Resume

Summary

Hands-on technical leader with expertise in animation and visual effects. Proven ability to build, coach, and manage diverse teams across creative and technical domains. Results-driven collaborator who evaluates competing priorities, listens to stakeholders, and ships process improvements that remove operational pain. Fluent with modern development tooling, including Claude Code and GitHub Copilot.

Experience

Director, Production & Technology Strategy - Nickelodeon Animation

2025-present

Drives projects that support workflows and improve efficiency across all series and streaming productions. Led integration of a Paramount Archives AI image-search plugin for Photoshop (est. 3x faster reference search, reduced legal risk from uncleared visuals); open-sourced an Unreal Engine → Adobe Premiere editing toolset with the Max & The Midknights team; built an on-prem screenplay analytics and breakdown system (Python/Streamlit, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Ollama) that delivers a first-pass feature breakdown in 25 minutes.

Director, Pipeline & Software - Company 3 / Method

2020-2025

Directed pipeline integration and software for a mid-size VFX studio across LA, Atlanta, and Vancouver. Led an Agile team of ~11 developers and TDs supporting 200+ artists on Houdini, Maya, and Nuke, backed by ShotGrid. Delivered software roadmaps to leadership; automated the Deadline render farm; cut AWS spend via Ansible-driven datacenter migration; built metrics and disk-cleanup systems across a 2 PB Isilon cluster; led the Python 2 → 3 migration of 100+ repos; managed vendors (Autodesk, Foundry, SideFX) and crisis events.

Business Representative / General Manager - The Animation Guild

2016-2019

General manager of the only U.S. labor union for animation workers, a 5000+ member 501(c)(5) nonprofit with annual revenue of $4M. Led efforts to modernize operations, technology, and communications, guided by a data-driven approach. Renovated facilities and expanded staff by 50% to improve quality of services. Selected outside counsel for legal matters. Resolved employment conflicts and labor concerns with employer representatives from all major Los Angeles animation studios. Lead negotiator for the first entertainment union labor agreement to set animation-specific terms for productions for streaming services.

Lighting Artist / Lighting Supervisor - Walt Disney Animation Studios

1999-2016

Over 17 years, contributed creatively and technically to ten feature films. Key roles:

Frozen [Lighting Supervisor] - led a team of lighting artists to deliver five film sequences. Bid shots and sequences, reported on goals weekly.
Tangled [Lighting Artist] - prior to shot work, worked as developer (Python/C++/Agile) in software department writing DLight, studio's internal application for lighting/rendering.
Chicken Little [Look Development Lead] - managed a department of 20 artists and TDs on Disney's first all-CG feature. Collaborated on software for fur, feathers and grass.

Credits: Mission to Mars (through DreamQuest Images), Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana.

Technical Director - Cinesite Digital Studios

1998-1999

Developed and integrated visual effects, doing preliminary composites as needed. Emphasis on particle effects and procedural animation. Taught studio classes in Perl, helped integrate LSF.

Credits: Armageddon, Practical Magic, Double Jeopardy, Lost Souls, Chill Factor, Deep Blue Sea.

Technical Director - Santa Barbara Studios

1996-1998

Responsible for seeing all aspects of a shot through to completion once animation was approved. Lit, textured, rendered, and composited digital elements into live-action. Specialized in particle effects using Dynamation. Participated in development of internal hair system used on American Werewolf in Paris - which was acquired by AliasWavefront to become Maya Fur.

Credits: American Werewolf in Paris, Spawn, Paulie.

Education

M.A. Chemistry - UC Santa Barbara, 1998
B.S. Chemical Engineering - Caltech, 1993