Vaughn Smith

Work History

• 

  Character Modeler/Texture Artist

  Disney Television Animation

  January 2020 - Present

  Freelance Modeling and texturing stylized hero characters for unannounced project.
• 

  3D Modeling Instructor

  Academy of Art University

  September 2010 - Present

  ZBrush Modeling Instructor
  • Teach undergraduate and graduate students modeling in ZBrush, focusing on Anatomy and character modeling techniques for film, cinematics, and video games.
  
  Maya 101 Instructor
  • Teach undergraduate and graduate students basic Maya skills in modeling, UVs, texturing, rigging, animation, and lighting.
• 

  Character Supervisor

  Undisclosed

  January 2020 - May 2020

  Unannounced Digital Human Project - Current
  • Supervise a character creation team on modeling/texturing/lookdev/rigging to create photoreal digital human from multiple photo references. Sculpt finaling in ZBrush on digital double portrait.
• 

  Model Department Supervisor

  Tippett Studio

  July 2018 - March 2020

  Berkeley, California

  • Supervise a team of 7 modelers on multiple simultaneous projects, with 20+ character assets, and 600+ environment assets.
  • Character modeling and UVs, hair grooming, and facial shape libraries for hero characters and props for film, commercials, and theme park rides.
  • Support the team with techniques to create high quality characters, props, and environments under short deadlines and small project teams.
  • Develop workflows, tools, and scripts, with R&D team for the facial shape pipeline, fur grooming, model rendering and turntables, and shot fixes.
  • Give creative direction to the model team.
  • Bid on model production for all shows including films, commercials, and theme park rides.
  • Work with other departments such as texturing and rigging to bring the highest quality possible to final asset.
  • Actively assist in the recruiting and staffing the model department.
• 

  Model Supervisor

  Tippett Studio

  June 2018 - February 2020

  Berkeley, CA

  Model Supervisor - Jun. 2018 – Mar. 2020
  • Modeling, hair grooming, and facial shape libraries for hero characters in films, commercials, and theme park rides.
  • Supervise a team of 7 modelers on creating digital humans, creatures, hard surface, facial modeling libraries, and environment assets.
  • Develop workflows with R&D team for the facial shape pipeline, fur grooming, model rendering and turntables, and shot fixes.
  • Give creative direction to the model team.
  • Bid on model production for all shows including films, commercials, and theme park rides.
  
  Lead Modeler – Jan. 2018 – Jun. 2018
  • Create anatomically correct photoreal animals, creatures, and human characters.
  • Hard surface armor modeling and Marvelous Designer Costume creation
  • Hair guide grooming and further development fur grooming pipeline and workflows with R&D
  

• VFX supervisor

  AnatomyTools.com

  July 2012 - September 2019

  Las Vegas

  VFX Supervisor- Animal Anatomy Product Line 2016 -2019 (Reference Figurines)
  • Supervise Animal Anatomy team on full production process including, reference, modeling, texturing, lookdev, lighting, posing, and product output.
  • Modeling, texturing, lookdev, and output prep for Horse V1, V2, and V3 figure.
  
• 

  Character Artist

  Ubisoft

  May 2018 - September 2019

  San Francisco Bay Area

  Assassins Creed Odyssey - Website Key Art
  • Take real-time character assets and re-sculpt into digital marble sculptures and render, for promotional material
  
  FarCry: New Dawn - Game Box Key Art
  • Animal Sculpting and Rendering
  
  For Honor: Marching Fire - Key Art
  • Hero Character Look Development and Lighting in Arnold Maya
  • Hero Character posing for the Bodyguard, Shoalin, and General
  
  Rainbow 6 Six Siege - Game Box Key Art
  • Sledge posing, shading, lighting, and rendering
  
  Watchdog Leigon - Game Box Key Art
  • Foreground character costume modeling
  

• VFX Supervisor

  AnatomyTools.com

  May 2016 - September 2019

  Las Vegas, Nevada Area

  • Supervise Animal Anatomy team on full production process including, reference, modeling, texturing, lookdev, lighting, posing, and product output.
  • Modeling, texturing, lookdev, and output prep for Horse V1, V2, and V3 figure.
  • Product pre-visualization and rendering
• 

  Lead Modeler

  Tippett Studio

  January 2018 - June 2018

  Berkeley, CA

  • Character creation for several fantasy characters and creatures
  • Use of Marvelous Designer to create high-end character costumes and implement the workflow with the rest of the model team
  • Create anatomically correct photoreal animals, creatures, and human characters.
  • Hair guide grooming and further development fur grooming pipeline and workflows with R&D
• 

  Senior Modeler

  Atomic Fiction

  May 2017 - December 2017

  Oakland, CA

  Senior Modeler - The Predator 2018 (Film)
  • Creature modeling and finaling for hard surface armor on the Predator digital double.
  
  Senior Modeler – Welcome To Marwen 2018 (Film)
  • Asset Lead for the main male and female character, Hogie and Suzette
  • Modeling and Texturing on hero real-time characters for Unreal Engine 4
  • Head and body modeling for several other male and female characters.
  
• 

  Senior Hard Surface Modeler

  CheckpointVFX

  February 2017 - May 2017

  South San Francisco

  Senior Hard Surface Modeler- Black Mirror 2017 (TV Series)
  • Modeling on Valdeck spaceship, and additional modeling and detailing on USS Calister spaceship
  
• 

  Creature Modeler

  Industrial Light & Magic

  April 2014 - January 2017

  San Francisco

  Creature Modeler – ILM XLab: Border Crossing 2017 (Virtual Reality Experience)
  • Modeling and texturing on hero real-time characters for Unreal Engine 4
  
  Creature Modeler – Kong: Skull Island 2017 (Film)
  • Giant Squid modeling and creature design
  
  Creature Modeler – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows 2016 (Film)
  • Corrective shape modeling on Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rocksteady, and Bebop
  
  Creature Modeler/ Texture Artist- Jurassic World 2015 (Film)
  • Modeled hero Adult Triceratops
  • Modeled and textured hero Baby Triceratops
  
  Creature Modeler/ Texture Artist - Tommorowland 2015 (Fiilm)
  • Eiffel Tower modeling and texturing
  • George Clooney digital double costume modeling
  • Robot villains digital double modeling
  
  Creature Modeler – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 (Film)
  • Corrective shape modeling on Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael
  

  

  
• 

  CG Modeler

  Tippett Studio

  June 2015 - December 2015

  Berkeley, California

  CG Modeler/ Texture Artist- Anhui Flying Dream 2016 (Ride)
  • Model and texture various hero environment assets and vehicles
  
  CG Modeler - Monster Strike 2016 (Cinematic)
  • Model facial shape libraries for hero characters

  
• 

  3D Modeler

  Lightstream Animation Studios

  February 2010 - May 2013

  • Modeled main characters, environments, and prop assets for commercials and TV projects. Other work included concept art, texturing, cloth simulation, particle FX, and lighting.
  
  Character Modeler/ Creature Designer- Moon and Sun 2012 (Film: Not Yet Released)
  • Design hero creature Mermaid from Iain McCaig artwork and actress Fan Bing Bing photography
  • Model hero creature Mermaid from my approved creature designs, and prepare for texturing and rigging
  
  Character Modeler- Witches 2011 (Film: Not Yet Released)
  • Sculpted 4 main characters from Brian Fr