Shervin Shahidi

Work History

• 

  Head of Pipeline Technology

  Sinking Ship Entertainment

  June 2018 - Present

  Toronto, Canada Area

• MBA Candidate, 2017

  Schulich School of Business - York University

  September 2015 - Present

• Co Founder

  Happiness Inc.

  July 2015 - February 2017

  Creating VFX and 3D animation content for a disruptive AR portfolio catering to ad agencies.
  Developing proprietary AR/VR technology for socially interactive advertising.
• 

  Rigging and Character FX Lead

  Mr. X

  June 2014 - July 2015

  

  
• 

  Senior Project Lead

  Technicolor

  2014 - July 2015

  Toronto, Canada Area

  Prior to my MBA, I managed technical projects and development of content within entertainment and media industry.
  ● Managed development and resourcing of innovative technology solutions that led to securing 3 new projects
  ● Worked with key stakeholders and led an overhaul plan of the pipeline, conducted interviews and workshops, developed insights, and presented to CTO and CEO
  ● Improved effectiveness by mentoring and training team in Python, PyQT
  

  
• 

  Senior Character Rigging TD (rigging, pipeline and RnD)

  Mr. X

  July 2013 - July 2015

  Credits:
  Crimson Peaks, 2015
  Pompeii, 2014
  Strain, Season 1, 2014
  
  As a member of the RnD department and the pipeline development task force, I have been responsible for conducting an analysis of data-flow needs from/to every department. The process includes conducting interviews, designing a questionnaire, collecting data, evaluating and weighting information against each department needs, preparation of individual department and studio-wide top ten data-flow issues, and providing an executive summary.
  
  Tool development with RnD:
  Developed a studio-wide approval tool to monitor and approve shots and dependencies.
  Developing tools for the rigging department in Python and PyQt (f.e Rig Tech check)
  Developing tools for animation (f.e. Automated Character GUI)
  Worked on biped character rigs for Pompeii (feature film, 2014)
  Developed rigging ideas and solutions, f.e Cloth rig setup, on Strain (tv series, 2014)

  
• 

  Senior Creature dev TD

  Industrial Light & Magic

  July 2012 - June 2013

  Rigging characters, biped, quadruped, and bird, both realistic and fantasy.
  Developing tools for creature dev and rigging department in Python and PyQt
  Cloth and Hair sim setup (for secondary characters)
  Cloth and hair simulation (shots).
• 

  Senior Technical Development Lead

  Lucasfilm

  September 2010 - July 2012

  • Responsible for gathering business intelligence and building the competitor analysis on the automated software offerings in the category.
  • Liaised development of technical products among cross-functional and agile teams and executives
  • Led the development of a proprietary automation platform, using Python and PyQt, that increased the department's output by more than 300%.
  • Presented innovative technical products and solutions to the executive team for company integration and for filing patents.
• 

  Character Rigger on "Legend of The Guardians"

  Animal Logic

  March 2009 - September 2010

  Rigging Owls using proprietary char rigging tools
  Skin deformation using linear skin binding tools as well as Dual Quaternion.
  Making special pose deformations using PSD
  Rigging facial rigs (wire deformers and joints, and shapes)
  Preparing pose references (flying, perched, fight, attack, perched, walk, facial expressions...,)
  Fixing and maintaining poses and character deformations for major poses throughout the production
• 

  Project Lead - Digital Assets

  C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures

  March 2009 - March 2009

  Toronto, Canada Area
• 

  Modeling and texuring on Tudors (season-3)

  C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures

  August 2008 - November 2008
• 

  Asset Supervisor on CHOPSOCKY CHOOKS, (Credits: Character rigging Supe

  C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures

  January 2007 - August 2008

  CHOPSOCKY CHOOKS
  an Aardman Studios production
  _Leading a team of 11 modelers, riggers, and chararcter TD
  _Rigging supervisor duties, discussed character rigging needs with Animation Directors; planned future needs of the auto rigging tools on the show with the Char TD, complex rig setups for quadruped, biped, and one-off creatures (reverse mouth, extra limbs, double heads, ...)

• Character Rigging (and Modeling) TD

  C.O.R.E.

  February 2007 - June 2007

  Leading the modeling and rigging team of "ChopSocky Chooks". This is a CG series by "Aardman studios", the Oscar Winning home of "Wallace and Gromit".
• 

  3D rigger, modeler with junior TD skills

  Starz Animation

  August 2005 - November 2006

  _Responsible for modeling and rigging characters, props and sets as well as maintaining updates and troubleshooting the rigs during the production;
• 

  3D Artist (Modeling and Rigging)

  Nelvana

  2004 - 2004

  Character TD on tv series.

• 3D artist

  Ockham's Razor Inc.

  2003 - 2004

  modeling, rigging, texture and animation on an online multiplayer game.