My name is Jacob Ruttenberg and I am a Chicago native, sound designer, and storytelling enthusiastic. I have worked in many different areas of audio, including: Sound Effects Designer and implementor for indie video games, Re-Recording Mixer for award-winning indie short films, comedy sketches, and VR media, Foley Artist, Field Recordist, Boom Op, Composer and Voice Over Artist on smaller budget content, and more.
I have a BA from New York University in Sound for Modern Media, a unique curriculum I created that integrated technical sound design with narrative theory in video games. Since graduating three years ago, I began freelance work accepting most any audio-related job that was offered to me. As of 2019, I’ve narrowed my work down to just video games and short films. I am moving to Los Angeles in June and my goal for the remainder of the year is to earn a full-time (or 9+ month contract) sound design position at a video game studio where I can collaborate closely with my peers and learn of the other disciplines of game development.
The origins of my love for sound design began around 2005 from playing games like Kingdom Hearts and World of Warcraft. Though my audio skillset and I have taken a fairly convoluted journey through other media like music, short films, and other linear content, video games are what I love most. Complex game systems, emergent narratives, and the people who create them is what inspires me.
I also love watching basketball, playing with my cat Dillon, cooking, thinking about city planning, and being an active citizen of the world. Also I have never played DnD but desperately want to.