EXPERIENCE
The Ohio State University August 2021 - May 2024
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Responsible for designing and teaching lessons to introduce Design students to time based media software. Additional responsibilities include grading, providing feedback, structuring rubrics, and assisting professors with classroom needs.
Riot Games March 2023 - August 2023
Realtime VFX Art Intern
Designing, creating, animating, and implementing character VFX for an in development R&D game project. Texturing using Photoshop & Lazy Nezumi Pro. 3D Modeling using Maya. VFX implementation using Unreal 5.1, Blueprints, and Niagara.
Spacejunk April 2018 - November 2022
Freelance and Staff Motion Designer and Compositor
Compositing - 2D compositing live action footage and CG using Nuke & After Effects. Tracking, rotoscoping, element composite, green screen keying, cleanup paint and footage stabilization.
Motion Design and Animation - Animation and Motion Graphics with text and graphic elements on various projects using After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Maya.
Powerhouse VFX March 2022 - August 2022
Freelance 3D Lighting and Lookdev Artist for film and episodic programming. 3D lighting using Mantra in Houdini. Lookdev and Modeling using Houdini, Mantra, Maya, Substance Painter, Nuke, PTGui, and Shotgrid. Projects included The Orville: New Horizons, Evil, and Manifest.
Kalman & Pabst Photo Group June - July 2022
Freelance 2D Compositing for Tide End tag. Integrating 3D renders, tracker marker removal, tracking, and 2D footage cleanup using Nuke.
Transistor Studios March 2018
Freelance 3D Look Development and Lighting - 3D Look development and lighting for CG Snapple project. Duties included texturing, UVing, shading, lighting, rendering, and slap compositing. Assisted with render wrangling. Software used: Maya, Mudbox, Nuke, Arnold, Natron, Photoshop, and Deadline.
Spacejunk January 2018 - February 2018
Freelance Animation and Motion Design - CG Generalist and compositing for ConsenSys 2.5D animation project using Maya, Cinema 4D, and Adobe After Effects.
MPC Advertising NYC October 2016 - October 2017
CG Artist - CG Generalist with a focus on lighting and look development using Arnold, Maya, Houdini, Substance Painter, Nuke, and Mari. Projects include Macy's, Kohls, Sour Patch Kids, and Google.
MPC Film VANCOUVER July 2015 - July 2016
Lighting Artist - CG lighting and look development using Katana, Maya, Vray, Nuke, and Renderman for feature films. Projects include The Finest Hours (2015) & Ghostbusters (2016).
Shuttlecraft June 2015 - July 2015
Freelance - Texturing for Olay product spot. Look development, character modeling, texturing, and lighting for additional project using Maya, Nuke, and Arnold.
The STUDIO NYC July 2014 - September 2014, May 2015
Freelance - 3D hair and character modeling. Lighting, compositing, and look development for multiple commercial projects. Commercial work for Head & Shoulders and Workstride using Maya, Octane, and After Effects.
3D Intern - 3D modeling, texturing, and lighting within the pipeline.
School of Visual Arts June 2013 - January 2014
Computer Art Lab Assistant - Computer maintenance, technical assistance for teachers and students, teacher aid, and Green screen/motion capture support. Research and submission of thesis films to film festivals around the globe.
PROJECTS
"Bird & Fish" (Currently in Production)
3D animated short film project direct by Thomas Ellsworth. Responsible for character modeling, digital matte painting, story consultation, and character animation.
"Frankenstealth" (Currently in Production)
3D animated short film project direct by Olu Ogunye Jr. Responsible for story and character consultation.
"The Campfire" (2023)
A vignette short film about a young girl alone in the woods. She is anxious but as long as her fire is lit she feels safe... Created by Yuxin Yan, Liz Hejny, and William Yuan Screened at DigiEye 2023. Festival Selection: DigiEye 2023.
"Fire & Fly" (2022)
A fire elemental wants to aid the creatures of the forest but struggles to connect how her ability to make things glow can help the local creatures of the forest. An animated short film by Emma Burns, Liz Hejny, Claire Kovchegov, Yasmeen Masri, Cleo Somohano, and Morgan Toronyi.
"La Noria" (2018)
Credited as ‘Thanks’. For several months I participated as a lighting artist for the crowd sourced community project directed by seasoned animator Carlos Baena (ILM, Pixar). My contribution was a small part of the production process and I did not complete any final shots for the film but I enjoyed working with the many talented artists remotely across the globe.
"Magicians & Musicians" (2018)
Short film directed by Ben Williams. Responsible for 2D VFX and Nuke compositing with tracking, matte painting, and billboard replacement.
"Silence of the Siren" (2015)
Director and creator for SVA Senior Thesis - Short film about a man trying to control a captive mermaid. SVA Outstanding achievement Award. Official selection at Malta Film Festival for Children 2016, The 5th Annual Kuandu International Animation Festival (KDIAF) 2015, NYC ACM SIGGRAPH MetroCAF 2015, River Bend Film Festival 2016, Blow-up Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival 2015, Silk Road Film Festival 2016, First Step Film Festival 2015, & Short Film Corner Selection Cannes Film Festival.
“Catch 21” (2014)
SVA Mini-thesis project - Six week group project. Responsible for storyboard, concept art, texturing, lighting, compositing. Featured on LIDD, Froot, & CGBros. Over 19,000 views between Vimeo and Youtube.
SKILLS & SOFTWARE
Rendering Katana, Renderman, Arnold, Redshift, V-Ray, Mental Ray, Mantra, Krakatoa, Octane
3D General Maya, Mudbox, Houdini, Cinema 4d, Unity, Unreal
The Foundry Katana, Nuke, Mari
Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign
Basic Scripting Python, Pymel, HTML, Javascript
Other Tools Microsoft Suite (Excel, Access, Office), Shotgun, ProTools, SCARTCH, ftrack, Natron, PTGui
Operating System Windows, Linux, Macintosh
EDUCATION
The Ohio State University 2021 - Prospective Graduate 2024
MFA Design focusing on Digital Animation and Interactive Media. Graduate Teaching Associate.
School of Visual Arts 2011 – 2015
BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation, and Visual Effects with Honors
University of Pittsburgh 2007 – 2011
BS Health Information Management, RHIA, Cum Laude
School of Visual Arts Continuing Education 2020-2022
Cinema 4D and After Effects Integration, Hand Lettering and Design, Illustration as Design as Illustration, Color Contrasts
Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education 2022
Illustration: Introduction
ACHIEVEMENTS & Awards
The Ohio State University Council of Graduate Students Career Development Grant recipient (2023)
American Advertising Federation Columbus Silver Award in ‘Animation, Special Effects, or Motion Graphics’ to Spacejunk for Centerpoint Energy, Compositor & Animator (2022)
Graphic Design Specialization Certification through California Institutes of the Arts via Coursera (2021)
American Advertising Federation Columbus Gold Award in ‘Elements of Advertising - Animation/CGI’ to Spacejunk for Airstream Spotlight Series, Compositor (2019)
SVA After School Special Alumni Guest Speaker (2017)
SHOOT Digital Magazine 4th Quarter 2016 Top Ten Visual Effects & Animation MPC New York Rank 3 for Macy’s “Old Friends” (2016)
MPC Academy Lighting Artist Graduate (2015)
SVA Chairman’s Scholarship (2014, 2015)
SVA Dean’s List (2011 - 2015)
SVA Computer Art Shortest Short Story Scholarship Contest Winner (2013)
University of Pittsburgh Dean’s List (2008 - 2011)
NISCA and SPEEDO All American Athlete for Swimming (2006, 2007)