Lorne Lanning
Encyclopedia
Lorne Lanning is an American game designer, writer
and voice actor. He is also co-founder and president of the video game developer
, Oddworld Inhabitants
. He is best known for creating the Oddworld series
including the games Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
.
Lanning is also known for his voice talent and has voiced many characters in the Oddworld games including Oddworld's signature character Abe
, Munch and the Stranger, as well as Alf (Abe's Exoddus), the Vykkers Humphrey and Irwin (Munch's Oddysee), Blisterz Booty, Doc Vykker, Castraider and Sekto (Stranger's Wrath), General Dripik and Director Phleg (Abe's Exoddus) and the Sligs (Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee). Lanning provided every character voice for Abe's Oddysee alone but was later joined by other Oddworld Inhabitants crew members to voice characters in Abe's Exoddus, Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath but with Lanning still voicing the majority of the characters.
His creative vision in game design and property development at Oddworld Inhabitants has gained him worldwide recognition, including several documentaries and his character creations featured on the cover of Wired Magazine.
Lanning claims he has always had a fascination with video games, stating that his father was an engineer for Coleco
.
in New York City. While attending the School of Visual Arts, he worked as studio manager
and assistant painter to Jack Goldstein
. Working with Goldstein inspired Lanning to attend the California Institute of the Arts
in Valencia, California
.
In 1988 Lanning worked as a Technical Director at the TRW
Engineering Visualization Lab in Redondo Beach, California
. He moved on to Rhythm & Hues Studios in Hollywood, California in 1989, where he started as a Technical Director before becoming an Art Director. His final role at the company was as a Visual Effects Supervisor.
In 1994, Lanning and Sherry McKenna co-founded video game development company
, Oddworld Inhabitants. Oddworld was dedicated to mixing storytelling
, animation
and interactivity
. Oddworld has sold over 5 million games and won more than 100 industry awards.
In 2001 Lanning and McKenna were named to Wired magazine's list of "gamemaking gods".
In 2005 Lanning shuttered his game development studio and relocated to the San Francisco Bay area to focus on other forms of entertainment media such as television and film.
Lanning serves on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
, the Advisory Board to the President of the Academy of Art University
in San Francisco, the Advisory Board for the CGSociety, and the Advisory Board for the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Is also an annual Jury member for Ballistic Publishings annual "EXPOSÉ" Digital art book and also an ongoing Jury member for Into the Pixel "Best in Video Game Art" sponsored by the AIAS
and LACMA.
In 2006 Lanning and McKenna sign a development deal with Vanguard Animation
to release Lanning's latest universe, Citizen Siege, as a science fiction action thriller fully animated CG motion picture. Lanning set to direct and Sherry McKenna to Executive Produce with John Williams (Shrek producer) producing.
Lanning also engages in public speaking for the Federation of American Scientists
(FAS) and their ongoing Digital Frontier efforts to help bridge the gap between video games and public education.
In 2007, Lanning provided the voice for the character of himself on the G4TV show Code Monkeys
, where he proposed Oddworld
as a game and was shot down.
Lanning appearred in a panel discussion at VideoGame Expo on November 3, 2007 following a public screening of Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat
, a documentary about the violence in videogames issue, to debate Jack Thompson
, both of whom are featured prominently in the film.
According to a May 2008 interview, Lanning has stated that after a multi-year hiatus, he is currently restarting gaming production for Oddworld.
In an interview with Just Add Water's Stewart Gilray in September 2011, it was hinted that Lanning was giving Just Add Water free rein over the HD remakes of the Oddworld series whilst he worked on undisclosed "new projects".
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and voice actor. He is also co-founder and president of the video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, Oddworld Inhabitants
Oddworld Inhabitants
Oddworld Inhabitants Inc. is an American video game developer founded in 1994 by special-effects and computer-animation veterans Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning. The company is primarily known for the Oddworld Quintology, a series of award-winning video games about the fictional planet of Oddworld...
. He is best known for creating the Oddworld series
Oddworld
Oddworld is a comprehensive fictional universe presented in video game form, created by game developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. Throughout games set in the Oddworld universe, Oddworld's peaceful nature is in danger of being consumed by the industrial ambition of...
including the games Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a multi-award–winning platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console, DOS and Microsoft Windows in North America, Australia and Europe...
, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is the third game made by Oddworld Inhabitants. Originally announced as a title in development for PlayStation 2, it was instead released exclusively as one of the launch titles for Microsoft Xbox. It is the second chapter of the Oddworld pentalogy, following Abe's Oddysee...
, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus is a multi-award–winning platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It is a sequel to the video game Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. It is considered a bonus title in the Oddworld series, and not part of the main Oddworld Quintology...
and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is an action-adventure game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by Electronic Arts for the Microsoft Xbox. Music for the game was written by composer Michael Bross. It was released on January 25, 2005. A version for the PlayStation 2 was planned, but...
.
Lanning is also known for his voice talent and has voiced many characters in the Oddworld games including Oddworld's signature character Abe
Abe (Oddworld)
Abe is a fictional character and protagonist in the Oddworld video game series, created by Oddworld Inhabitants. Abe was introduced in the 1997 game Abe's Oddysee and his character has changed and developed throughout the subsequent games, Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee.Abe, a creature known as...
