Adam Briggs

Adam Briggs

Lead FX Artist / 13 yrs

Burbank, CA

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Work History
  • FX Lead

    DreamWorks Animation

    December 2022 - December 2023

    Managed a team of FX artists at partner studios and provided direction
    and feedback as needed to ensure due dates were hit and fx looked great.
    Analyzed and interpreted script and storyboards/animatics and called out
    where fx would be needed, how to do them, and where to allocate artists
    time.
    Assisted new artists and shared how to approach challenging shots to
    make them less daunting.
    Developed, lit, and composited FX for several shows including Kung Fu
    Panda Dragon Knight, Dragons Rescue Riders, Boss Baby, Kung Fu
    Village, Fast and the Furious Spy Racers, and various needs of a
    centralized hub of many artists
    Created hundreds of volumetric and liquid simulations, particle simulations,
    rigid bodies, nCloth, texture/shader FX, and compositing FX/ gizmos
    Typical workflow involved simulating in Houdini and exporting back to
    Maya to render in Vray, then compositing the final result in Nuke
    Responsible for complete creation of FX shots, from overall look
    development and simulation to rendering and compositing final elements
    Completed a large volume of high quality shots with very short deadlines,
    multitasking sometimes several unique effects per day
    Built and documented FX rigs to optimize speed of production locally and
    through partner studios
    Developed FX that lived in characters and sets to be used over and over by
    overseas partner studios in order to cut back on FX shot count

  • FX Artist

    DreamWorks Animation

    August 2017 - December 2023
    Glendale, California

    Utilized an all houdini workflow to create several
    unique and high quality FX for Kung Fu Panda 4 including magic, food fx,
    smoke / dust, and liquid FX.

    Developed, lit, and composited FX for several shows including Kung Fu
    Panda Dragon Knight, Dragons Rescue Riders, Boss Baby, Kung Fu
    Village, Fast and the Furious Spy Racers, and various needs of a
    centralized hub of many artists
    Created hundreds of volumetric and liquid simulations, particle simulations,
    rigid bodies, nCloth, texture/shader FX, and compositing FX/ gizmos
    Typical workflow involved simulating in Houdini and exporting back to
    Maya to render in Vray, then compositing the final result in Nuke
    Responsible for complete creation of FX shots, from overall look
    development and simulation to rendering and compositing final elements
    Completed a large volume of high quality shots with very short deadlines,
    multitasking sometimes several unique effects per day
    Built and documented FX rigs to optimize speed of production locally and
    through partner studios
    Developed FX that lived in characters and sets to be used over and over by
    overseas partner studios in order to cut back on FX shot count

  • FX Artist

    Nickelodeon Animation Studio

    July 2014 - August 2017
    Burbank, California

    Developed and lit FX for hit TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
    utilizing volume and liquid simulations, particle simulations, rigid
    bodies, nCloth, texture/shader FX, and compositing FX
    Used Maya, Realflow, Nuke, and Houdini interspersedly, dependent on
    what would get each effect done most efficiently
    Responsible for complete creation of FX shots, from overall look
    development and simulation to rendering and compositing final elements
    Completed a large volume of high quality shots with very short deadlines,
    multitasking sometimes several unique effects per day
    Built and documented FX rigs to optimize speed of production locally and
    through partner studios
    Helped troubleshoot FX techniques and train coworkers as needed

  • Cloth and FX Artist

    Zoic Studios

    September 2013 - April 2014

    Simulated, lit, and rendered a large variety of effects for TV shows and
    commercials such as Once Upon a Time, The Flash, and several pilots
    Worked with a large team locally and internationally to create effects on
    very short deadlines
    Created and utilized dynamic rigs to improve speed of FX workflow

  • Realflow Artist

    The Mission

    August 2013 - September 2013

    Simulated Realflow and Maya FX for commercial and in house projects
    Assisted in troubleshooting, fixing, and improving existing effects

  • FX Artist

    Digital Domain

    January 2013 - May 2013

    Created dynamic effects for several upcoming game trailers and
    cinematics such as SimCity, Shadow of Mordor, and Destiny
    Very quick turnarounds, completed large variety and volume of effects
    during short project timelines

  • FX Artist

    Baked FX

    November 2012 - November 2012

    Simulated, lit, and rendered Maya dynamic simulations for the film 7
    Days in Utopia and a music video project
    Assisted in troubleshooting, fixing, and improving existing effects

  • FX Artist

    Mirada Studios

    February 2012 - October 2012

    Developed Realflow and Maya dynamic simulations for many
    commercials and some films, including Disney Fantasyland, Tide, Bud
    Light, MarioKart, and The Expendables
    Simulated and lit specific effects to be integrated into the final product,
    rendering with Mental Ray, vRay, and Houdini’s Mantra

  • FX Artist

    Luma Pictures

    August 2011 - December 2011

    Created dynamic effects for Underworld 4 and The Avengers
    Created custom MEL tools for quicker production of repetitive tasks
    Developed new tools and implemented results into feature films

  • FX Artist

    Hydraulx

    July 2010 - August 2011

    Developed dynamic simulations for several naturally occurring
    phenomena such as water, fire, smoke, debris, and explosions
    Worked on several full length feature films including Skyline, Battle: Los
    Angeles, Gulliver's Travels, and Take Shelter
    Transferred between both Linux and Windows workspaces as necessary
    Set up elaborate particle systems, fluid simulations, and rigid body
    simulations, as well as lit and rendered them, in Maya, Realflow, and 3DS
    Max plugin FumeFX
    Proved dedication to finished product with many 90+ hour work weeks

  • graduate

    Savannah College of Art and Design

    2006 - 2010

    magna cum laud in visual effects with a focus on fluid dynamics

  • student

    Savannah College of Art and Design

    2006 - 2010
  • 3D Generalist

    TriVision Studios

    July 2009 - December 2009

    Worked on 3D aspects of larger group projects for international clients, such as 3D logos, effects, modeling, texturing, teleprompting, filming, and organization.

  • Graphic Designer

    Office of Minority Health

    June 2008 - October 2008

    Sub-contracted government graphic design work to enhance presentations, mostly in Photoshop.
    -Created logos, charts, and other graphics based on contract.
    - Offered advice and edited/updated previous working designs.

  • animator

    Face the Pain Media

    June 2008 - September 2008

    Animated a short for an up and coming health cartoon for kids to be used as a pitch.

  • Produce, Cashier, Frozen Foods, Dairy, DSD, Scan Analyst

    Bloom Grocery Store

    March 2004 - September 2008

    Responsible for accurate pricing of the store sales floor, receiving and cross checking vendors, assuring freshness of perishable goods, providing good customer service, and checking out customers.

Education
  • computer graphics

    Westfield High School

    2006 - 2006