880 PRODUCTIONS
ROLE
Sequence Turnover Artist
SUMMARY
880 Productions is the New Zealand based company responsible for making the Avatar Sequel films.
I was initially hired as a Sequence Turnover Artist, responsible for toubleshooting and fixing scenes before they were sent off to our vendors.
Over time, I started to support other artists and optimised workflows. I trained artists in using internal programs and created tools where I saw time could be saved. I developed, tested, and iterated on these tools with feedback from others to make the smoothest experience possible.
Note
Due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, specific details, metrics, and processes for this client are confidential and have been generalized or omitted.
Responsibilities
Sequence Turnover
This role entailed troubleshooting and fixing any issues with scenes before they were sent off to vendors. This required problem solving and extensive general knowledge of the pipeline to diagnose problems and arrive at quick solutions.
I also helped out the wider Sequence Team with small animation and pose tasks of biped creatures.
Tooling in Unreal Engine
I used Unreal Engine Widgets and Blueprints to create tools to automate parts of the pipeline. I am proficient with the Editor Utility Widget to edit multiple assets quickly in a project and in accessing and editing data within Sequencers.
I use a modular approach to build up my UIs which make it easier to iterate upon and change if needed. I would user-test and gather feedback to create the most straight-forward experience possible. As I have both a developing background and artist experience, I understand what the user needs from my tools and cater to that.
Tooling in Maya/MotionBuilder
I’ve used PyQt5 extensively to speed up work in Maya, MotionBuilder, and also used it standalone to process a large number of assets within the database.
We were also using proprietary API with our software. I taught myself this while learning the pipeline by looking through documents and looking at examples of tools the TDs in the company had made.
Training Artists
I was responsible for taking artists through training in parts our internal tools. I would give feedback and suggestions on ways they could improve on their work. I have an approachable demeanour and a lot of patience which make me a good fit to guide others.