Dr Barış Işıkgüner

Barış is Deputy Head of Cambridge School of Creative Industries, where he serves as the head of the Computer Games discipline and Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Visual Effects Technical Art.

In his capacity as an Associate Professor specializing in games and visual effects, he assumes academic leadership responsibilities encompassing teaching and learning, research and innovation, recruitment, external engagement, and enterprise activities related to his field.

[email protected]

Connect with Baris on LinkedIn

Background

Barıs Isikguner has a robust academic background in the field of computer games and visual effects, with a particular emphasis on 3D and procedural animation. He obtained an MA degree in 3D Animation from the University of Wolverhampton and a subsequent PhD in Procedural Animation from Nottingham Trent University.

Barıs has industry experience in visual effects as a co-founder of Amoral Compass studios and holds authorisation as an Autodesk master user. His research interests focus on utilising gaming technologies to advance medical education and enhance community health.

As an Associate Professor at the Cambridge School of Creative Industries, he holds leadership roles in teaching, research, recruitment, and external engagement.

Barıs is a member of TIGA, the trade association for the UK video games industry, and CGAT, the Computer Games Multimedia, and Allied Technologies academic organization.

Spoken Languages

• English
• Turkish

Research interests

Barış is a researcher who has worked in collaboration with the Fashion and Textiles department and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology on various projects that have utilized game technologies to promote experiential learning across different fields. His research interests are focused on developing more sustainable and innovative ways of experiencing fashion and textiles through immersive and interactive virtual environments, utilizing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and gamification.

One of Barış' most recent projects involved developing a gamified technology for optometry students to teach red eye-pupillary reflexes. The technology provided a highly realistic learning experience to facilitate student engagement and clinical decision-making. Barış' projects demonstrate the potential of game technologies to transform traditional learning approaches towards more immersive and experiential methods.

• Exploring the potential of gaming technologies to create immersive and interactive medical simulations for educational purposes
• The application of procedural animation in media and entertainment, as well as its use in simulation
• Innovative techniques for visual effects and game development in an experimental studio setting

Areas of research supervision

• Technical software supervision (Maya, Blender, Zbrush, Substance and Unreal Engine)
• Procedural Animation
• Character Animation (Post and Pre-Disney)
• Environment and Character Modeling Techniques
• Material Development and Texturing
• Lighting and Set Dressing
• Notion of Believability in the field of Animation Research
• Applied Games

Qualifications

• PhD - Procedural Animation: Towards Studio Solutions for Believability, Nottingham Trent University
• MA 3D Animation, University of Wolverhampton
• BA(Hons) Visual Communication and Design, Yeditepe University
• PGCert in Teaching & Learning for Creative Courses, ARU

Memberships, editorial boards

• Fellow / Higher Education Academy
• Academic Member/TIGA
• Academic Member/CGAT, Computer Games Multimedia, and Allied Technologies academic organization

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Co-lead, Research for accessible and immersive comic book creation with Romany Theatre and in collaboration with BBC, UK, 20 December 2022. Funder: Arts Council England (ACE) for a total of £35,000, with an additional £5000 provided by the ARU Innovation Fund and £7,500 from the Safe and Inclusive Communities research initiative
• Co-lead, DHIH Innovation research in prototype digital game to be used as a research tool to be deployed with service users and complement existing treatments for depression and anxiety. UK, 1st March 2023. £155,000. Funder: NHS Foundation Trust

Selected recent publications

Cheng, L., & Isikguner, B. (2023, July). Community of practice in computer games education with discord application. Paper presented at AdvanceHE Teaching and Learning Conference 2023, Stroke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

2018 Design Approach to Teaching and Learning: Utilizing Game Technologies for Optometry Education. APMEC (Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference) 2019 Annual International Conference on Medical Education

2015 Utilising Average Calculations for Distinctive Use of Dual Quaternion Weight Painting for Believable Character Animation. 8th Annual International Conference on Computer Games, Multimedia and Allied Technologies (CGAT 2012), Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF). Copyright © GSTF 2012, ISSN: 2251-1679, doi: 10.5176/2251-1679_CGAT15.28

2014 Towards an Understanding of the Relationship Between Keyed Performances and Procedural Enhancement in Character Animation. 7th Annual International Conference on Computer Games, Multimedia and Allied Technologies, (CGAT 2012), Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF), Copyright © GSTF 2012, ISSN: 2251-1679, doi: 10.5176/2251-1679_CGAT14.04 (This paper is still considered as a highly influential citation)

The use of hair dynamics to produce life-like and believable character animations in a short length of time. 5th Annual International Conference on Computer Games, Multimedia and Allied Technologies (CGAT 2012), Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF). Copyright © GSTF 2012, ISSN: 2251-1679, doi: 10.5176/2251-1679_CGAT21 (GSTF best paper of 2012 award)

Media experience

Barış, a freelance visual effects artist and co-funder, possesses extensive connections and experience within the local, national, and international visual effects and games industry. He is also well-regarded in the research community and has affiliations with NHS XR and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.