About Me:

I’m currently the Head of the Tech Art Department at The Third Floor Inc, a visualization company based out of Los Angeles, CA. I lead the department in the research and development of new Unreal Engine workflows, TA and TD onboarding / training, and helping ensure successful creation and delivery of our products.

While here, I’ve worked on a variety of projects across multiple mediums including Film, Streaming Shows, Games, Theme Park Rides, VR and AR.

My goal is to help every user tap into the power of Unreal and to find new ways to utilize the power of real-time tools in production.

Background:

I’ve been working professionally as a CG Generalist and Technical Artist for a little over a decade (about 12 years).

I graduated from the University of Denver with a BA in Emergent Digital Practices in 2013, then received a Certificate in Entertainment Design and Digital Production for Games from the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in 2016.

I currently work primarily with Unreal Engine 5 and also work heavily with Maya, Houdini, After Effects, and Photoshop. Beyond those, I am comfortable with most commonly used 2D and 3D tools. Some interfaces might be rustier for me such as those for Unity, 3DS Max, or Blender, but I have worked with each and consider myself generally tool-agnostic.

A little Deeper:

I play a few instruments, mainly electric bass and violin. I also got a small synth recently that I’m having a lot of fun with.

I speak a bit of French, and a bit of Japanese. Fairly out of practice for conversation, but my reading, writing and listening are still decent.

I’ve traveled a bit, having been to France and Japan but also England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, and 20/50 US states.

My main forms of entertainment are Youtube, Anime and Video Games. Movies and other shows as well but they’re fewer and further between.

Yes I still read, but its mostly technical documentation or comics these days. Once in a while I’ll pick up a novel and maybe finish it.

My hobbies are gardening, woodworking, and general DIY / Making. I don’t have a 3D printer of my own yet but I’ve used them and laser cutters as far back as 2008, and hope to add some to my office eventually.

The WAY back:

Born in 1991. Grew up in Wilmette, IL. Went to New Trier Highschool. Raised on Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks.