Summary
I’m a CG technical director and supervisor with a range of experience working in television and film industry. Since 2003, I have gained a broad skillset that spans the 2D, 3D, and pipeline aspects of CG-making. I have particular focus on coding tools for artists and for pipelines, rigging, lighting/rendering, and photography.
Experience
Pipeline developer / TD · 3DViz
May 2017 – Present · Australia/New Zealand
Writing a framework in Python for a proprietary server-based product configurator that renders in Iray (RealityServer) rendering.
I’m also the designer for production pipeline whose data will eventually have to conform to the rendering framework. This involves abstracting data from external application, writing translators to convert various data to Iray, and coding workflow and management tools for artists and operators.
CG Supervisor · Toybox
July 2011 – May 2017 (5 years 11 months) · Auckland, New Zealand
I worked as CG Supervisor, Technical Director, and Generalist.
- Visual effects breakdown, set supervision
- Directed production workflow
- Wrote production pipeline tools
- Wrote rendering pipeline tools
- Participated in day-to-day CG tasks such as modelling, texturing, animation, lighting and rendering.
- I was the primary rigging TD.
3D Developer / TD · faulknermano.com
June 2007 – Present
This represents self-initiated projects that I’ve worked on.
- Janus. A commercial render pass management system for LightWave3D. It is no longer in commercial development but is being developed privately for specific clients.
- CITIZEN. An “isometric” action-RPG that I’ve been working on since 2017. I previously developed an HTML5 (Construct 2) prototype in 2018 and now continuing development in Unity.
- LW2AE was a commissioned project that improved the workflow between LightWave3D and After Effects.
Rigging TD · Huhu Studio
June 2011 – June 2011 (1 month) · Snells Beach, New Zealand
Worked as a freelance Rigging TD for a couple of creatures to be used in an animation pitch (“Mosley”).
VFX Supervisor (Head of 3D) · Riot Inc.
Apr 2003 – Nov 2008 (5 yrs 8 mos) – Philippines
I performed as Head of the 3D Group, Technical Director, and CG Lead.
- Supervised the 3D team
- Trained artists and assisted HR assess new hires.
- Troubleshooting various technical and workflow problems of the 3D Group
- Wrote pipeline tools to overcome issues.
- Wrote to in-house artist tools for Maya, LightWave, and After Effects.
- Wrote
data translation applications (e.g. Maya2LW2) to integrate multiple
DCCs into our workflow.
- Continued development of LightNet, a LightWave open-source render controller for in-house use.
- I also helped put up the company’s renderfarm and performed installation and maintenance tasks on its software.
- Performed all aspects of 3D pipeline, from modelling all the way up to lighting and render wrangling. Occasionally, I also did some compositing.
Freelance CG Artist / TD · Dimension Arts
April 2011 – June 2011 (3 months) – Malaysia/NZ
- Developed scripts for 2D and 3D applications, mainly as support for the Janus render pass system.
- Fora motion-graphic project, I helped model, light, and render. I also wrote animation tools for use in the project.
Tools and technologies
- Maya
- MEL programming
- Python programming
- Redshift (renderer)
- Arnold (renderer)
- V-Ray (renderer)
- Qualoth (cloth)
- Realflow
- PFtrack (matchmoving)
- Photography: HDR acquisition, photogrammetry
- PTGui (HDR pano stitching)
- Agisoft Photo Scan (photogrammetry)
- Python application programming
- After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere
- Substance Painter, Substance Designer
- ZBrush
- LightWave
- Houdini
- Unity
- C# programming (Unity)
Education
University of the Philippines
Bachelor of Arts (Honours-equivalent); Fine Arts, Visual Communications · (1993 – 1997)