Brian C McRae
@bcmcrae.bsky.social
Studio Founder • AAA Art Lead • Best-Selling Designer • Making cinematic, story-first experiences.
Dev Logs & Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/@BrianMcRaeStudio
Dev Logs & Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/@BrianMcRaeStudio
For my first Linked In post of 2026, I thought I'd share something a little deep.
January 25, 2026 at 1:02 AM
For my first Linked In post of 2026, I thought I'd share something a little deep.
Having devoted most of my adult life to the craft of 3D Art, I have every right to completely despise AI art.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Having devoted most of my adult life to the craft of 3D Art, I have every right to completely despise AI art.
But I don't. I see possibility and opportunity.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
But I don't. I see possibility and opportunity.
This transition in mindset has been...a struggle. I worked endlessly to learn every technique and workflow to get the best possible result. I'd pour hours, days and weeks into a single model, and be proud of it.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
This transition in mindset has been...a struggle. I worked endlessly to learn every technique and workflow to get the best possible result. I'd pour hours, days and weeks into a single model, and be proud of it.
My hard drives are full of 3D meshes, Unity and Unreal projects, textures, animations, mo cap files, reference and concept art, you name it.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
My hard drives are full of 3D meshes, Unity and Unreal projects, textures, animations, mo cap files, reference and concept art, you name it.
But now things are different. Now anyone can prompt amazing images in seconds. There's very little "skill" required to prompt an image.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
But now things are different. Now anyone can prompt amazing images in seconds. There's very little "skill" required to prompt an image.
But this has happened before.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
But this has happened before.
When photography was invented, it undid hundreds of years of artistic pursuit of realism. As soon as technology could capture reality in an instant, every portrait painter in the world went obsolete.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
When photography was invented, it undid hundreds of years of artistic pursuit of realism. As soon as technology could capture reality in an instant, every portrait painter in the world went obsolete.
The result? An artistic explosion of Expressionism, Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism. Monet, Dali, Picasso, Kandinsky. The time between the 1860's and the 1930's gave us some of the best art ever.
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 AM
The result? An artistic explosion of Expressionism, Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism. Monet, Dali, Picasso, Kandinsky. The time between the 1860's and the 1930's gave us some of the best art ever.
Photography forced artists to realize craft was only one part of what makes art ART. The other part was expression, creativity, feeling. Yes, AI may have removed the "craft" of generating high quality imagery, but that doesn't make it evil, it just evolves the medium.
January 25, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Photography forced artists to realize craft was only one part of what makes art ART. The other part was expression, creativity, feeling. Yes, AI may have removed the "craft" of generating high quality imagery, but that doesn't make it evil, it just evolves the medium.
I’m working on a new AI rendering tool that gives full camera control using your 3D assets as a guide.
It’s designed to help creative professionals get the exact cinematic angle and mood they want.
#AI #3D #Filmmaking #GameDev #AIArt
It’s designed to help creative professionals get the exact cinematic angle and mood they want.
#AI #3D #Filmmaking #GameDev #AIArt
November 11, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I’m working on a new AI rendering tool that gives full camera control using your 3D assets as a guide.
It’s designed to help creative professionals get the exact cinematic angle and mood they want.
#AI #3D #Filmmaking #GameDev #AIArt
It’s designed to help creative professionals get the exact cinematic angle and mood they want.
#AI #3D #Filmmaking #GameDev #AIArt
Been working on a project to help with...my project!
It's a story bible software that drives all the sequences in the experience, allowing for true, dynamic and meaningful interactions with other characters.
#StoryWorld #Screenwriting #GameDevTools
It's a story bible software that drives all the sequences in the experience, allowing for true, dynamic and meaningful interactions with other characters.
#StoryWorld #Screenwriting #GameDevTools
October 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Been working on a project to help with...my project!
It's a story bible software that drives all the sequences in the experience, allowing for true, dynamic and meaningful interactions with other characters.
#StoryWorld #Screenwriting #GameDevTools
It's a story bible software that drives all the sequences in the experience, allowing for true, dynamic and meaningful interactions with other characters.
