Christian Cantamessa

Christian Cantamessa (born October 4, 1976) is an Italian-American writer, director and video game creator best known as lead designer and co-writer of Red Dead Redemption and the Manhunt series, level designer on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and writer of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Christian Cantamessa
Born (1976-10-04) October 4, 1976
Savona, Italy
OccupationVideo game writer, designer, screenwriter
Notable work
Manhunt series
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Red Dead Redemption
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

He is also the founder and CEO of Sleep Deprivation Lab[1] which is a production company and video game consulting firm known for work on Rise of the Tomb Raider, The Crew, Forza Horizon, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

He also was the director and writer of Air, a feature film released in 2015 starring Norman Reedus, Djimon Hounsou and Sandrine Holt.

In December 2020 it was revealed that Cantamessa is working on story, world-building and cinematic direction for the reboot of Perfect Dark with Xbox's The Initiative studio.[2]

Works

Video games
YearGame titleRoleNotes
2000Disney's Donald Duck: Goin' QuackersGame design
2001The WatchmakerGame design, original story, quality assurance
2003ManhuntLead level designer and writer
2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasLevel designer
2007Manhunt 2Designer and writer
2010Red Dead RedemptionLead designer and writer[3][4]Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction at 14th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards[5]
2012Forza HorizonAdditional writing[6]
2014Middle-earth: Shadow of MordorCinematics director, story[7][8]Outstanding Achievement in Story at the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards[9]
Nominated for Direction in a Game, Cinema at the NAVGTR Awards[10]
2014The CrewStory[11]
2015Rise of the Tomb RaiderStory consultant[12]
2017Middle-earth: Shadow of WarStory

Film
YearFilm titleRoleNotes
2015Air[13]Writer and director[14][15][16]Directorial feature film debut[17]
2018Awake[18] Writer[19] Premiered at South by Southwest 2018[20]

Comics
YearSeries titleRoleNotes
2017Kill the Minotaur[21]WriterPublished by Image Comics[22]

References
  1. "Here's the secret to making a truly cinematic video game". Business Insider. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  2. "Analysis: Who's working on the new Perfect Dark?". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. "How Red Dead Redemption's writer wants Start VR to change storytelling". VentureBeat. November 27, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  4. "'Red Dead Redemption' writer Christian Cantamessa is thrilled at the opportunities that VR will present". International Business Times AU. November 30, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  5. Graft, Kris. "BioWare's Mass Effect 2 Wins Game Of The Year At Interactive Achievement Awards". Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  6. Purdy, Shawn. "When Worlds Collide: hands-on with The Crew". www.teamvvv.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  7. "SDCC2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Christian Cantamessa Roundtable Interview | ToonZone News". ToonZone News. July 28, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  8. Times, Los Angeles. "'Shadow of Mordor': Behind the scenes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  9. Nutt, Christian. "Shadow of Mordor cleans up at the AIAS awards". Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  10. "Nominations by Year | National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Corporation". navgtr.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  11. Purdy, Shawn. "The Crew was written by former writers of Red Dead Redemption and GTA Vice City". www.teamvvv.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  12. "New Moving Hazard trailer shows weaponized zombies in action – GameZone". GameZone. February 4, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  13. "Exclusive Interview: "Air" Director Christian Cantamessa". Comicbook.com. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  14. "'Walking Dead's' Norman Reedus to Star In, Robert Kirkman to Produce Sci Fi Thriller 'Air' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  15. "The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman and Norman Reedus to team for sci-fi thriller Air". IGN India. February 20, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  16. Jaworowski, Ken (August 13, 2015). "Review: In 'Air,' Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou Keep Hope, and Themselves, Alive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  17. ""Walking Dead" Creator Robert Kirkman's Quest To Create The Anti-Marvel". Fast Company. August 21, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  18. McNary, Dave (December 4, 2017). "Jake McDorman, Analeigh Tipton to Star in VR Film 'Awake'". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  19. McLevy, Alex. "VR is getting very, very good". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  20. "SXSW 2018: Exclusive Trailer for VR Original Series AWAKE". ScreenAnarchy. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  21. "Skybound Launches New Comic, Kill The Minotaur – Take A Peek! - Bleeding Cool News And Rumors". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  22. "Robert Kirkman's Skybound Teams With Universal to Adapt 'Kill the Minotaur' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 17, 2018.


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