, Munch and the Stranger, as well as Alf (Abe's Exoddus), the Vykkers Humphrey and Irwin (Munch's Oddysee), Blisterz Booty, Doc Vykker, Castraider and Sekto (Stranger's Wrath), General Dripik and Director Phleg (Abe's Exoddus) and the Sligs (Abe's Oddysee, Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee). Lanning provided every character voice for Abe's Oddysee alone but was later joined by other Oddworld Inhabitants crew members to voice characters in Abe's Exoddus, Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath but with Lanning still voicing the majority of the characters.
His creative vision in game design and property development at Oddworld Inhabitants has gained him worldwide recognition, including several documentaries and his character creations featured on the cover of Wired Magazine.
Lanning claims he has always had a fascination with video games, stating that his father was an engineer for Coleco
Coleco
Coleco is an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as "Connecticut Leather Company". It became a highly successful toy company in the 1980s, known for its mass-produced version of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game consoles, the Coleco Telstar and...
.
Career
Lanning studied photo-realism and commercial illustration at the School of Visual ArtsSchool of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
in New York City. While attending the School of Visual Arts, he worked as studio manager
Studio Manager
Studio manager is a job title in various media-related professions, including design, advertising, and broadcasting.-Design and advertising:A design or advertising studio manager's responsibilities will typically include traffic management, by ensuring all briefs are dispatched in the studio...
and assistant painter to Jack Goldstein
Jack Goldstein
Jack Goldstein was a Canadian born, California-based performance and conceptual artist turned painter in the 1980s art boom.-Early life and education:...
. Working with Goldstein inspired Lanning to attend the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
in Valencia, California
Valencia, California
Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
.
In 1988 Lanning worked as a Technical Director at the TRW
TRW
TRW Inc. was an American corporation involved in a variety of businesses, mainly aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. It was a pioneer in multiple fields including electronic components, integrated circuits, computers, software and systems engineering. TRW built many spacecraft,...
Engineering Visualization Lab in Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
. He moved on to Rhythm & Hues Studios in Hollywood, California in 1989, where he started as a Technical Director before becoming an Art Director. His final role at the company was as a Visual Effects Supervisor.
In 1994, Lanning and Sherry McKenna co-founded video game development company
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, Oddworld Inhabitants. Oddworld was dedicated to mixing storytelling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and interactivity
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
. Oddworld has sold over 5 million games and won more than 100 industry awards.
In 2001 Lanning and McKenna were named to Wired magazine's list of "gamemaking gods".
In 2005 Lanning shuttered his game development studio and relocated to the San Francisco Bay area to focus on other forms of entertainment media such as television and film.
Lanning serves on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
, the Advisory Board to the President of the Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University
The Academy of Art University , a for-profit university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens...
in San Francisco, the Advisory Board for the CGSociety, and the Advisory Board for the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Is also an annual Jury member for Ballistic Publishings annual "EXPOSÉ" Digital art book and also an ongoing Jury member for Into the Pixel "Best in Video Game Art" sponsored by the AIAS
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
and LACMA.
In 2006 Lanning and McKenna sign a development deal with Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation, LLC. is an American animation studio founded in 2004 by producer, John H. Williams. It produces computer animated films. Films produced include its debut film Valiant, Happily N'Ever After and Space Chimps....
to release Lanning's latest universe, Citizen Siege, as a science fiction action thriller fully animated CG motion picture. Lanning set to direct and Sherry McKenna to Executive Produce with John Williams (Shrek producer) producing.
Lanning also engages in public speaking for the Federation of American Scientists
Federation of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
(FAS) and their ongoing Digital Frontier efforts to help bridge the gap between video games and public education.
In 2007, Lanning provided the voice for the character of himself on the G4TV show Code Monkeys
Code Monkeys
Code Monkeys is an American animated television program created by Adam de la Peña. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision....
, where he proposed Oddworld
Oddworld
Oddworld is a comprehensive fictional universe presented in video game form, created by game developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. Throughout games set in the Oddworld universe, Oddworld's peaceful nature is in danger of being consumed by the industrial ambition of...
as a game and was shot down.
Lanning appearred in a panel discussion at VideoGame Expo on November 3, 2007 following a public screening of Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat
Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat
Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat is a 2007 documentary film, directed by Spencer Halpin, an American independent filmmaker. The title of the film is in part a reference to the Mortal Kombat series of video games, which are notable for their extreme violence...
, a documentary about the violence in videogames issue, to debate Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (attorney)
John Bruce "Jack" Thompson is an American activist and disbarred attorney, based in Coral Gables, Florida. Thompson is known for his role as an anti-video-game activist, particularly against violence and sex in video games....
, both of whom are featured prominently in the film.
According to a May 2008 interview, Lanning has stated that after a multi-year hiatus, he is currently restarting gaming production for Oddworld.
In an interview with Just Add Water's Stewart Gilray in September 2011, it was hinted that Lanning was giving Just Add Water free rein over the HD remakes of the Oddworld series whilst he worked on undisclosed "new projects".
External links
- Oddworld Executive Profiles
- Adventure Classic Gaming interview with Lorne Lanning (April 2008)
- Wired article including Lanning
- Games First interview with Lorne Lanning
- Video Interview with Lorne Lanning at Conceptart.org's Revelations