Jan Ditlev Christensen
MOOD's senior concept design, art director and co-founder talks clients, communication and cuisine
Could you tell us about yourself, and how you got into the industry?
I was educated as a production designer at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Since then I’ve worked on numerous AAA games, feature films, illustrations and advertisements. I met Rasmus at Io-Interactive during the development of Hitman: Absolution, and after finishing that we decided that we needed a studio like MOOD in this part of the world.
Are you encouraged to work as a team, or do you do your own thing?
We're all friends and colleagues from the industry in Denmark, and to ensure the highest quality we know we have to work as a team. We're very honest when we give feedback to one another, and often work on top of each other's work.
Is there much back-and-forth between you and your client?
At MOOD we have product ownership, which means that an artist is given full responsibility for the client and delivery of a project. By having this setup, with the artist and client in close contact, we avoid a lot of miscommunication and as an artist you feel free and inspired by this responsibility. In the end it ensures a much smoother collaboration and a better product.
Who are your key influences?
When it comes to art, it’s the old Danish painters such as PS Krøyer and Hammershøi, French and Belgian comic books and Danish design in general. But I’m also influenced by things outside our line of work, such as the Danish restaurant NOMA, which has been voted the best restaurant in the world. It has focused on ingredients found locally and I’m starting to do the same with my own work.
What's the nicest thing a client has said about your art?
I like the sound of "You rock!", but I don’t really have one memorable client quote that stands out. I do get extremely happy every time a client is pleased with my work!