Resume | portfoliomk

Mary kessel

Pipeline and Rigging

Skills

Rigging & Skinning: Developed and managed 100+ character rigs (creatures, bipeds, props, mechanicals), ensuring robust and high-quality deformations, including facial rigging.
Motion Capture: Expertise in MotionBuilder and MocapX for seamless animation integration and cleanup of facial and body mechanics.
Game Engine Integration: Implemented and optimized rigs, assets, and animation in Unreal Engine and Unity, utilizing Blueprints, Prefabs, and Animation State Machines.
Material & Shader Setups: Developed PBR materials and shaders for real-time engine workflows.
Cloth & Physics Simulation: Set up cloth, ragdoll, and physics systems for dynamic interactions.
Pipeline Management: Defined and maintained efficient asset pipelines for streamlined AI -driven workflows.
Optimization: Applied optimization strategies to improve performance and scalability of rigs, models, and assets.
Scripting: Proficient in Python, MEL, PyMel and MaxScript with strong 3D math expertise for technical problem-solving.
Team Leadership & Mentoring: Led and mentored teams, ensuring best practices and knowledge sharing across disciplines.

Experience

Frost Giant Studios, Irvine, CA

Senior Technical Artist Rigger

2021-Present

Rigging ( Maya - Max - Blender - Python - MRS - CGM tools )

Implementation in Unreal Skeleton and Cloth Physics Setups

Optimization & Topology Techniques

Scripting ( Python - Mel )
Animation Blueprints

Department Pipelines - Maintained - Documented

MocapX - Cleaned up Mocap Data
Trained & Mentored Rig Team

Kung Fu Factory, LA, CA

Lead Technical Artist Rigger

2009 -2021

Rigging ( Maya - Max )

Implementation in Unity

Animation

Cloth Physics Setups

Optimization Techniques - Scripting ( Mel - Max )
Department Pipelines - Maintained - Documented
Mentored Team

Loyola Marymount University, CA Animation Rigging Instructor

2007 -2008

Rigging - Animation ( Maya )

Taught students about good practices of the Animation Industry. Demonstrated rigging and animation concepts as a foundation for their success. I recruited best students as interns at my current job.

Savage Entertainment, LA, CA

2006 -2009

Senior 3D Generalist

Modeling - Animation ( Max ) - Proprietary Engines - Pipeline
Focused and proactive to defined pipelines -trackers and tools

modeled and Textured for environmental department

The Art Institute of LA CA
Game Art Instructor

2003 -2006

Character + Environmental Modeling - Texturing ( Max, Zbrush )

Focused on Teaching students about the Game Industry and gave projects that were collaborative and taught the process. I recruited best students as interns at my job. Taught Fundamentals of clean topology for character modeling and workflows for sculpting and texturing.

Vivendi Universal Games LA, CA

3D Generalist

1999 -2003

Modeling - Rigging - Animation - Texturing - Maya , Unreal

Modeled, textured and rigged for character and environments -driven and dedicated to learning new tools

education

2000-2002

Gnomon Workshop Training

Work Sponsored Course Universal Studios

Training hands on at Gnomon for Rigging in Maya and advanced Sculpting training. Paid for by our company (universal studios, when we were changing over to Maya).

1992-1994

Salisbury State University

Bachelor's Degree in Art

Visual Communications

Learned Artistic and Technical applications on a deeper level. I even took some scripting classes although it wasn't my minor, I eventually delved into that area more.

1990-1992

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Associate's Degree in Art