Page 1 of 1  Mike Pleva Interviewed by William 'Phoebus' Mull  We're proud to introduce the newly hired Animator, Mike Pleva to the community of fans of Raven's games...  Tell Us About Yourself Full Name: Mike Pleva Age: 33 Birthplace/Hometown: Grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. Marital Status (Optional): Sorry ladies, I'm married.  Getting Hired by Raven When were you hired by Raven and how did that come about? March of 2002. I sent my demo reel and they liked it.  Your New Duties at Raven What is your position at Raven? Animator. What project(s) are you currently working on (if you can say)? Quake IV What is a typical workday like for you? From the mundane to the insane, take us on a stroll through your day! Right now things are relatively calm and laid back. I've never been through it myself, but I hear "crunch time" can be kind of insane.  Previous Experience Where did you work before coming to Raven? I actually worked in a Bank as a Financial Analyst before going to art school and pursuing my dream. Do you have any prior experience in the computer gaming industry and/or any game project experience with mods, etc.? No.  Gaming Interests What are some of your favorite games? Jedi Knight II, Soldier of Fortune II, Grand Theft Auto III What genres do you most enjoy playing? FPS (naturally), Action, RPGs What's your all-time favorite game? That's tough. I guess I'd have to go with the original Tomb Raider because that's the game that really inspired me to pursue this career. It spawned a lot of bad follow-ups and a really awful movie, but the original was very innovative for its time. What upcoming or newly released game you've not yet played are you most looking forward to playing? Doom III  Other Interests What other forms of entertainment are you interested in? All genres of film. Reading. What are your favorite things to do outside the realm of computers (hobbies, etc.)? I like to watch the Packers win. Go Pack! What music do you enjoy listening to? I listen to everything, depends on what kind of mood I'm in or what I'm working on. What are some of your favorite bands or composers? No real "favorites" to speak of.  Industry Insider What advice can you give to our readers who hope to someday make it in the gaming industry? Depends on what aspect of gaming most interests you. Things are becoming increasingly specialized in this industry, so pick one area (i.e. modeling, animation, level design, concepting) and become excellent at it. Work hard and good luck!  Examples of Your Work Can you give us any screenshots, downloads or samples of your work to go along with this interview, to help illustrate yourself and your talents to our readers? Sorry, my web site isn't up yet.  Plans for the Future Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years? Anything you're not doing now that you'd still like to accomplish? I hope to continue making great games with great and talented people. « Back to Raven Profiles