Daniel Sipes

daniel.sipes @ gmail.com

Experience

Guerrilla  |  Cinematics Animation Director
Feb 2018 - Present


Projects:

Horizon Forbidden West  (PS5 / PS4)

Responsibilities:

• Oversaw the entire cinematic animation pipeline including
   mocap acquisition and direction, layout,
   animation, and implimentation.
• Managed internal cinematic animation team.
• Provided feedback and direction to external vendors.
• Directed stunt mocap shoots.
• Provided feedback for facial animation pipeline.
• Assisted produciton in scheduling.
• Collaborated with multiple art, programming, and design departments.
• Created various tools for MotionBuilder and Maya.


Ready At Dawn  |  Lead Cinematic Animator
Dec 2011 - Jan 2017


Projects:

Lone Echo  (Oculus)
The Order: 1886  (PS4)

Responsibilities:

• Oversaw the entire cinematic animation pipeline including
   previs, mocap selection, editing and shot selection,
   animation critiques, and final implimentation.
• Managed internal cinematic animation team.
• Directed and provided feedback to external animation team.
• Collaborated heavily with the character tech art department.
• Provided feedback for developement of facial solving pipeline.
• Assisted produciton in scheduling.
• Collaborated with multiple art, programming, and design departments.
• Created tools and pipelines for MotionBuilder.
• Created and defined internal motion capture studio pipeline.


WB Games  |  Lead Animator
Jul 2009 - Mar 2011


Projects:

LOTR: War in the North  (Xbox / PS3)
Multiple Internal Game Pitches  (Xbox / PS3)

Responsibilities:

• Managed and implemented in-game conversation system including
   camera shots, facial animation, body motion, and setup.
• Managed animation team and helped schedule project.
• Created animation to prototype design systems and goals.
• Created 3d animatics for pre-rendered pitch videos.
• Created and implemented cinematics into the game engine.


Surreal Software  |  Senior Animator
Feb 2008 - Jul 2009


Projects:

This is Vegas  (Xbox / PS3)Cancelled

Responsibilities:

• Animated or directed all facial animation for cinematic and in-game
   characters.
• Created and implemented in-game animation from motion capture
   and key-framed data.
• Trained and mentored a small team of animators in facial animation.
• Created python and mel scripts to improve animator workflow.
• Developed animation for prototype teams exploring different game systems.
• Directed and assisted motion capture shoots.


Zombie Studios  |  Lead Animator
Oct 2005 - Oct 2007


Projects:

Rogue Warrrior  (Xbox / PS3 / PC)Cancelled
CQC: Combat  (PC)
Live Fire Virtual Trainer  (PC)

Responsibilities:

• Managed a small internal and external team of animators.
• