietary systems), producing cinematic-quality footage for marketing, trailers, and internal creative development.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams, aligning capture output with narrative, tone, and campaign goals to enhance overall project vision.
- Design and operate in-engine camera systems, crafting dynamic shots, sequences, and compositions that enhance storytelling and visual impact.
- Optimized capture workflows and real-time pipelines, facilitating efficient iteration and ensuring high-quality, delivery-ready assets.
- Applied advanced video editing techniques to refine captured footage, enhancing editorial pipelines and achieving polished final output.
- Operate advanced real-time camera systems using Unreal Engine and proprietary technology to create visually compelling narrative gameplay.
- Continuously improve gameplay capture workflows to accelerate production while maintaining exceptional visual quality.
Senior Gameplay Capture Director
DarkBurn Creative
Woodland Hills, CA
12.2024 - 06.2025
- Directed gameplay capture and cinematic vision for AAA game marketing campaigns, establishing visual storytelling, pacing, camera language, and creative direction across multiple high-profile projects.
- Led and mentored gameplay capture artists, fostering a collaborative creative environment while improving shot quality, consistency, and execution across productions.
- Developed scalable in-engine capture workflows that increased production efficiency and reduced revision cycles through improved planning, review, and creative alignment.
- Directed cinematic vision and visual storytelling for gameplay trailers and marketing reels, establishing creative tone, pacing, and shot language that supported AAA campaign objectives and elevated audience engagement.
- Partnered with Creative Directors, Associate Creative Directors, Editors, and Marketing teams to translate campaign objectives into compelling real-time cinematic content.
- Collaborated with creative directors, ACDs, editors, and cross-functional partners to refine creative intent and align capture direction with campaign strategy, ensuring cohesive cinematic assets met high-end studio expectations.
- Advanced proprietary capture techniques and Unreal Engine workflows that improved visual fidelity, accelerated delivery timelines, and raised overall production quality.
Media Artist
Blizzard Entertainment
Irvine, CA
06.2018 - 12.2024
- Directed gameplay capture, cinematic sequences, and promotional storytelling for global marketing campaigns supporting Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, and other Blizzard franchises.
- Collaborated daily with Creative Directors, Cinematics, Narrative, Game Design, Animation, Audio, VFX, Brand, and Marketing teams to ensure gameplay capture authentically represented gameplay while supporting narrative and campaign objectives.
- Designed and executed advanced in-engine camera movements, cinematic lighting, composition, and sequencing using Unreal Engine and proprietary Blizzard tools.
- Developed detailed shot lists, gameplay scenarios, camera direction, and visual storytelling frameworks that streamlined production and reduced editorial revisions.
- Helped establish creative standards and capture best practices that improved consistency, production quality, and efficiency across marketing deliverables.
- Orchestrated end-to-end in-engine capture workflows and collaborated with narrative, gameplay, audio, and brand teams to create compelling visual storylines that aligned with lore, pacing, and Blizzard’s world-building standards.
- Produced high-fidelity gameplay footage used across global launch trailers, gameplay reveals, developer presentations, social campaigns, and digital marketing initiatives viewed by millions of players worldwide.
- Identified opportunities to improve capture pipelines, enabling faster iteration, stronger collaboration, and more efficient asset delivery across multiple concurrent productions.
- Worked closely with editors throughout post-production to refine pacing, shot selection, transitions, and cinematic storytelling while maintaining gameplay authenticity.
- Balanced multiple high-priority marketing initiatives simultaneously while consistently meeting aggressive production deadlines.
- Contributed to launch campaigns for critically acclaimed AAA titles recognized throughout the gaming industry.
- Formulated shot frameworks, visual direction notes, and performance capture criteria, empowering artists and operators to produce award-caliber trailers while enhancing visual cohesion and reducing revision cycles.
- Contributed gameplay capture and cinematic content for Blizzard’s CLIO Award-winning Diablo IV marketing trailer, collaborating with Creative Directors, Editors, Narrative, and Marketing teams to deliver industry-recognized creative work.
Game Capture Artist (Freelance)
Gnet Agency
Los Angeles, CA
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Assisted with shot planning, asset organization, and quality checks to deliver polished, client-ready promotional content.
- Configured in-engine scenes, prepped raw footage, and composed shots for trailers and marketing assets, ensuring alignment with campaign objectives.
- Developed innovative visual concepts for client projects, enhancing brand identity and engagement.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure cohesive project execution and alignment with client goals.
- Mentored junior artists, fostering skill development and creative collaboration within the team.
Game Capture Artist
Dark Burn Creatives
Los Angeles, CA
01.2013 - 01.2018
- Coordinated with creative directors and editorial teams to translate briefs into in-game camera paths, motion sequences, and character/environment setups, enhancing alignment with campaign themes and elevating visual impact.
- Coordinated with creative directors and editorial teams to translate briefs into in-game camera paths, motion sequences, and character/environment setups, ensuring each capture aligned with campaign themes and amplified visual impact.
- Maintained quality review pipelines for raw and edited footage, identifying refinements, stabilizing motion, optimizing lighting and perspective, and delivering polished, broadcast-ready sequences that surpassed fidelity benchmarks.
Game QA Tester
Activision
Los Angeles, CA
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Conducted structured gameplay and systems testing across multiple titles, evaluating mechanics, performance stability, and user experience to identify and report functional issues before release.
- Collaborated with development teams to document bugs, communicate reproducibility steps, and track fixes, enhancing game performance and quality.
- Executed rigorous testing protocols to identify and document software defects across multiple game titles.
- Collaborated with development teams to ensure timely resolution of bugs and enhance overall game quality.
- Developed detailed test plans and cases to cover diverse gameplay scenarios and user experiences.
Video Game Play Tester
VGMarket
Los Angeles, CA
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Documented detailed findings and user-experience observations for development teams, providing structured feedback that directly informed fixes and enhanced gameplay flow and player satisfaction.
- Evaluated gameplay systems, mechanics, and content across multiple test builds to identify functionality issues, confirming bugs and glitches through systematic playthroughs to ensure game stability prior to release.
- Conducted comprehensive testing on software applications to identify bugs and ensure functionality.
- Collaborated with development teams to facilitate smooth integration of new features and enhancements.
- Developed and executed detailed test plans and test cases for various software projects.
Education
Digital filmmaking - Digital Film-making
Art Institute of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA01-2008
Skills
- Cinematic production
- Creative leadership
- Post-production techniques
- Gameplay Capture Techniques
- Quality assurance
- Workflow optimization
- Creative Leadership & Collaboration: Team Inspiration & Mentorship, Cross-Functional Creative Alignment, Partner Communication, Creative Feedback Delivery, Vision Execution
Timeline
Capture Artist (Freelance)
Bungie/Sony Interactive Entertainment
01.2026 - Current
Senior Gameplay Capture Director
DarkBurn Creative
12.2024 - 06.2025
Media Artist
Blizzard Entertainment
06.2018 - 12.2024
Game Capture Artist (Freelance)
Gnet Agency
01.2016 - 01.2018
Game QA Tester
Activision
01.2015 - 01.2016
Game Capture Artist
Dark Burn Creatives
01.2013 - 01.2018
Video Game Play Tester
VGMarket
01.2013 - 01.2014
Digital filmmaking - Digital Film-making
Art Institute of Los Angeles