#StoryWorld #Screenwriting #GameDevTools
Asked by a AAA Technical Art Director about how I'm doing the wind system in #WhipsersInTheCorn
My response shows that games are a little more complex than you might think. :)
My response shows that games are a little more complex than you might think. :)
September 23, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Asked by a AAA Technical Art Director about how I'm doing the wind system in #WhipsersInTheCorn
My response shows that games are a little more complex than you might think. :)
My response shows that games are a little more complex than you might think. :)
Vertex shader run through a simple perlin noise texture for movement. To keep them grounded I used vertex colors as a gradient painted in Max to influence sway, bend and jiggle, so R,G, and B were all used on the meshes.
September 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Vertex shader run through a simple perlin noise texture for movement. To keep them grounded I used vertex colors as a gradient painted in Max to influence sway, bend and jiggle, so R,G, and B were all used on the meshes.
Interaction is achieved using a volume field to influence the shader based on the position and radius of any object with a volume helper script. Pretty performant up to about 10 influence objects - which is plenty for my case.
September 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Interaction is achieved using a volume field to influence the shader based on the position and radius of any object with a volume helper script. Pretty performant up to about 10 influence objects - which is plenty for my case.
All instanced geo that renders 30m - 90m verts in drawview at 60fps. Distance trees use a more simple vert shader and wind system. I can change the amount of wind on a slider (for story/gameplay reasons). Took about a week or two to get it right.
September 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
All instanced geo that renders 30m - 90m verts in drawview at 60fps. Distance trees use a more simple vert shader and wind system. I can change the amount of wind on a slider (for story/gameplay reasons). Took about a week or two to get it right.
Made a build of #WhispersInTheCorn and textures came in at 2.2GB. Too big. After going through one by one, got it down to 1.1GB with no loss to visual quality.
But it's tricky to find. Go to Editor.log>Build Report after a build to view your texture list.
But it's tricky to find. Go to Editor.log>Build Report after a build to view your texture list.
September 23, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Made a build of #WhispersInTheCorn and textures came in at 2.2GB. Too big. After going through one by one, got it down to 1.1GB with no loss to visual quality.
But it's tricky to find. Go to Editor.log>Build Report after a build to view your texture list.
But it's tricky to find. Go to Editor.log>Build Report after a build to view your texture list.
Results from my Youtube channel poll last week. I actually love hearing there's plenty of interest in design theory and my process, two topics I enjoy sharing the most!
September 22, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Results from my Youtube channel poll last week. I actually love hearing there's plenty of interest in design theory and my process, two topics I enjoy sharing the most!
People have been asking for more #WhispersInTheCorn devlogs, but I've been holding back - don't want to give away the surprises!
Here's what I can say:
The story is very close to the original inception, but the design has evolved. More soon!
#indiedev #UnityHDRP #gameDesign #HorrorGames
Here's what I can say:
The story is very close to the original inception, but the design has evolved. More soon!
#indiedev #UnityHDRP #gameDesign #HorrorGames
September 18, 2025 at 8:46 PM
People have been asking for more #WhispersInTheCorn devlogs, but I've been holding back - don't want to give away the surprises!
Here's what I can say:
The story is very close to the original inception, but the design has evolved. More soon!
#indiedev #UnityHDRP #gameDesign #HorrorGames
Here's what I can say:
The story is very close to the original inception, but the design has evolved. More soon!
#indiedev #UnityHDRP #gameDesign #HorrorGames
The Eyeball Creature from #AlienEarth is probably the most sinister monster of all time. When it jumped at the #xenomorph in ep 5, I actually felt bad for the xenomorph.
#AlienEarth #creaturedesign #Alien #horror
#AlienEarth #creaturedesign #Alien #horror
September 17, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The Eyeball Creature from #AlienEarth is probably the most sinister monster of all time. When it jumped at the #xenomorph in ep 5, I actually felt bad for the xenomorph.
#AlienEarth #creaturedesign #Alien #horror
#AlienEarth #creaturedesign #Alien #horror
In-editor footage from "Whispers in the Corn" - my new horror project, made with Unity HDRP.
