David Nelson

David Nelson

Left and Right Brain Balanced Technical Artist with humor ;)

Lead Creature and FX Technical Artist / 21 yrs

San Antonio, Texas

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Senior Creature Technical Director

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Senior Creature TD

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)

Senior Creature TD

Warcraft: The Beginning (2016)

Creature TD

Pacific Rim (2013)

CG Rigger/Independent Contractor

ParaNorman (2012)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)

Enchanted (2007)

Puppet Supervisor

Charlotte's Web (2006)

Puppet Supervisor

Constantine (2005)

Puppet Supervisor

Son of the Mask (2005)

Character Rigging

Catwoman (2004)

Character Technical Director

The Stepford Wives (2004)

Character Technical Director

Hellboy (2004)

Articulation Artist

The Incredibles (2004)
David Richard Nelson VFX Demo Reel
David Behrens Demo Reel
Proven digital artist and content creator in film, interactive, and technology sectors. Passionate about the art of digital content creation of characters and creatures. Through collaboration, latest DCCs, cloud, mobile and AR/VR platforms, leveraging team building, pipelines, machine learning and neural networks to evolve the next generation of story telling for product design and human engagement.

Career Highlights:

Delivered outstanding content for award winning films and interactive experiences as producer, supervisor, technical director, modeler, and simulator at Sony PlayStation, Adobe, Disney Lucasfilm Industrial Light and Magic, Tippett, Laika, and Pixar.

Increased efficiency, writing tools and pipelines using Shotgun, Qube, Substance, Adobe CC, Maya|3DS Max|Blender API, Python on LAN and cloud.

Achieved results in small startups and large corporate environments leading teams and contributing hands-on as an artist and technologist.
Decades of experience using Autodesk Maya, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Blender.

Background, publications, and devotion to scientific research and techniques.
Work History

  • Staff Technical Artist

    Sony Playstation

    January 2020 - Present
    San Mateo, CA

    Foundational Systems and Experiences Engineering technical art simulation and data curation for synthetic training.

    Research and Development Graphics Technology GroupResearch

  • Producer 3D Technical Artist

    Adobe

    November 2016 - April 2019
    San Francisco Bay Area

    Top secret awesome stuff.

  • Creature Technical Director

    Industrial Light & Magic

    March 2014 - November 2016
    San Francisco, California

    Transformers The Last Knight (2017): body and facial rigging for Bumblebee, Hotrod (lambo and WW2), and Hound.

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (2016): mech and flesh hero asset Maya rigging and Zeno simulation setup. Block Party 2 API and block writing for rig upgrades for all show assets. Maya python and PyQt tools for using nucleus simulation for animators on existing block party rigs coupled with bezier rig tools to blend kinematic and simulated motion on chained rigs.

    Warcraft (2016): Maya rigged using Block Party 2 and Zeno flesh, muscle, pose space deformations, and costume simulation setup for Durotan Orc (hero asset). Ran simulations on clothing, muscles, flesh, and shapes with wind and environment for 16 shots with 1-30 orcs in each. Wrote skinning tools in Maya for quick editing of costumes using enveloping.

    Transformers Age of Extinction (2014): Lockdown facial rigging prototyping working with facial capture data (FEZ) and previs rigging.

    Pacific Rim(2013): Maya rigged Gipsy Danger robot, all variants, and most related assets. Rigged multiple variants and flesh simulation for Otachi winged kaiju using Maya and flesh and muscle simulation setup in Zeno. Ran 10 flesh/cloth simulation and shaping shots. Previs rig generation for multiple assets. Wrote python and PyQt for various asset needs.

  • Founder & Ceo

    Ventosum, LLC

    November 2013 - August 2014

    Creative and technical content generation for design, visualization, and gaming. Services for Autodesk, 3M, and Boston Scientific.

  • Independent Contractor

    Independent Contractor

    July 2010 - November 2013

    Providing independent contractor services for computer graphics services specializing in character development, modeling, rigging, and animation pipeline using Autodesk Maya and related tools for print, gaming, film, and visual effects. Client referrals available upon request.

  • Creature TD

    Lucasfilm

    February 2012 - March 2013
    San Francisco Bay Area

    Industrial Light and Magic Creature Development TD.

    Pacific Rim (2013):
    • Primary rigger for Gipsy Danger, all variants, and most related assets.
    • Rigging of multiple variants and flesh simulation for hero kaiju using Maya and Zeno including setup for all shots and shot completion of flesh sims.
    • Previs rig generation for multiple assets.
    • Wrote python and PyQt for various asset needs.

    Development:
    • Facial rigging prototyping working with facial capture data.
    • Previs rig generation for multiple assets.

  • Mentor

    Rigging Dojo

    2013 - 2013


    Teaching international students online the arts of character rigging in Maya through videos and forums.

  • CG Rigger/Independent Contractor

    Laika

    July 2010 - February 2012
    San Francisco Bay Area


    VFX CG Character auto-rig system develeoped in MEL with python and C++ API plugin support integrated into existing Laika pipeline.

    VFX CG background and crowd character rigging of bodies and faces working closely with costume and Rapid Prototype department to deliver assets matching quality and specifications of hero stop motion puppets for ParaNorman (2012).

  • CG Supervisor

    FooMojo

    March 2008 - July 2010


    Supervise technical direction of artist team of modelers,painters,wranglers, and riggers concurrently with animation supervisor.

    Purchased,setup,and maintained Mac server and Boxx render node farm.

    3D character and prop generation for over 30 dogs and cats.

    Created full CG pipeline for procedural character development, rigging,animation,and rendering using Autodesk Maya (MEL,Python, C++ API),PipelineFX Qube,Shave and a Haircut,ZBrush,Mental Ray.

  • Puppet Supervisor

    Tippett Studio

    April 2003 - March 2008


    Created creature pipeline for animation department with MEL and Maya API for all characters and creatures in production at the studio.

    Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008): team lead,facial system development, Manuel (woodrat) body rigging.

    Charlotte's Web (2006): team lead, body rigging for Templeton (rat).

    Constantine (2005): team lead,Vermin man bugs and facial articulation.

    Son of the Mask (2004): non-linear facial system development,Otis (dog) facial articulation.

    Catwoman (2004): team lead,skin, muscle,and body articulation for Midnight (cat).

    Stepford Wives (2004): rigging Bobbie (Bette Midler) robot.

    Hellboy (2004): rig Abe Sapien and several background humans.

  • Modeling Instructor

    Expression College For Digital Arts

    2002 - 2004


    Lecturer,lab instructor,and curriculum development of advanced 3D Modeling course for character animation. Taught the implementation of patch modeling and subdiv modeling in exploring each student’s characters and set designs.

  • Character Technical Director

    Pixar

    September 2000 - April 2003


    The Incredibles (2004): facial,body, muscle,and skin for Dash Parr. Also modeled props,hair style fixes,and other garments for several hero and secondary characters.

    Hero character model and rigging for unreleased Short film.

    Character generation system for Shorts and Incredibles for pre-visualization and layout.

    Internal automated documentation system and technical content for training of new hires.

  • Senior Laboratory Technician

    University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview

    September 1996 - December 1998


    Confocal laser & optical microscopic imaging.

    mRNA,DNA cloning and purification, and gene sequencing techniques.

  • Industrial Light & Magic

    ? - Present

  • Industrial Light & Magic

    ? - Present
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Education

  • Expression College

    2001 - 2003

  • Full Sail University

    1998 - 2000

  • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

    1996 - 1998