Resume in PDF: English Version Japanese Version (requires Japanese fonts)

Nicolas Fournel
Email: nicolasfournel@yahoo.com
Website: www.nicolasfournel.com
French Citizenship


OBJECTIVE

To lead a team in the development of next-generation audio tools and engines.


SKILLS

• Management / Leadership: 4+ years managing a multidisciplinary team. Good interpersonal skills. Interface efficiently with artists and engineers. Experience working with European, American and Japanese teams.
• Software engineering: good knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and design patterns, especially in the context of video game development.
• Programming languages: over 10 years of practice of the C family (C/ C++ and now C#).
• Tool development: 10-year experience (with Win 32 API, MFC, and now .Net).
• Ability to design intuitive and efficient tools.
• Audio engine development: voice allocation and polyphony management, environmental audio (3D audio positioning, occlusion / obstruction, reverberation, HRTF filters etc…). Sound effects scripting. Procedural audio. Streaming. Real-time audio effects. Interactive music systems.
• DSP programming: mathematics of signal, synthesis techniques, filter design, signal analysis, voice processing and coding.
• Composition and sound design. Experience with numerous hardware synthesizers, samplers and effect units. Extensive knowledge of the main synthesis, audio processing and MIDI software packages (Sound Forge, Sonar, CSound etc...).
• Languages: English, French (fluent), German, Japanese (JLPT level 4).


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Electronic Arts, Vancouver, Canada. 2006 - present
Lead Engineer (SE III)
Currently working at EA Tech, Electronic Arts central technology department, on next-gen audio tools: asset management, profiling, in-game mixing etc…

Konami, Honolulu, Hawaii. Dec 2004 - 2006
Lead Audio Programmer / Audio Programmer
Dance Dance Revolution: Universe (Xbox360), Dance Dance Revolution: Ultramix 4 (Xbox), Frogger Toy Trials (DS) Konami All- In (Xbox), Frogger Helmet Chaos (DS, PSP), Lost In Blue (DS)
• Responsible for all the audio technology of the studio (engines, tools, implementation).
• Design of a multi-platform audio engine (including versions for Xbox, Xbox360, DS and PSP).
• Development of a multi-platform audio tool (KAT: Konami Audio Tool).
• Triggering of music, voicelines and sound effects in the games.
• Work on other Konami tools, such as StepMaker, used to edit steps for Dance Dance Revolution.

Factor 5, San Rafael, California. Jul 1999 - Dec 2004
Senior Software Engineer
Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike (GameCube) Rogue Squadron: Trilogy (Xbox, unpublished)
• Design and development for Nintendo of audio algorithms burned in the DSP of the GameCube: sample rate converters and HRTF filters.
• Development of the new version of MusyX multi-platform audio content editor, shipped with every GameCube development kit.
• Port of the MusyX engine to XBOX.
• Design and development of MusyX filters and reverberation.
• Design and development of Factor 5 GUI library.
• Refactoring and extension of the Audio library.
• Music, voicelines and sound effects triggering in the games.

Synoptic, Paris, France. 1996 - 1999
Founder and R & D manager
• Team management.
• Design, development and distribution of innovative music software including one of the very first modular software synthesizers for Windows.
• Research & development of audio algorithms and multimedia products for third parties.
• Products distributed in 25 countries.

Fretless International, Paris, France. 1995
Senior Software Engineer
• Development of multimedia software.

Computer specialist in the French Army (compulsory military service) 1994
• Bronze medal for exemplary work.

Technology reviews for French magazines 1988 - 1999


EDUCATION

Epita in Paris / France: “Ecole pour l’informatique et les techniques avancees”
School of engineering in computer science and advanced technologies)
Specialization I3A: (artificial intelligence, automatism, and digital signal processing). (3 years)

"Mathematiques Superieures / Mathematiques Speciales"
High Studies in Mathematics and Physics (2 years)

Baccalaureat C (Mathematics / Physics).