Stefaan Sorensen

Work History

• 

  Technical Animator

  Archiact Interactive

  April 2018 - Present

  Vancouver, CA
• 

  Senior Technical Artist/Animator

  SkyBox Labs

  August 2017 - April 2018
• 

  Senior Technical Animator

  Rockstar Games

  January 2008 - February 2009

  Title: Max Payne 3 (Xbox360, PS3)
  
  Created In-Game Locomotion Animations and Motion Tree logic using proprietary tools for Main Character "Max Payne" and his enemies.
  
  Helped Lead Technical Animator with various advanced animation goals, including groundbreaking locomotion and control that integrates euphoria, a motion synthesis engine.
  
  Managed and Created all MotionBuilder Animator Templates & Rigs for Animation team
  
  Created Motion Builder Tools with proper UI using Open Reality SDK in C++ and Python.
  
  3DS Max Tools using MAX Scripts

  
• 

  Lead Technical Animator

  Backbone Entertainment

  August 2006 - January 2008

  Title: Monster Labs (Wii, DS)
  
  Mel and Python programmer with GUI's for Maya Tools for exporting animations and game levels, batching and pipeline error checking.
  
  Lead a team of technical artists, assisting in personal growth plans.
  
  Created and maintained pipelines, character and facial skeletons and animation rigs, proper conventions to meet engine requirements, game-play animations, in-game cameras, prop models and character skinning.
  
  Designed a system that allowed the animation team to have composite characters made up of 5 parts that animate in unison. To be able to create assets as if its one character not multiple parts. This was all done through the creation of the Part Manager System for Maya, explained  in appendix A.
  
  Problem solver and troubleshooter for anything related to in game systems and technical art.
• 

  EA

  July 2002 - August 2006

  NHL 2007: Xbox 360
   
  Worked closely with game play programmers to incorporate next-gen in-game animation system, Ant. Created entire skating locomotion state graph and motion tree using the Ant tool.
  
  Created All Animation files pertaining to Skating, Dekeing, Single Player Checking and Reactions (About 300+ individual Animations).
  
  Motion builder animation templates & rigs, motion capture (.trc) processing to Maya animation (NHL 2004 – 2007).
  
  Created all player and goalie skeletons.
  
  Worked directly with the programmers to improve the quality of the game play.
  
  Assisted in directing motion capture shoots with lead animator
   
  Using Mel & Python Scripting within Maya, created the animation export pipeline, blending tools, animation mirroring, event tagging, hand animation player rigs and much more.
   
  NHL 2004 - NHL 06: Xbox, PS2.
   
  Working with the programmers, designed and animated in-game systems for the NHL Franchise, Fighting (NHL 2004-2006), Shooting (NHL 2004-2007), Skating System (Ant tool NHL 2007), Single and Two Player Checking Animation System (NHL 2004-2006), “Wrap Arounds”. About 1000+ individual Animations
   
  Created two player synced animation pipeline. Splitting up the players and treating them as a single player on export; The game engine would reconstruct the two player scene that came with the animation.
                 
  Created & Maintained Maya tools to handle:
  All Two Player and Single Player Animation Creation      
  Stick, Hand and Feet Constraining
  Animation Layering
  FK/IK Switching and Baking
  Asset Management

• Cinematic Animator

  Black Box Games

  March 2000 - July 2002

  I worked at the original Black Box Games before they became EA Black Box through merging the companies, from there I worked for EA at the Black box location.
  
  NHL Hitz 2003 (PS2)
  Cinematics Animator, 40 Scenes - 3DS Max
  
  Sega Soccer Slam (Xbox, PS2)
  Cinematics Animator, 100 Scenes, 3DS Max
• 

  Animator

  Mainframe Entertainment

  October 1997 - November 1999

  Animated for the television shows: Reboot Season 3, BeastWars Season 2, Shadow Raiders / War Planets Season 1.