i’m a game developer, toolmaker, photographer, and new media filmmaker specializing in video games, new media, and technology.
currently, i’m the lead developer / creative director / co-founder of afterschool studio, a game studio focused on making art-forward, systems-driven games.
previously i co-founded scatter and worked to democratize volumetric video capture with depthkit.

here’s where else you can find me

email [email protected]
twitter kkukshtel
github github.com/kkukshtel

awards/honors:
news and documentary emmy for Zero Days VR
webby for Zero Days VR
webby for MTV Braless
webby nominated for work in education with PBS Digital Studios
best director of anthology short @ la web fest for “Invader”
“Invader” accepted and streaming on Hulu, AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV

interviews:
vscode team interview about depot
three moves ahead on cantata
re:bind
radio free brooklyn
clockwork game design thousand ant game development i also co-host bad end podcast

talks/panels:
“Making and Pitching Niche Games” - Alberta Games Series
Co-host and co-organize the Volumetric Filmmakers NYC Meetup
Hosted panel on Volumetric Filmmaking at NYVR Expo 2018
Hosted the panels portion of the 2016 ArtCade Con at CultureHub/La MaMa
New Tools in VR Filmmaking
Organized and curated the workshops portion of the 2016 VR Conference Versions
Hosted Panel on Curating Games in a Post-Arcade World w/Davis Cox

curation:
Artcade Con 2016 w/This Near Future
Artcade Con 2015 w/This Near Future
LA MAMA x Seoul Arts Artcade w/This Near Future
Computer Age w/ Leo Goldsmith & Gregory Zinman for the Museum of the Moving Image
Kill Screen’s weekly “Playlist”
Comcast “Watchable” weekly gaming playlist

film:
Director: PBS Game/Show (41 Episodes)
Director: PBS SpaceTime (34 Episodes)
Colorist: MTV Decoded (Pilot)
Post-Production Coordinator/AE/Colorist: MTV Braless (36 Episodes)
AE: PBS Idea Channel (15 Episodes)
DIR/Editor: Horror Hotel: Invader
DIR/Editor: Dicks! (70s Buddy Cop Spec)
DIR/Editor: Snifie Commercial
DIR/DP/Editor: Be Easy - Selflessness Music Video
DIR/DP/Editor: The Vortex Documentary
DIR/DP/Editor: Cherokee - Hazard Music Video

published photos:
issue 8 cover @ kill screen
iggy azalea @ creative loafing
muslim americans @ cnn
selected by vsco for curated grid

published writing:
The Guardian Featured my piece Game Design Mimetics
DIRT - Speedrunning Ocarina of Time
Gamasutra / Game Developer
(Featured) A Gentle Introduction to Steamworks
(Featured) Beyond Scriptable Objects: Unity Data Management with CastleDB
(Featured) Delivering a Closed Alpha to a Store Channel on Discord

Kill Screen
Selected pieces:
Imagining the Technological Singularity with Factorio
Brendon Chung and His Love For Big Dumb Plastic Switches

Versions
Selected pieces: VR Face has got to die already Molleindustria’s new game tackles the big questions