Brian Ward

Born in a suburb of Chicago, grew up on movies and cartoons. Put myself through college working on an assembly line and doing Graphic Design and Theater jobs on the side, as well as drumming. Got a film degree in '00 and since then have animated on 14 films in NZ and Oz, done 3 years of feature previs and 6-odd years of tv ads.
I've never worked at a company that wasn't sorry to see me go and I've always done my best to make myself useful to those around me. I am now the proud owner of two lovely daughters and the property of a lovely, supportive wife.

• 

  Previs Lead

  DreamWorks Animation

  Feb 2016 - Mar 2024

  8 yrs 1 mo

  Glendale, California

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
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  Cinematics Animator

  PlayStation

  Aug 2015 - Feb 2016

  6 mos

  
• 

  Animator

  Wētā FX

  Aug 2014 - May 2015

  9 mos

  working on Hobbit 3. There and Back Again you might say.

  

  

  

  

  

  
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  freelance animator

  The Mill

  Nov 2014 - Dec 2014

  1 mo

  animated on a Superbowl ad.

• Freelance animator / previs artist

  (Freelance/Contractor)

  Jul 2012 - Dec 2014

  2 yrs 5 mos

  previs, animation
  rigging, scripting
  generalist for hire
  
  clients include:
  ReThink Studios - https://www.rethinkstudios.tv/
  Sarofsky - https://sarofsky.com/
  Laviathon - https://www.lvthn.com/
  The Mill - https://www.themill.com/
  Flavor - https://flavor.tv/
  
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• Freelance animator / anim sup

  re:think

  Aug 2012 - Aug 2014

  2 yrs

  worked on a half dozen projects on and off for a couple years. mainly animating and supervising animation.

• 

  PreVis / PostVis Artist

  Halon Entertainment

  Jul 2013 - Feb 2014

  7 mos

  Post-vising and pre-vising in Chi Town. Livin' the dream.
  
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• 

  mentor

  Animation Mentor

  Sep 2012 - Jun 2013

  9 mos

  teaching 12 week on-line courses: Basic Foundations of Animation, and Body Mechanics
  
  currently on hiatus due to insufficient hours to day ratio...
  
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• 

  Animator

  Wētā FX

  Nov 2010 - Jun 2012

  1 yr 7 mos

  film work:
  
  
  Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  ------------------------
  - mainly keyframe animating, with some use of mocap. several of my shots were climbing shots that had no mocap. I also animated quite a few toddler and infant chimp shots without any mocap.
  
  
  The Adventures of Tintin
  ------------------------
  - finishing shots that started in the previs dept here at Weta. much more use of mocap in the human characters and lots of animating the environment
  
  
  Avengers
  ------------------------
  - animating action sequence shots, mostly Ironman. lots of

• 

  previs animator

  Wētā FX

  Sep 2008 - Nov 2010

  2 yrs 2 mos

  Layout and animate scenes including cameras, lights, character animation, FX, some light rigging and occasional dynamics. Essentially pitching an idea and then selling it visually.
  
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• 

  animator

  Rising Sun Pictures

  Jul 2005 - Jul 2008

  3 yrs

  film work:
  
  
  Charlotte’s Web
  -----------------------
  Charlotte character animation, spider web animation, web-spider interaction, assisted in sculpting facial shapes for Charlotte.
  
  
  Blood Diamond
  -----------------------
  model, track and render helicopter elements
  
  
  Where The Wild Things Are ( on set )
  -----------------------
  sculpting facial shapes for the Wild Things for onset animation tests
  
  
  Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix
  -----------------------
  model, rig, track Harry face for eye transformation
  
  
  The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising
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• animator

  Sol Design FX

  May 2001 - Jun 2005

  4 yrs 1 mo

  Cut my teeth as a generalist with a strong lean toward character animation and rigging. Helped grow a competitive 3D dept that started out with two guys laying elements off to digi-beta.

• Columbia College Chicago

  2000 - 2002