Media Communication majorTechnical Gameplay Animator, That’s No Moon
Nathaniel Winckler ’14, a media communication major, is now a Technical Gameplay Animator for the video game studio That’s No Moon.
He initially wanted to animate for the film industry and work at Pixar, but God called Winckler to the realm of video game animation.
“I chose to stay in the video game industry because it combines my passions for storytelling, animation and technical excellence. I love engaging players through the interactive dimension of video games,” said Winckler. “I’m grateful that God opened this door for my career, and I was able to flourish in a field I wasn’t expecting.”
His first job was at Skydance Interactive, a video game company in Los Angeles. After God motivated Winckler’s love for technical challenges and passion for animation, his role was promoted to the Technical Gameplay Animator position he currently holds with That’s No Moon.
“I love going down a rabbit hole to solve technical challenges,” said Winckler. “My job places me at the intersection of animation, art, design and programming, so I am uniquely suited to come up with solutions that can span all of those disciplines.”
The Asbury alum touched on the significant impact that Asbury had on his “soft skills” during his time in undergrad. Winckler specifically mentioned the profound learning experience that can be gained from Asbury’s Media Communication Department.
“Media Comm encourages students to head up their own projects, recruiting and managing a team along the way. Because of this, I directed several short films while at Asbury. Those experiences directly impacted how I interact with people on a daily basis,” continued Winckler. “I learned how to carefully guide people and give them ownership over their own work, all while striving for excellence in the final product.”
Winckler’s advice to students and young alums — leave room for God to work!
“It turns out that the best way to live life is to follow the Lord wherever He leads,” Winckler said. “He can take us seemingly way off our ideal path, but He knows what’s best for us, and you never know, you might find something that you love even more!”