Vaughn Smith

Oakland, CA

650-255-8085

vsmith3d@gmail.com

Vaughn Smith is a 3d Character Supervisor with extensive knowledge in high-end character modeling, texturing, look development, rigging, hair fx, simulation, and animation, for the Visual Effects and Real-time industries. Experienced in supervision, leading teams, bidding, working with production on deadlines, creating digital assets on a wide range of projects, and collaborating with R&D to develop new tools and workflows. He has expert knowledge in Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, Photoshop, Arnold, Vray, and Unreal Engine. Previous companies and clients include Industrial Light and Magic, Ubisoft, Disney Television Animation, Tippett Stuidios, AnatomyTools.com, Lightstream Animation, and many others in the commercial and entertainment industry.

http://www.vaughnsmithart.com/

Resume

The Walt Disney Company - Glendale, CA

Senior Manager, Design - Next Generation Storytelling - Nov 2022 – May 2023

•        Establish the foundation for 3d asset production and pipeline, and evaluating new technologies.

•         Lead design explorations of interactive and immersive experiences for Disney-owned IP (StarWars, Marvel, Pixar, Classic Disney)

•         Establish the principles and best practices for design systems cohesive with the Disney brand.

•         Create schedules and deliverables for design explorations and asset productions.

Apple - Cupertino, CA

Human Interface Designer – Oct. 2020 – Present

•         Modeling, Texturing, Look Development, Lighting, Layout to design VFX and Real-Time assets.

Disney Television Animation – Glendale, CA - Jan 2020 - Sept 2020

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

Tippett Stuidios- Berkeley, CA

Model Department Supervisor - Jun. 2018 – Mar. 2020

•         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.

Lead Modeler – Jan. 2018 – Jun. 2018

•         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.

•         Hair guide grooming and further development fur grooming pipeline and workflows with R&D.

Ubisoft – San Francisco, CA May 2018 – Sept 2019

Assassins Creed Odyssey - Website Key Art

·         Take real-time character assets and re-sculpt into digital marble sculptures and render, for promotional material.

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 Legion - Game Box Key Art

•         Foreground character costume modeling.

Atomic Fiction- Oakland, CA - May 2017 - Dec 2017

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 use in pre – vis.

•         Head and body modeling for several other male and female characters.

Checkpoint FX- South San Francisco, CA - Feb 2017 - May 2017

Senior Hard Surface Modeler- Black Mirror 2017 (TV Series)

•         Modeling on Valdeck spaceship, and additional modeling and detailing on USS Calister spaceship.

Industrial Light & Magic- San Francisco, CA

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, and 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.

AnatomyTools.com- July 2012 - Sept 2020

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.

Tippett Studios- Berkeley, CA - Jun 2015 - Dec 2015

•         Model and texture various hero environment assets and vehicles.

•         Model facial shape libraries for hero characters.

Lightstream Animation Studios- Petaluma, CA – Feb 2010 -May 2013

•         Design and model a range of realistic and stylized characters, props, and environments. Contribute to texturing, rendering, cloth/skin simulations, and particle simulations.

Today At Apple – San Francisco, CA - Dec 2018 & April 2019

•        Presented a demonstration on the creature creation process using the Alien Mermaid model. The 1.5hr presentation served as breakdown of design, modeling, texturing, lookdev, and composting. Followed by a brief tutorial on sketching on the iPad to capture ideas when inspired.

•        Presented a demonstration on protyping a traditional bronze statue. This 30min presentation covered modeling a figure in ZBrush and creating traditional imperfections in the sculpt. Lookdev, and Lighting was covered to show the creation of making a Bronze shader and setting up a digital light stage for a photoreal render of the statue.

ZBrush Summit Presenter – Los Angeles, CA - 2019

•·        Presented at Zbrush Summit 2019 on behalf of Tippett Studios. Sharing the studios latest modeling workflows and projects of the model team I supervised.

Academy of Art University- San Francisco, CA-  2010- current

Character and Hard Surface Modeling Instructor

•         Teach undergraduate and graduate students modeling in ZBrush and Maya, focusing on Anatomy and character modeling techniques for film, cinematics, and video games.

Technical Skills

Maya: ZBrush: Mari: Substance Painter: Arnold: Unreal Engine: Vray: 3DSMax: Mudbox: Marvelous Designer: Photoshop: Nuke: Traditional Sculpture: Drawing

Awards

•         1st Place Organic Modeling in Academy of Art University Spring Show 2009

•         2nd Place Organic Modeling in Academy of Art University Spring Show 2008

Education

Academy Art University- 2005-2009

San Francisco, CA

BFA School of Animation Visual Effects, 3D Modeling

Leadership Coaching with Todd Zaki Warfel – 2020 - Current