My goal - to create the scariest scarecrow experience ever.
Launching this Halloween through my own site and launcher.
#unity3d #UnityHDRP #indiegames #HorrorGames #horror
My goal - to create the scariest scarecrow experience ever.
Launching this Halloween through my own site and launcher.
#unity3d #UnityHDRP #indiegames #HorrorGames #horror
September 10, 2025 at 7:25 PM
In-editor footage from "Whispers in the Corn" - my new horror project, made with Unity HDRP.
My goal - to create the scariest scarecrow experience ever.
Launching this Halloween through my own site and launcher.
#unity3d #UnityHDRP #indiegames #HorrorGames #horror
My goal - to create the scariest scarecrow experience ever.
Launching this Halloween through my own site and launcher.
#unity3d #UnityHDRP #indiegames #HorrorGames #horror
Advice I wish I had in my twenties:
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted.
Do it now.
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted.
Do it now.
September 10, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Advice I wish I had in my twenties:
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted.
Do it now.
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted.
Do it now.
Does an artist create for themself or for product/market fit?
After 25 years, I found it’s this:
An artist creates for the PROJECT.
• Create only what the project requires
• Not the artist's needs
• Not what marketing thinks the audience wants
The artist's job is to listen to the project.
#art
After 25 years, I found it’s this:
An artist creates for the PROJECT.
• Create only what the project requires
• Not the artist's needs
• Not what marketing thinks the audience wants
The artist's job is to listen to the project.
#art
September 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Does an artist create for themself or for product/market fit?
After 25 years, I found it’s this:
An artist creates for the PROJECT.
• Create only what the project requires
• Not the artist's needs
• Not what marketing thinks the audience wants
The artist's job is to listen to the project.
#art
After 25 years, I found it’s this:
An artist creates for the PROJECT.
• Create only what the project requires
• Not the artist's needs
• Not what marketing thinks the audience wants
The artist's job is to listen to the project.
#art
ChatGPT is designed to agree with you. Don’t let it.
Prompt this instead:
“You are a professional ____, Give me your honest, unbiased assessment of this idea, including pros, cons, and possible outcomes.”
Then, make your own decision.
#ChatGPT #aiworkflow #aiprompt
Prompt this instead:
“You are a professional ____, Give me your honest, unbiased assessment of this idea, including pros, cons, and possible outcomes.”
Then, make your own decision.
#ChatGPT #aiworkflow #aiprompt
September 2, 2025 at 4:27 PM
ChatGPT is designed to agree with you. Don’t let it.
Prompt this instead:
“You are a professional ____, Give me your honest, unbiased assessment of this idea, including pros, cons, and possible outcomes.”
Then, make your own decision.
#ChatGPT #aiworkflow #aiprompt
Prompt this instead:
“You are a professional ____, Give me your honest, unbiased assessment of this idea, including pros, cons, and possible outcomes.”
Then, make your own decision.
#ChatGPT #aiworkflow #aiprompt
New video just went live.
This one's about the simple game design method that helped me ship a 1M+ units.
How to:
- Master your core loop
- Refine Your level loop
youtu.be/dreMi2rrPHU
#GameDev #LevelDesign #Gameloop #IndieDev #SoloDev
This one's about the simple game design method that helped me ship a 1M+ units.
How to:
- Master your core loop
- Refine Your level loop
youtu.be/dreMi2rrPHU
#GameDev #LevelDesign #Gameloop #IndieDev #SoloDev
August 28, 2025 at 8:21 PM
New video just went live.
This one's about the simple game design method that helped me ship a 1M+ units.
How to:
- Master your core loop
- Refine Your level loop
youtu.be/dreMi2rrPHU
#GameDev #LevelDesign #Gameloop #IndieDev #SoloDev
This one's about the simple game design method that helped me ship a 1M+ units.
How to:
- Master your core loop
- Refine Your level loop
youtu.be/dreMi2rrPHU
#GameDev #LevelDesign #Gameloop #IndieDev #SoloDev