Poorya “Pooris” Baine is firmly focused on taking a lifelong passion and transforming it into his life’s work.
But his hasn’t been a straightforward or easy path.
He grew up in Northern Iran, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and eventually ran his own video game company – testing and selling games and related accessories while capitalizing on his love for game development and design.
“I started playing video games during the Atari era when I was just seven years old, it’s been a passion ever since,” he says.
Fast forward to 2015, a pivotal time in his life. “I won the green card lottery – a U.S. government program which gives out a limited number of immigration visas each year. This changed my life forever, I can’t express how happy I was when that happened.”
Upon arriving in the U.S, he moved to Irvine and worked as a civil engineer assistant and in construction management. With an eye on building valuable skills to land his dream job as a producer in the gaming industry, he then enrolled in Irvine Valley College (IVC), earning certificates of proficiency in Immersive Design/3D Animation as well as Immersive Design/Game Design.
His experience at IVC has been nothing but positive. “In addition to being affordable, IVC offers amazingly skilled professors and a friendly, welcoming environment. Even though at 38 I am one of the older students here, I have bonded with my classmates and found my tribe,” he says. “I am using everything I have learned here – which is a lot – to grow even more, and my professors have been instrumental in that growth. They all go above and beyond to help and support their students.”
Now, he is poised to be the first student to earn an Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from the school’s newly developed Game and Interactive Media Arts Design, Production Management program – a degree he hopes to complete by this December.
The program, which was approved to award A.S. degrees last year by the California Office of Education, is the brainchild of Dr. Patricia Beckmann Wells, a long time IVC tenured-professor, award winning director and author.
“Our new degree is very comprehensive and the interactive component is based on the game engine used to create the Call of Duty and Fortnight AAA franchises, integrating 3D and 2D with other experimental technologies to create story-driven experiences,” she says. “In addition to gaming, students can output digital media to virtual reality, projection mapping for concert venues/clubs/marketing and virtual filmmaking – all using the Unreal Engine.
For virtual filmmaking, we have the only $1.5 million LED wall in the county.” The focus is on teamwork and production management, she says. “If a student decides creating art is not the right career path, they can also qualify for a career in interactive media production management and business.”
Not surprisingly, the program has earned much acclaim, including a Commendation from the City of Irvine for its outstanding accomplishments in 2023.
Currently a teaching assistant for Beckmann Wells, as part of his IVC studies Baine also led a team of 20 students to win a special recognition for Best Cinematics at the IEEE (a professional organization serving the technology communities) 2023 GameSIG, an intercollegiate computer game competition.
“Pooris is a go getter who can hustle, and hustling is at the core of our program,” said Beckmann Wells. “You need to learn to act on your instincts and create a career path for yourself and that is exactly what Pooris is achieving.”
Equipped with laser-like focus and industry know how, Baine is confident he will land his dream job, which ultimately involves creating a game that helps with the prevention of suicide. “In the future, I hope I can be a pivot point during a dark period in someone’s life, and help bring them to the light,” he says. “Life is full of second chances.”
He is ever grateful for the second chances gleaned from his studies at IVC after embarking on a new life in the United States. “IVC has been a life changing experience. Now I am confident in what I want to do and who I want to become.”
When he is not studying, working in the classroom or developing new games, Baine is a self-described movie buff and adrenaline junkie.
“I love going to the cinema, as well as classic rock music and adventure sports like sky diving and bungee diving.”
With his fearless nature and unwavering focus, Baine has set the stage for success while deftly navigating life in a new country.
“I started from scratch, but am now I am where I belong. When you are doing what you love, you can thrive.”
For more information on IVC’s Game and Interactive Media Arts Design, Production Management program, please contact Dr. Patricia Beckmann Wells or 949-451-5218 or visit Interactive Media Arts.