MALEBO EM BOTDEN
VISUAL DESIGNER & LIGHTING ARTIST
Hi! Nice to meet you!
My name is Malebo, but most people call me Em. I'm a visual designer and lighting artist with a background in game design.
During my studies as a narrative designer, I embarked on a journey to find my way to bring a story to life. After experimenting with many disciplines and techniques, I discovered my love for lighting and composition.
As a designer, I love working on projects that focus on dystopian or otherworldly settings!
Skills & Experience
UNITY ENGINE
Prototyping game mechanics, implementing UI elements, lighting & post-processing, Cinemachine, Probuilder, Inky.
ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE
Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, XD, and Illustrator for creating UI elements with MoGraph and game trailers.
MAYA
Modelling blockouts for architecture and props, UV unwrapping.
FIGMA
Creating high-fidelity interface protoypes.
My Journey So Far
2021-PRESENT
CAMERA & LIGHTING
Since I've switched to game design I've been focused on learning what makes a unique experience. I've spent time learning about music, geography, psychology, and many more things.
Right now, I'm in my final year of college and working on my graduation project with a team of 7 members. This year, I discovered my passion for cinematography and lighting. To challenge myself, I'm translating a fairy tale into a tragedy without any spoken word, making the ambience the core focus!
2020-2021
GAME DESIGN
Halfway through the first year of Game Art, I realized my passion wasn't just painting and modeling, I enjoyed many different media, like writing and researching. I wanted to choose the medium based on the project. This is when I switched to Game Design!
2019-2020
GAME ART
Right after I graduated from the makeup course, I got accepted at HKU Game Art and Game Design. At this point, I wanted to become a creature designer so I chose Game Art to focus more on visuals.
2016-2019
MAKEUP FX ARTIST
I started my journey as a UX designer by becoming a makeup artist. I followed a three-year course and during this time, I learned bodypainting and FX makeup.