Christopher McCabe
Rigging Artist
christopher.mccabe.77@gmail.com
Framestore
Rigging TD
Burbank, CA.
1/1/2024 – 7/1/2024
- Create fully scripted rigs and refine them according to animation and lighting needs.
- Prototype, implement and refine puppet skeleton, cloth, or mechanical rigs.
- Troubleshoot and fix rig issues, collect artistic feedback and fine tune rig behavior.
- Become a proficient user and contributor of the extensive rigging tool-set.
- Create simple tools to help animation workflow and rig interaction.
DreamWorks Animation
Rigging Artist
Glendale, CA.
4/1/2022 – 12/15/2023
- 3D Character rigging and skinning for primary and secondary class characters and associated wardrobe and props.
- Maintain relationship with animators to meet asset standards and identify and solve issues.
- Trained new employees in CurGen and NextGen pipelines.
- Maintained training documentation.
- Worked with pipeline API to automate tasks.
Company 3
Rigging Supervisor
Burbank, CA.
3/1/2020 – 4/1/2022
- Supervise the daily operations of a seven person rigging department.
- Manage the interdepartmental workflow of rigging for multiple television shows.
- Communicate task statuses to animation, production, and management.
- Work with production to meet project deadlines and expectations.
- Prioritize feature requests for the animation team.
- Implement modular rigging system in place of linear workflow for character rigs.
- Develop modular rig components using Python.
- Administer and maintain F.A.C.S. facial rigging system.
- Advance the facial motion capture workflow for all character rigs.
- Record and process full body and facial motion capture for animation library.
- Apply Git version control standards and practices for software tool development.
- Build software tools to assist in daily departmental tasks • Diagnosis and resolve issue reported by animation at rig and shot level.
DNeg
Rigging Artist
Montreal, Canada.
9/1/2019 – 3/1/2020
- Set up and maintained complex creature rigs.
- Developed and enhanced rig modules within the Pinocchio rigging system.
- Wrote function libraries to automate common rigging tasks.
- Collaborated with the Animation department to implement specific rig requests.
- Collaborated with the CFX department to support Ziva work flow.
- Provided support to secondary rigging department in Mumbai.
- Tested pipeline and provided recommendations for ongoing improvements.
- Attended production meetings to evaluate and prioritize development milestones.
Blur Studio
Rigging Artist
Culver City, CA.
7/1/2017 – 8/1/2019
- Collaborated with modeling and animation departments to articulate realistic characters.
- Produced rig functions and requirements based on animators’ requests.
- Designed and created character effects such as cloth and fur simulations.
- Provided support to character rigs throughout production.
- Created User Interfaces and tools to assist the CFX and Rigging departments.
- Developed long-term strategies to automate character production.
- Worked with Leads and Production staff to prioritize tasks.
Reel FX
CFX Artist
Dallas, TX.
2/1/2016 – 5/1/2017
- Worked with Leads to create and execute the Director’s vision of fur and cloth on all productions.
- Run realistic and stylized cloth simulations in a production environment.
- Developed complex garments for use in shot work.
- Performed corrective shapes and sculpting fixes for cloth simulation in shot.
- Developed and create new tools for the pipeline and fellow artist.
- Rendered cloth and hair elements.
Janimation
Lead 3D Artist
Dallas, TX.
2/1/2015 – 2/1/2016
- Participate in creative brainstorm sessions with Artists and Designers.
- Model, texture, rig animate and render environments, effects, characters and props.
- Develop pipeline and artist tools to drive quality and improve performance.
- Manage and mentor internal talent by providing training and pipeline support.
Element X Creative
Lead 3D Artist
Dallas, TX.
1/1/2011 – 2/1/2015
- Manage assets and technical development for various projects.
- Create original character models, rigs, textures and animation.
- Supervise junior art staff throughout production.
- Implement and maintain Arnold render.
- Develop effects and tools using Softimage node editor.
Vancouver Film School
3D Animation and Visual Effects
2007 / 2008