Doug MacMillan

Doug MacMillan

CG Pioneer

Senior Pipeline Engineer / 13 yrs

Berkeley, CA, United States

Hire Me

R&D

Crazy Alien (2019)

R&D

League of Gods (2016)

Pipeline Software Engineer

Horns (2014)

Pipeline Software Engineer

The Remaining (2014)

Research And Development

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Pipeline Software Engineer

After Earth (2013)

Pipeline Software Engineer

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Pipeline Software Engineer

Ted (2012)

Technical Director

Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet (2012)

Digital Artist / Effects Animation

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Look Development Lead

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Look Development Lead

G-Force (2009)

Look Development Lead

I Am Legend (2007)

Digital Artist

Planet Terror (2007)

Effects Artist

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Digital Artist

Grindhouse (2007)

Digital Artist

The Last Mimzy (2007)

Visual Effects

Zodiac (2007)

CG Supervisor

Frankenstein (2007)

Visual Effects

Invincible (2006)

Technical Director

Superman Returns (2006)

Digital Compositor

The Darwin Awards (2006)

Visual Effects

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)

Digital Artist

Son of the Mask (2005)

Digital Effects Artist

Van Helsing (2004)

Computer Graphics Supervisor

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002)

Digital Effects Artist

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

F/X TD

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Digital Artist

The Perfect Storm (2000)

CG Artist

Mission to Mars (2000)

CG Supervisor

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Computer Animation

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Artist

Personal Work

There's a short quiz you can take online, I forget the URL, but it qualifies you to refer to yourself as a "CG Pioneer." I passed it. Basically, I love making art with computers, from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Work History

  • Senior Pipeline Software Engineer

    Tippett Studio

    May 2012 - Present

    Tool development for publishing, asset management for Maya, RV, Nuke and Katana via Shotgun; standalone PyQt and command line interfaces, python modules; training, documentation. Rebuilt legacy element library via Shotgun with additional components. Shotgun Evangelist.

  • Science Visualization Artist

    California Academy of Sciences

    August 2011 - May 2012

    PyQt/PyOpenGL software design and development for morphing earth tectonics; photoshop concept art; Python pipeline development; marketing and exhibit high res images; Houdini evangelism, dynamic fracturing, dust cloud F/X, realtime shot previz, rendering and dome-centric OTL development.

  • CG Supervisor

    Stereobox LLC

    December 2010 - August 2011

    Workflow, pipeline, infrastructure, communication, process. Command line tools, Python modules, PyQt and PyOpenGL toolmaking.

  • F/X Technical Director

    Industrial Light & Magic

    February 2011 - April 2011

    Fluid simulation and lighting artist using in house proprietary software.

  • Senior TD

    ImageMovers

    April 2008 - December 2010

    Designed and developed the Lookdev core toolset. What started out as a few quicky Mel scripts to help me and other artists find textures emerged into dozens of command line tools, python modules, database ops and Qt apps, including PyOpenGL viewers and GLSL shading helpers. It's been a real fun place... and I did most of this while doing lookdev work too, nothing complicated, but a few projects involving managing large quantities of assets. Completed work at IMD after transferring to the F/X department and developed electrical spark and arcing tools in Houdini for a handful of shots I handled.

  • Senior TD

    Sony Pictures Imageworks

    January 2007 - April 2008

    Look development artist working in the Novato office.

  • Lead TD

    The Orphanage

    July 2006 - December 2006

    Look development for "The Last Mimzy" cocoon f/x and skin damage for "Grindhouse"

  • CG Supervisor

    Tweak Films

    February 2006 - June 2006

    Previz in Maya for "Zodiac"; Animation in Maya for "Mimzy"; Crowd rendering in Tweak proprietary Python pipeline for "Invincible"

  • Technical Director

    The Orphanage

    December 2005 - January 2006

    Maya tree modeling, animation and IBL rendering; 3DS Max cityscapes; Houdini gun f/x; all for "Superman Returns"

  • Freelance CG Artist

    cgdougm.com

    November 2005 - November 2005

    Writing a python program that is used in screenplay visualization. Renovating my bathroom. Updating my reel.

  • Creative Director and Director of R&D

    elementFX

    February 2005 - November 2005

    Compositor on "The Darwin Awards"; helped design new company infrastructure, advertising.

  • Associate Director VF/X and Animation

    Academy of Art University

    August 2004 - December 2004

    Taught four courses in Computer Graphics, Portfolio review; attended graduation student reviews; assisted in directing the department; wrote curriculum for Particles course.

  • CG Supervisor

    Industrial Light & Magic

    March 1995 - August 2004

    CG Supervisor for "Deep Blue Sea" (underwater look development); CG Supervisor various Clio commercials. FX Unit Supervisor for "Frankenstein". VFX Supervisor for "Bounty Hunter" game cinematics; FX TD on "Perfect Storm", "Mission to Mars", "Planet of the Apes".

  • CG Supervisor

    Dome Productions

    1990 - 1995

    Broadcast Designer for many of Canada's largest clients; Prisms and Houdini.

  • Software Designer

    Sidefx Software

    1994 - 1994

    Designing Houdini UI.

  • Creative Director/CG Artist

    Side Effects

    1987 - 1990

    Designed and animated many large Canadian broadcast pieces. Prisms. Was first employee for Side Effects which started at Alias. Wrote some Alias rendering code.

  • TD/Animator/Supervisor

    Omnibus

    1982 - 1987

    Manager of Software (5 programmers) in the LA satellite office. Designed and programmed some of Prisms (including the first tool.) Programmed and performed a realtime on-set SGI display in GL.

View All Positions