LAURA M.

STEPHENS
6160 Canterbury Dr. #312
Culver City, CA 90230

www.laurastephens.com

C: (323) 382-4301
E: laura.stephens.2017@anderson.ucla.edu

Overview: Background in game app publication with an M.F.A. in digital arts from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Pursuing entertainment marketing coursework at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Strengths include:
MANAGEMENT:
Brand Marketing
Production Coordination
Strategic Planning

DIGITAL ARTS:
Design Layout
Storyboards
Video Editing

WRITING:
Copy-writing
Document Editing
Press Releases

Relevant Computer Skills: Microsoft Office, FileMaker Pro., Typing Speed: 119 Words Per Minute; Proficient in Mac and PC
Creative Computer Skills: Photoshop, Flash, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Maya, Nuke, Blade

EXPERIENCE
FIREFLY GAMES, INC.
Consultant, Assistant Producer
Advised executives of start-up game app company on market strategy
Established templates and pipelines for the localization team

Los Angeles, CA
November December 2014

BRANDISH ENTERTAINMENT (CLIENT: NOKIA)

Los Angeles, CA
Production Manager, Web Promo commercial featuring Nokia
September 2014
Coordinated film production by hiring and managing crew, cast, and vendors
Managed location scouting and permits
Managed production budgets; prepared expense reports and production orders
Provided creative and logistical line production strategies to client; assisted the producer with managerial tasks
THE MOTION PICTURE COMPANY (MPC) (CLIENT: GENERAL MOTORS/CHEVROLET)
Production Assistant, End Tags commercial featuring Chevrolet Silverado
Aided crew and craft services on production set; aided in general on-set production duties
Managed transportation and delivery of production assets
THE CAVALRY PRODUCTIONS
Executive Assistant to Executive Producers Chris Wedding and Ross Grogan
Assisted executive producers with managerial office and production tasks
Prepared and organized documentation, creative works, research and development
Prepared expense reports, purchase orders and budgets
Hired new staff recruits
Compiled and edited directorial reels
Managed social media and company-related websites
Managed office supplies and production inventory

Los Angeles, CA
July 2014

Los Angeles, CA
April 2014 July 2014

NETHER FIRE ENTERTAINMENT (CLIENT: SHANG GAME)

Los Angeles, CA
Game Producer, Realm of Myths
January 2014 February 2014
Managed and directed completion of international game development and assets (production, design, story, art and
language pack culturalization/localization), with the role of external coordinator and internal producer
ZQGAME, INC.
El Segundo, CA
Production Associate
August 2012 December 2013
International browser/mobile game development, importation, localization and publication
Worked closely with the producer and performed the following functions:
Animation Lead Supervised and directed animation assets from international game developers
UI Layout Artist Designed mobile UI layouts and consulted with UI artists
Game Designer Redesigned level maps and battle system for browser and mobile-based gameplay
Main Quest Writer Designed/redesigned main quest storylines to create original and engaging content
Localization Lead Culturalized translated language packs to look and sound like native American English
Video Editor Recorded, animated, rendered and edited video for online and mobile publication
Community Management Supervisor Trained interns, organized/coordinated in-game revenue-boosting events
Voice Talent Narrated tutorial videos and voice acted for a mobile game
Contributed to 6 published game titles for browser and mobile platforms, including Total Recall Online (Based on the
2012 movie IP / China-release only) (2012), The Lost Titans (2012), Dragon Crown (2013), Pocket Knights (2013),
Tower Tribes (2013), Sky Boom Boom (2013), and in-house developed game, Soulstone Heroes (2014)

Laura Stephens, (323) 382-4301

Game Achievements: Tower Tribes (iOS: Top 10 Overall, Card Games and Strategy); Pocket Knights (iOS: Top 10 in
Card Games & Strategy | Top 10 Overall)
Beta-tested browser and mobile games and logged performance errors, art errors, and text-related errors
Built language pack; wrote original content for the main quest storyline; documented original names and quest design
Started as a game design intern

EDUCATION
UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Los Angeles, CA
M.B.A. Candidate, Fully Employed Program (Night Classes)
August 2014 Expected June 2017
Career Path: Entertainment Marketing, Entertainment and Media Management
Leadership: Director of Case Competition (Entertainment Management Association)
Membership: Entertainment Management Association Marketing Association M.B.A. Student Council
Elective Coursework: Winter 16: Feature Film Marketing, Advertising & Marketing Communications, Marketing
Strategy; Spring 16: Brand Management, Making Creativity Profitable in Entertainment, Entertainment Strategy
USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS
Los Angeles, CA
M.F.A., John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts
Graduated August 2011
Honors: 3.87 GPA; Mary Pickford Scholarship (2008 2009)
Leadership: USC international ambassador for promotions and recruitment (2009) International collaborator to the
Hiroshima Reconstruction Project, presented to President Obama (2009) M.F.A. representative (out of 8 Ph.D.s)
to collaborate and brainstorm with researchers at IBM in Almaden, CA (2010 2011)
Membership: Trojan Anime Culture Club (council and club coordinator)
Masters Thesis Awards: Los Angeles Film and Script Festival (Best Animation) California Film Awards
(Diamond Award Winner) SkyFest VI Film Festival (#1 Animation) Screened at Vale Intl. Film Festival
Skills and Pipeline Education: 2D and 3D animation Motion capture Facial capture Art direction Storyboards
Digital compositing Character design Video and sound editing
Subsequent to degree: Post-graduate coursework at iAnimate.net with professional DreamWorks animators, refining
skills in CG character performance
THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Chicago, IL
B.F.A., Animation and Media Arts
Graduated May 2008
Major: Animation
Skills and Education: Graphic design, graphic storytelling, modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, video production
Study Abroad: Coursework in London (2007), Prague (2007), and throughout Southern China (2008)
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR
B.A., College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts
Major: English Language and Literature
Minors: Linguistics, Music

Ann Arbor, MI
Graduated April 2005

THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia, PA
Certificate, Leadership in the Business World
June 2001 August 2001
Education: Coursework in business plans and entrepreneurship in a competitive faculty-taught summer program

SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION

iAnimate.net: Character animation with DreamWorks animators at iAnimate.net (Online; 2011 2012)
The Academy of Fine Arts, Prague: 3D animation coursework (Prague, Czech Republic; 2007)
Northwestern University: Graduate School of Communications (Evanston, IL; 2005 2006)
University of Miami: Live-action film production coursework (Miami, FL; 2001)

ADDITIONAL

Languages: Studied 5 foreign languages: Spanish (8 years); Italian (2 semesters); French (2 semesters); German (1
semester); Japanese (1 semester)
Talents: Classically trained soprano singer; Actress in multiple musicals; Guitar and piano player
Misc: Chess champion (1994 2002); World-traveler (40 countries)