Tiger Woods has changed the face of golf, so it’s no surprise the video game franchise bearing his name continues to push the envelope each year to recreate the look and feel of playing on some of the sport’s most coveted courses.

With the latest entry receiving some of the best reviews of the game’s series, we recently checked in with graduate Joe Morelli, Senior Video Editor/Compositor at EA Tiburon, to learn more about how his unique background was able to help bring a new level of polish to the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 experience.

”It’s funny, I’m working on Tiger Woods’ game and that still freaks me out,” Joe laughs about his work. “He’s only got one game – it’s not like he’s working on a thousand different titles. So as far as the spirit of the sport, we’ve gone out of our way to make sure this is as close as it gets.”

And if there’s something Joe knows, it’s how to make golf look good on screen.

Before he started bringing the game to consoles, Joe spent five years working as Motion Graphics Designer/Editor for the Golf Channel – creating the on air graphics for the channel’s commercials. His creative video work brought a fresh approach to the spots, which, along with his advertising and post-production chops and the slick design of his own website (www.digidojo.net) eventually got him noticed by the Tiger Woods design team, who were looking to add deeper video content to their annual golf sim.

“I wasn’t even thinking about doing games, but one day I got an email out of nowhere from the head recruiter at EA saying they were interested in talking to me,” Joe explains. “They thought that I could bring my knowledge of golf that I had learned over at the Golf Channel into their game and kind of help them boost the look of things with their marketing videos and in-game tutorials. And I think I’ve been able to bring a higher end look by bringing in my post production experience.”

Through his knowledge of motion graphics design, animation, video editing, and multimedia – and, of course, golf – Joe has been able to translate his skills from television to the latest gaming hardware with some impressive results. This includes setting up shots inside the game for commercials and marketing videos. Not bad for someone who never considered themselves a gamer before stepping through the doors at EA.

“It’s something that never even entered my mind, but it’s been a tremendous experience,” he explains. “Basically any video that you see that’s not game footage is mine, including all the introductions. I’m constantly being asked for input, going on shoots, and just trying to make things look better and run more efficient. It’s very satisfying because I’m learning skills that I never knew before, and it’s really brought another direction to my career. The possibilities are endless and that’s really exciting to me.”

Joe’s dedication to delivering a realistic golf experience is something that he’s already taking into next year’s Tiger Woods game, which the Tiburon team recently began prepping for release next summer. “I’m actually getting ready to start the whole process over again because we’re already doing pre-vis for the 2010 edition,” he explains. “Tiger Woods is coming into the studio later this month. We’re going to have him for the whole day shooting voice-overs and shout outs on the green screen, then I’ll composite it in later with background game footage and graphics and logos. With days like that, it’s hard to think of a cooler job.”

Taking his golf experience from your cable box to your controller has been a rewarding change of pace for Joe, who has settled nicely into his role as Senior Video Editor/Compositor at EA Tiburon, and the Tiger Woods series has become a perfect fit for his talents. Since graduating from Full Sail, Joe has won 12 Telly Awards, 10 Addy Awards, and a Promax Award for Motion Graphics Design/Compositing/Animation/Video Editing/Sound Design. But his work on the Tiger Woods games has gotten him an entirely different kind of recognition.

“Working on Tiger Woods has opened up a whole other door, and I’m just speechless sometimes that I’m working at EA,” he shares. “Everywhere you turn you see that EA logo, and whenever my ten-year-old son sees it, he freaks out and tells everyone I’m famous. That’s the coolest thing ever to be a hero in the eyes of your own child.”