Professional History

Department Head, Creature, ILM Vancouver (January 2024 - present)

  • Collaborated with global department heads to define and implement standardized workflows, tools, and best practices for rigging and character effects across all studio locations.
  • Partnered with Talent Management and recruiting to spearhead hiring, on-boarding, and strategic casting of artists and leadership for Vancouver-based projects.
  • Mentored the department’s leadership team, including Creature Supervisors and Leads, fostering career growth and ensuring high-quality project oversight.
  • Acted as a primary stakeholder for the department, interfacing with R&D and Pipeline teams to guide the development roadmap and prioritize new tools and technologies.
  • Provided expert consultation for producers on project bidding, planning, and resource allocation.
  • Fostered cross-departmental collaboration to streamline workflows, remove friction, and resolve complex production pipeline challenges.
  • Provided hands-on supervision and creative/technical direction for creature teams on high-profile productions.

Creature Supervisor, ILM Vancouver (May 2022 - January 2024)

  • Directly supervised and lead rigging and CFX teams across multiple projects.
  • Defined the creative and technical approach for rigging, hair, fur, cloth, feathers, and other character related simulations and deformations.
  • Collaborated with VFX, CG, and Animation Supervisors to ensure rigging and character effects supported the needs of the show.
  • Partnered with software engineering and pipeline groups to develop and maintain efficient rigging and CFX tools and workflows.
  • Worked with producers and project managers to bid, schedule and prioritize work to ensure high-quality and timely delivery.

Area Tech Lead - Rigging, ILM Vancouver (April 2020 - January 2024)

  • Workflow Owner for new pipeline integrations in rigging, and Product Owner for modular characters project.
  • Interfaced with software engineering and pipeline groups to advance cross-studio tools and workflows.
  • Contributor to continued developments on proprietary rigging system.
  • Collaborated with global counterparts to advance new workflows, tools, and techniques.

Lead Creature TD, ILM Vancouver (April 2021 - April 2022)

  • Supervised rigging and CFX artists.
  • Assisted interviewing, on-boarding, and training new team members.
  • Prototyped new techniques, tools, and workflows.
  • Provided quality control and asset review for production rigs.

Senior Creature TD, ILM Vancouver (April 2019 - April 2021)

Creature TD, ILM Vancouver (April 2017 - April 2019)

Rigging Artist, Rainmaker Studios (March 2015 - April 2017)

Technical Animation Artist, Moving Picture Company Vancouver (September 2014 - March 2015)

Graduate Asst. / Production Manager, Clemson University (August 2011 - May 2014)

DreamWorks Animation Summer Industry Course, Clemson University (May 2013 - August 2013)

Education

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) - Digital Production Arts (2014)
College of Engineering & Science, School of Computing
Thesis: “An Automated Build Script for Articulated Characters”
(Committee: Dr. Tim Davis, Dr. Jerry Tessendorf, Dr. Sophie Jörg)
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

Bachelor of Science - Digital Media (2010)
Minor - Computer Science, College of Business & Technology
East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
Graduated Magna Cum Laude

Affiliations

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Voting Member, Visual Effects & Animation, Cinema and Television Branches (2022 - present)

ACM SIGGRAPH
Member (2009 - present), Dailies Presenter (2014), Conference Student Volunteer (2009)