Here are the shots that I animated for SITH. I animated the characters, props, capes, hair and some of the cameras. I worked with Agora Studio for about five months on this project. Director Rodrigo Blaas (EL Guiri Studios) had an amazing vision for the show and his direction was excellent. Animation Supervisor Jacob Gardner was superb in leading the animation team as the whole crew worked remotely from all parts of the globe. Stunning production design and art direction by Carlos Salgado.
Wonderful to hear Alfonso Cuarón's thoughts on animation and the important role animators play in creating appealing, believable performances. It's our job and privilege to breathe life into characters so that they can convincingly live and perform on their own on the screen. It's nice to see some of my shots from Gravity in this reel as well. It is by far the most challenging film I've ever worked on but also one that I'm exceedingly proud of. We had a massively talented crew working on that film at Framestore, and the opportunity to collaborate with such a renowned visionary director as Alfonso was remarkable.
Last year was absolutely crazy! In addition to my teaching schedule at the University of Texas at Dallas and freelancing with Cloud 10 Studios, I had a wonderful opportunity to work in studio at id software on the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages. It was a bit of a reunion of sorts in the animation department (as well as other depts) because so many of us had worked together at Reel FX years ago.
I had a blast working on the cinematics for this amazing game. I animated on roughly 52 shots over the course of 7 months. Some of my electrocution shots of the Slayer are in the trailers below. The game releases this May 15th!
DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM: The Dark Ages | Developer_Direct 2025
Check out this interview with Rob Coleman via fxguide! It was fantastic working with him years ago on Happy Feet 2. Great memories!
// The State of High End Character Animation via fxguide
Also, check out:
// An Oral History of ILM’s ‘Dragonheart’ On Its 20th Anniversary via cartoonbew
(it's the 25th anniversary this year)
// How the Personal Computer Broke the Human Body (via Vice)
This article by Vice got me thinking about previous work experiences.The vfx/games/animation industries require artists to spend enormous amounts of time seated (sometimes standing) working in front of screens cranking out all kinds of creative and innovative magic. It is a very sedentary career so getting up for coffee or tea, a quick walk around the block, the random nerf battle, getting out for lunch, a stroll around the dept to stretch the legs is a must. During a normal workday, these basic activities help a lot, but things get difficult when you're facing a 14hr+ day and need to stay limber, sharp and task effective. Those long crunch time hours day after day, month after month, can wreak havoc on an artist's body. I have had friends and coworkers who developed slipped discs and other physical issues due to massive amounts of overtime. I personally suffered debilitating pinched nerves in my neck and lower back, RSI in my arms and wrists during many rigorous overtime productions. I usually bounce back after a crunch is over, but after 15 years there are lasting consequences. You might say 'it comes with the territory' or 'it's the nature of the industry' and that's very true but it's not an excuse. Studios should continue to improve ergonomic working conditions and implement protections for their talented crew.
Over the years I have worked for ten studios, and two universities. They all have had various equipment standards for artists. Here are some of my experiences:
-Three studios provided adjustable standing desks. Of those three, two had Herman Miller Aeron chairs and the other had quality office chairs.
-One university provided standing desks and quality office chairs.
-Two studios allowed artists to create standing desks by using concrete blocks to lift the desks (one studio required us to spray paint the concrete blocks black so they would blend into the studio aesthetic). Both provided basic office chairs and artists had to buy their own stool style chairs if they wanted to sit and work at their standing desk on blocks (the artists had to buy the blocks).
-Three studios used extensive cafeteria style seating with row after row of artists working at long tables. You could personally buy a standing desk converter like a VariDesk and use that as a standing option if it fit on the table. All three studios offered decent office chairs but many were broken and they also couldn't roll underneath the worktables causing some artists to remove the armrests.
-Five studios had difficulty supplying basic monitor stands for artists. It is very common for artists to use reams of copy paper, empty amazon boxes, etc, to raise the level of their monitors to a comfortable ergonomic working height. Eventually most (not all) of the studios supplied monitor risers.
Lastly, all studios are different and have varying budgets to spend on equipment for artists. While not all can provide top tier office chairs and expensive standing desks, all studios can strive to improve working conditions for their artists. This not only comes in the form of physical ergonomics but also in managerial choices concerning scheduling, bidding, artist/production expectations, and eliminating the reliance on planned unpaid overtime work. All these things factor into the health and well-being of a successful and productive crew and ultimately the studio as a whole.
I generally tell students and aspiring artists wanting to break into the industry "never work for free!" However, there could be times an opportunity presents itself where the unique experience and circumstances of a job are worth the free labor investment. That's the dilemma. Cinematographer Brad Rushing offers some perspective on this topic from a live action point of view.
Check out this great interview with animator extraordinaire Daniel Zettl. We worked together on the same team at Riot Games. Daniel is a super talented animator and shares a lot of solid advice in this interview. Enjoy!
Avatar, Smaug and League of legends - Interview with Daniel Zettl
