Currently operating as the Technical Art Director at Level Ex, I have over two decades of experience working in the film, television, and interactive arts field. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago and Animation Mentor, I've enjoyed working on a variety of projects in various roles. Comfortable in both small teams and large, my knowledge of scripting is often employed in the development of tools for fellow artists and automating large processes. At my core, I am a problem solver and a storyteller.

Some of the film and television I've worked on include Gnomeo & Juliet, and the History Channel's Human Weapon. Notable work in the video game field include Bioshock, Saints Row IV, WWE Immortals, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, Blitz the League II, Prey, The Conduit, and Stubbs the Zombie. My roles in these projects have included animator, technical artist, mocap artist, actor, director, writer, and team leader. Most recently I've begun offering my expertise as a mocap consultant.

Outside of the professional environment, I enjoy gaming of all varieties, stage acting, science fiction media, and photography.

▼ EDUCATION

• AnimationMentor.com

  Diploma in Advanced Character Animation Studies, 2007

• Columbia College, Chicago

  Bachelor of Arts in Film & Video, 2004

• Elgin Community College

  Associate Degree, 2001

▼ WORK EXPERIENCE

Level Ex: September 2022 - Current

Technical Art Director

• Lead the tech art department
• Research and develop tools, shaders, and project architecture
• Advise current and future tech art needs

Light & Wonder (formerly Scientific Games): November 2015 - September 2022

Senior Advanced Technical Artist

• Lead the Chicago office tech art department
• Develop technical artist role and define future hiring practices for position
• Support artists and programmers in Unity best practices
• Research and develop tools, shaders, and project architecture
• Advise current and future hardware needs

College of Computing & Digital Media, DePaul University: September 2013 - August 2022

Motion Capture Instructor

• Introduce students to motion capture process and software
• Provide guided learning via hands-on, demonstrative, group, and individual activities
• Research and consult on hardware and software upgrades

Phosphor Games: September 2014 - September 2015

Senior Technical Animator

• Maintain motion capture hardware, automate motion capture pipeline, and improve data quality
• Organize projects and develop pipelines for game engine asset integration
• Oversee animation, motion capture adjustment, and art tool development across various software
• Projects include WWE Immortals, Heroes Reborn: Gemini, and The Path to Luma

Red Eye Studio | High Voltage Software: July 2002 - September 2014

Mocap Tech Director | Mocap Studio Director

• Manage and train mocap artists, technical artists, and animators
• Maintain and operate all mocap hardware and software
• Develop and maintain art tools, including automation of pipeline functions
• Troubleshoot artistic and technical issues, including third-party tools
• Setup and manage cinematics, including lighting, rendering, compositing, and render farm management
• Act as lead of mocap shoots, tracking and cleaning data, retargeting, and animation
• Projects include Bioshock, Saints Row IV, Gnomeo & Juliet, Prey, and Stubbs the Zombie

▼ SKILLS

• Unity
• Unreal Engine
• Visual Studio
• Perforce
• SVN
• C#
• Python
• Cg
• MEL
• Maxscript
• Maya
• MotionBuilder
• 3D Studio Max
• Photoshop
• After Effects
• Vicon Blade
• HSL
• Optitrack's Motive
• Xsens's MVN
• Photography
• CAD
• Acting

▼ ACHIEVEMENTS

• Mensa
• Unity Certified Developer
• Unity Certified Expert Gameplay Programmer
• Unity Certified 3D Artist
• Development Team for Unity Certified Expert Technical Artist: Shading & Effects exam (2017)
• Development Team for Unity Certified Expert Technical Artist: Rigging & Animation exam (2017)
• Development Team for Unity Certified Expert Gameplay Programmer courseware (2018)
• Development Team for Unity Unity 3D Artist practice exam (2020)
• Development Team for Unity Expert Gameplay Programmer exam (2020)
• Development Team for Unity Certified Programmer practice exam (2020)
• Development Team for Unity Professional Artist exam (2021)
• Development Team for Unity Professional Programmer exam (2021)

Bioshock
Motion Capture, Animation

WWE Immortals
Animation, Motion Capture, Technical Art

Saints Row IV & Enter the Dominatrix
Cinematics, Environments

Gnomeo & Juliet
Motion Capture, Animation, Acting

Guilty Party
Animation, Facial Animation

Avengers Initiative
Animation, Motion Capture, Acting

Human Weapon
Motion Capture, Animation

The Path to Luma
Lead Animator, Motion Capture, Acting, Technical Art

Prey
Motion Capture, Animation, Acting

NHL 2K3
Motion Capture

Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Motion Capture, Animation, Acting

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Motion Capture

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Facial Animation

Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte!
Animation

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown
Animation, Technical Animation

Blitz: The League II
Motion Capture, Animation

Kinect Star Wars
Cinematics, Tech Art, Animation

The Conduit
Motion Capture, Animation, Acting, Conlang

Nicktoons MLB
Technical Animation, Tech Art, Animation

In Real Life 2, Episode 8
Motion Capture, Animation, Rendering

Hunter: The Reckoning: Redeemer
Motion Capture

NBA Ballers: Chosen One
Motion Capture, Animation

Victorious: Taking the Lead
Motion Capture

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Motion Capture, Graphic Art

Nickelodeon Fit
Motion Capture, Technical Art

Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward
Motion Capture

Golden Tee 2005
Motion Capture, Animation

Nickelodeon Dance
Motion Capture

The Conduit 2
Motion Capture, Animation, Acting

Flame-Sim
Motion Capture

NBA Inside Drive 2004
Motion Capture

Victorious: Time to Shine
Facial Animation, Motion Capture

This represents a portion of the projects I have worked on.

				

If your project could benefit from motion capture, I am available for motion capture and performance capture consultation. With access to a professional-grade mocap system and decades of experience, I'm capable of providing a complete solution. Please contact me to to discuss details.