The inaugural director of the Karch Gaming Institute, Ben Bays has produced animation, motion graphics, concept art, and CG models for a variety of media, including television, feature films, and video games. His film credits include being a rotoscope animator on A Scanner Darkly (dir. Richard Linklater).
Ben’s specialty is in creating virtual worlds—from concept to modeling, surfacing, lighting, simulations, and animation. Having worked for more than a decade in the video game industry, he shipped 16 games, designed for both tabletop consoles and handheld devices. His game art spans isometric pre-painted backgrounds, full 3D environments, 2.5D platformers, and tile-based destructible environments.
Channeling his industry experience into his passion for teaching, Ben has taught thousands of UT students—both in person and through innovative experiential online courses. His classes cover 2D and 3D animation, visual effects, CG modeling, digital performance, comics and cartoons, the business of video games, and VR/AR/XR. Since 2008, he has been a member of the faculty in the Radio-Television-Film department at the Moody College of Communication. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Theatre and Dance and teaches courses in UT’s Bridging Disciplines program and at Texas State University.
Ben has led the RTF department's digital arts area and organized annual events with industry speakers to celebrate work in animation and gaming. He also manages the Longhorn Esports Team, which is competing in international competitions.
An Austin, Texas, native, Ben can be seen sporting a bolo, boots, and Texas-sized belt buckles. He was once a roadie for Jerry Jeff Walker.
