Joel Merritt

Work History

• 

  AV/ADAS Performance Simulation Engineer

  General Motors

  July 2017 - Present

  Greater Detroit Area
• 

  Engineer

  Lytro

  November 2015 - February 2017

  Mountain View, CA

• Owner

  Pixel Instinct

  June 2011 - November 2015

  I program and optimize visual effects pipeline processes, improving speed and efficiency of visual effects processes and legacy software, including implementing parallel computing.
  
  For example, writing Python scripts to add additional features to programs like Tweak Software's RV movie viewer and The Foundry's Nuke visual effects software.
  
  In addition, I fix, update, and document legacy software, and am comfortable working with software that is not well documented or maintained.
  
  Much legacy software uses only one processor even if the computer has man
• 

  Freelance Digital Artist and Programmer

  Hammerhead Productions

  January 2000 - June 2011

  Freelance January 2000 - May 2004, January 2008 - July 2008, January 2009 - June 2011.
  
  Wrote a plugin to handle color lookup tables for Apple's Shake. Fixed bugs in legacy software. Modified queue scripts for Seriss's Rush Network Render Queue and other system issues.
  
  Supervised, trained, and assisted camera tracking digital artists.
  
  Successfully camera tracked over 100 visual effects shots while working from Michigan in a remote facility test.
  
  Camera tracked visual effects shots. Composited visual effects shots, including some from Michigan.
  
  Wro

  
• 

  Freelance Digital Artist and Programmer

  Hammerhead Productions

  January 2008 - May 2011

  Greater Los Angeles Area

  Freelance January 2008 - July 2008, January 2009 - June 2011.
  
  Programmed a plugin to handle color lookup tables for Apple's Shake. Fixed bugs in legacy software. Modified queue scripts for Seriss's Rush Network Render Queue and other system administration issues.
  
  Supervised, trained, and assisted camera tracking digital artists.
  
  Successfully camera tracked over 100 visual effects shots while working in a remote facility test.
  
  Camera tracked and composited visual effects shots, including some remotely.
  
  Wrote documentation for internal wiki.

• outside informal advisor/mentor

  Kendall College of Art and Design

  2010 - 2010

  Reviewed and critiqued student storyboards and concept art in the manner that a director would, with commentary on director expectations, to prepare students to deal with directors in their professional life.

• Technical Supervisor/Digital Supervisor

  Electric Effects

  August 2004 - January 2009

  Freelance, August 2004 - November 2004, July 2005 - August 2006, October 2007 - November 2007, September 2008 - January 2009.
  
  Set up visual effects show directory layouts and naming conventions. Automated visual effects shot submission process for artists.
  
  In October - November 2007 worked as Digital Supervisor on a crew of 3 digital artists for Leverage Cable TV Pilot.
• 

  Digital Artist

  Riot Games

  June 2007 - August 2007

  Freelance camera tracking using PF Track software.
• 

  Tracking - freelance

  Ring of Fire

  January 2005 - May 2007

  Freelance January 2005 - April 2005, February 2007 - May 2007
  
  Performed camera tracking, compositing, warping on visual effects shots. Surveyed set with total station surveying equipment to build model.
• 

  Digital Artist

  Rhythm & Hues Studios

  March 1999 - January 2000

  VIFX (see next entry) was acquired by Rhythm & Hues in March 1999.
  
  Performed camera tracking on visual effects shots.

• Digital Artist

  Blue Sky|VIFX

  February 1998 - March 1999

  Tracked shots. Composited shots. Advised on color system issues. Advised on technical issues, including stereo 3D.

• Digital Artist

  Warner Digital Studios

  June 1996 - August 1997

  Built photogrammetric software. Tracked shots. Advised on color calibration and system color issues.
• 

  Technical Director

  Rhythm & Hues Studios

  October 1995 - June 1996

  Tracked and composited visual effects shots.

• Programmer

  RGA/LA

  August 1994 - August 1995

  Programmed custom visual effects software. Tracked and composited visual effects shots.

• Programmer

  Discreet Logic

  July 1993 - June 1994

  C programming for Discreet Logic's Flame, Flint, and Inferno software, including interfacing the software to video equipment such as digital disk recorders through ethernet and SCSI.

• Member of Technical Staff

  Intelligent Resources Integrated Systems

  December 1990 - July 1993

  Learned and programmed Intelligent Resource's Macintosh based video card the Video Explorer, including HDTV format.

• Programmer

  Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)

  June 1990 - November 1990

  Programmed improvements into IBM AE Series architecture software.

• Programmer

  SEI Information Technology

  March 1988 - December 1988

  Greater Chicago Area

  Assisted systems administration on system running Unix variants. Wrote documentation for mobile telecommunications equipment.

• Programmer

  SEI Information Technology

  March 1987 - December 1987

  Assisted systems administration on system running Unix variants. Wrote documentation for mobile telecommunications equipment.

• Engineer

  Digital Interface Systems

  June 1986 - October 1987

  Programmed software in MicroPower Pascal for computer controlled assembly line. Programmed machine vision application for assembly line part identification.