CV

Austin Durose

Character Animator

www.ozdurose.com | ozdurose@hotmail.co.uk

Back in 1992 I saw Disney’s Aladdin. Since then I haven’t been able to put the pencil down.

It was at the tender age of 5 that I decided I wanted to make cartoons and now, at a not-so-tender 28, I can say that this is a passion which never died.

My aspirations have led me through an academic mix of fine art and film studies, leading to a degree in Animation Design. Six months after graduating I landed my first studio job, where my understanding and appreciation of animation multiplied.

My enthusiasm for animation has inspired me to learn more through courses with online schools and tutors including Animation Mentor and Ken Fountain (splatfrog.com).

Key Information

• Passion to produce high quality hand-keyed animations from block-out phase to polished with strong appeal and timing for video games and film.

• Keen eye for movement, rhythms and acting beats.

• Very strong rigging and skinning skills in 3Ds Max.

• Strong communication, problem solving and time management skills.

• Over seven years animation industry experience in media and games with NSC Creative, Holovis International and Sumo Digital.

• Developed and authored stories and scripts for several animated and interactive experiences, including NSC’s ‘WeatherPOD’ and Cedar Fair’s ‘Battle for Cedar Point’.

• Strong working knowledge of 3Ds Max, Maya, After Effects, Premier Pro and Photoshop.

• Creative and motivated storyteller.

• Inspired to continually improve my skills.

• BA Hons (First Class) in Animation Design and Animation Mentor trained.

Software Knowledge

• 3D software – 3Ds Max, Maya

• 2D software – After Effects (animation and compositing), Photoshop, Premier Pro.

• Experience with UE4 games engine.

• I am always willing to learn to use new software and am keen to expand my understanding and appreciation of CG and traditional animation.

Skills and Abilities

• Thorough understanding of the fundamental animation principles.

• A keen eye for movement, rhythm and timing.

• Strong use of pose to pose animation, blocking in initial, dynamic poses and refining through to a polished animation.

• Strong design and draughtsman skills, using traditional or digital mediums.

• High understanding of the human form and anatomy, and how this feeds into design, rigging and animation.

• Highly creative with an ever deepening understanding of story structure and character development.

• Strong problem solving and communication skills.

• Able to work well under direction, as part of a team or as an individual artist.

• Able to delegate, give clear direction and useful feedback.

• Strong time management skills and able to work to strict deadlines and milestones.

• Highly motivated to get the job done at the highest quality I can achieve.

• Good humoured and easy to get along with.

Work History

Lead Animator – NSC Creative

February 2019 to Present

• Returning to NSC Creative, this time as a Lead Animator, my primary responsibilities revolve around bringing characters and creatures to life.
• As a senior member of the studio, I also help develop and design written and visual narratives, including pitch treatments, scripts and storyboards.
• I have also been responsible for character and concept design, including visual and art direction.

Character Animator – Sumo Digital

July 2016 to February 2019

• Sumo Digital are a world-class, award-winning game development studio based in Sheffield, UK.

• As an integral part of the animation team, it was my responsibility to create a vast array of animations for AI characters who will appear in Xbox One and PC titles, including Crackdown 3.

• As a Character Animator, I have created countless animations for different characters and character types, including realistic locomotion systems, deaths, attacks and idles. I have learned a lot about the process of animating for video games, and worked closely with coders to get the best effect from those animations as possible.

Character Animator, Rigging Artist and Narrative Designer – Holovis International

July 2015 to July 2016

• Holovis specialise in creating immersive experiences in the entertainment, VR and AR sectors. Their work includes installations and content for theme parks, planetariums, science centres and Family Entertainment Centres across the world.

• Whilst working for Holovis I have worked on a number of projects, the most prominent of which was the worlds first fully interactive, stereoscopic fulldome experience – Crimson Wing, and the first interactive Theme Park/AR experience for the opening of Cedar Point’s ValRavn roller-coaster.

• As the companies Lead Character Animator, it was my duty to develop numerous animations for key characters in the game. I used a mix of traditional hand-keyed animation techniques and motion capture data to create high quality character animation to be brought from Maya and Max into Unity.

• As well as animation, I also have the responsibility to create effective and efficient rig systems for characters, as well as developing ideas, concepts and narratives for projects, including writing proposals and scripts for games, on screen media and comic books.

Animator and Narrative Designer – NSC Creative

October 2009 to July 2015

• NSC Creative specialise in large format, immersive animation, primarily animated shows for digital planetariums, but also produce great content for interactive exhibitions, 3D stereoscopy experiences, hyperwall installations and virtual reality.

• My almost six years experience with NSCC game me the opportunity to grow and specialise in character animation.

• During this time here, I have worked in all aspects of the animation process. From initial concept, script writing and storyboarding, through design, layout, modelling and rigging, to polished animations, rendering and post-production work.

• I was responsible for provideing high-quality animations of characters, cameras and props, from initial layout through to final polished animations. This often includes the development of rigs and the use of other animation modifiers.

• I have had the opportunity to write and direct my own short projects for the studio, delegating jobs and giving clear, precise direction and feedback.

Freelance Animator

July 2008 to February 2010

• ‘RETARDO’ (2009-10) – a character animation piece commissioned by a London-based playwright. I was solely responsible for a dramatic six character fight scene, from design and animation to final render and delivery.

• ‘Self Help’ (2009) – commissioned as part of an independent film production. Primarily in 2D, and featuring a man battling a beast, the piece was hand drawn and then composited into a CG background.

• ‘360RED Ident’ (2008) – commissioned by a Leicester-based production studio. The ident saw the studio’s logo grow from a mercury-like metal.

Education History

Advanced Body Mechanics – Animation Mentor – Grade B+

October to December 2014

• During this course I produced three 200 frame animations, each focussing on a different movement. I built upon my existing animation workflow to more efficiently produce work with greater appeal and exaggeration.

BA Hons Animation Design – De Montfort University – 1^st Class

October 2006 to July 2009

• This course was my introduction to the world of CG animation, studying Maya and the basic animation principles.

• The coursework covered each aspect of the animation pipeline from pre-production to final deliverable and ranged from solo animated shorts to group VFX projects.

• During my final year I produced two short, story driven animations. I focused on character animation and experimented with design and rig capabilities.

BTEC Diploma Art and Design – The Oldham College – High Merit

October 2005 to July 2006

• I incorporated film and flash animation in a fine art diploma.

About Me

• I love being creative, be that through my art work or writing or music, or dance.

• Over the past four years I have taught a local Lindy Hop group with my partner Kate. The social dance of the swing era is great fun, and through the group I have been able to build up a great community of dancers in Leicester.

• My taste in music ranges from classical to swing to heavy metal. I started to play the drums at the age of 12, and the guitar at the age of 15. Though I may be a little rusty on the strings, I regularly practice my skills behind a drum kit.

• I love to sit and watch films and plays, being drawn into a good story whilst appreciating great visuals and performance.

• I am a massive fan of games, both video and table-top. As far as video games are concerned, I love puzzle action adventures like Zelda and Splinter Cell. Boardgames like Labyrinth and Tsuro are wonderful visual puzzles, whereas hidden role games bring more intrigue and deduction to the table.

• On the whole, I’m a good chap. I play well with others, am sociable and not afraid to lead a group or give presentations.

Links to My Work

• Showreel – https://ozdurose.com/animation/showreel/

• OzDurose.com – http://www.ozdurose.com/

• ArtStation Portfolio – https://www.artstation.com/artist/ozdurose

Character References

If you would like to request a character reference, please feel free to contact me over the phone or via email and I will send some information your way.