Garvey Chi

Work History

• 

  Rigging Supervisor

  Reel FX Animation

  October 2021 - September 2024

  SpongeBob SquarePants: The Search For SquarePants
  The Monkey King

  

  
• 

  Rigging Supervisor, Lead Rigger

  Tangent Animation

  April 2019 - August 2021

  Toronto, ON, CAN

  High in the Clouds
  The Monkey King
  Maya And The Three

  
• 

  Rigging Supervisor

  Tangent Animation

  September 2020 - August 2021

  Toronto, Ontario, Canada · Hybrid

  Show Agnostic:
  •Managed a department of 28 rigging artists and TDs
  •Supervised Rig TD team
  •Coordinated Rig TD resources across multiple films
  •Managed two rig teams on concurrent films
  •Facilitated cross-project training and information sharing
  •Worked with production technology team on USD integration for department
  
  Netflix project (feature)
  •Supervised second feature film running concurrent to The Monkey King film
  •Implemented rig bidding system, workflow and scheduling system from The Monkey King
  •Work with Animation Director and senior riggers to develop unique deformation and control setups
  •Work with Production on artist assignments
  •Rig bidding
  •Asset reviews, model tech checks and department quality control
  •Artist training
  
  The Monkey King (feature)
  •Re-configured rig department
  •Worked with rig development team to transition rig department workflow and asset builds from Blender to Autodesk Maya mid-project
  •Evaluated off-the-shelf rig build packages for implementation during department software transition
  •Re-designed rig department workflow to utilize Maya and the integration of a USD pipeline
  •Supervised creation and development of base rig setup
  •Developed layout rig build workflow; scripted automated build via NXT
  •Built and optimized rigs for layout dept
  •Lead artist training and support; artist training
  •Asset reviews, model tech checks and department quality control
  •Rig bid breakdowns and asset bidding
  •Worked with Rig Leads and Production on scheduling and artist assignments
  •Work closely with Animation Supervisor to create rig setups to fulfill the animation's performance and deformation needs and facilitate quick revision turn arounds
  •Work with Asset Supervisor to implement best rigging practices for USD pipeline
  •Working with outside vendors on outsourced rigs
  •Rig profiling, evaluation and optimization
  •Shot dept floor support
• 

  Rigging Supervisor, Lead Rigger, Rigger

  Toonbox Entertainment

  August 2012 - April 2019

  Toronto, Ontario Canada

  Nut Job 3
  Far Fetched
  Shrunken Master
  Nut Job 2
  Spark: A Space Tail
  The Nut Job
  

  

  

  
• 

  Rigging Supervisor

  Toonbox Entertainment

  March 2016 - April 2019

  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  Show Agnostic Work:
  • Rigging department administrative tasks:
  i) interviewing, hiring, building a team
  ii) work to meet Director's vision
  iii) work with Asset Supervisor, Art Director and dept Leads to meet their needs
  iv) liaise with producer, production manager, and APMs on studio and dept tasks
  v) workflow documentation
  
  • Overhaul and re-design rigging dept workflow post-Nut Job 3 to facilitate quicker rig asset release in stages (mechanical rig, early skinning pass, deformation pass, body + face rig release, polish pass, advanced deformation) to the anim team
  • Work w/ facial and body Rigging Leads to optimize rigs by leveraging Maya 2018's parallel eval and implemented rig set-up upgrades for increased rig speed/performance - approx 9.8 fps increase
  • Designed studio rig menu for production 'ordering'. Breakdown of rig features and character complexities (tiers) designed to reduce rig waste (over-rigging) and increase artist and dept efficiency
  • Develop studiomesh (biped human) w/ Asset Supe and Modeling Lead to standardize character models ingested by rigging for optimization + ease of re-use
  • Develop Toonbox studiocar. Standardize car geo and rig components for quick re-use, re-size and rebuilding
  • Develop, build and rig studio Matte Painting Rig w/ Asset Supe
  • Update, maintain rig dept character templates, reusable rig data, and standardize build scripts
  
  Project Work:
  Far Fetched (short film)
  • Rigged Al + Edna (hero) bodies
  • Test case for new rig workflow + production pipeline.
  • Integration + upload to USD pipeline
  
  Shrunken Master (short film)
  • Worked with Lead Body Rigger to develop proof of concept muscle system in hero Rat rig; goal was to provide volume retention, drastically reduce time consumption of corrective shapes
  
  Nut Job 3 (feature)
  • Rigged Hazel (squirrel hero) body
  • Rig review/revisions/clean-up/quality control
  
  Nut Job 2 (feature)
  • Misc props
  • Rig review/revisions/clean-up/quality control
• 

  Animator

  Pipeline Studios

  January 2012 - August 2012

  Oakville, Ontario, Canada · On-site

  Babar and the Adventures of Badou - Season 2
  • Responsible for character animation of character and props working from storyboards
  • Animation TD duties - adapted and modified legacy animation scripts provided for the production to speed up the studio's animation pipeline/workflow
  • Maya file technical support
• 

  Technical Director, Animator, Rigger

  Pipeline Studios

  June 2007 - January 2012

  Oakville, Ontario, Canada · On-site

  Peregrina (short film)
  Handy Manny
  The Adventures of Chuck the Truck
  Babar and the Adventures of Badou
  Backyardigans
  Guess With Jess

  

  

  

  

  
• 

  Rigger

  Pipeline Studios

  November 2011 - January 2012

  Oakville, Ontario Canada

  Peregrina (short film)
  • Rigged eagle (hero) character
  • nCloth feather rig and simulation
• 

  Lead Technical Director

  Pipeline Studios

  March 2011 - January 2012

  Oakville, Ontario Canada · On-site

  Handy Manny - Season 4
  • FX simulation, shot assembly, rendering, compositing, production technical support and show delivery
  • Worked with offsite Supervising Technical Director
  • Supervised Junior Technical Directors
  • Oversaw show rendering and delivery from Junior TD teams
• 

  Senior Technical Director

  Pipeline Studios

  August 2010 - March 2011

  Oakville, Ontario Canada · On-site

  The Adventures of Chuck the Truck - Season 1
  • Responsible for FX simulation, assembly, rendering, compositing, production technical support and show delivery
  • Trained and supervised Junior Technical Directors
  • Liaised with offsite director and producer to address episode directions, notes, revisions and ensure delivery
• 

  Lead Animator

  Pipeline Studios

  March 2010 - August 2010

  Oakville, Ontario Canada · On-site

  Babar and the Adventures of Badou - Season 1
  • Character animation of character and props working from storyboards
  • Set up and streamlined the 3D animation portion of the studio's production pipeline
  • Animation TD tasks
• 

  Technical Director

  Pipeline Studios

  October 2009 - March 2010

  Oakville, Ontario Canada · On-site

  Backyardigans - Season 4
  • Responsible for FX simulation, assembly, rendering, compositing, production technical support and show delivery
• 

  Animator

  Pipeline Studios

  May 2008 - October 2009

  Oakville, Ontario Canada · On-site

  Guess With Jess - Season 1
  • Responsible for character animation
  • Set-up Pipeline Studios first 3D animation crew
  • Maintained the animation pipeline on production
  • Training animation crew on the pipeline and studio tools
  • Managed team schedule, intranet shot status and delivery
  • Animation TD tasks
• 

  technical director

  Nelvana

  May 2006 - June 2007

  Toronto, Ontario, Canada · On-site

  Backyardigans
• 

  Rigging Artist, Animator

  bullseye post

  May 2005 - April 2006

  Toronto, ON, CAN

  Monster Warriors