Todd Furmanski is a Media Arts and Practice PhD with an MFA from the Interactive Media Division of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Media Studies from Pomona College.

His current interests are primarily in interactive virtual worlds, with a focus in emergent algorithms and virtual reality.  He also experiments in Non-Photoreal Rendering.  A lot of his algorithmic research looks for methods of creating worlds that grow in a way that is internally consistent, and adaptable to character (and human) agency within the space. To this end, Todd also spends time research techniques in world building, construction of languages, and history.

Todd’s work in digital media goes back to the early days of personal computing. Learning to read and program on an Apple II, he continued to program in Hypercard on the Macintosh and later learned C/C++, crafting a number of games and 3D animations through high school and college.

His master’s thesis, Here Be Dragons, used artificial life algorithms to inform agent behaviors and architectural structures. After getting his MFA, Todd worked as the lead programmer on Bill Viola’s The Night Journey, incorporating Viola’s video artwork into a virtual 3D space.

Todd Furmanski grew up and continues to live in Los Angeles, participating in the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California, currently working as the lead programmer on Walden, A Game. He also works with the World Building Media Lab, involved in projects like the augmented reality experience of Leviathan.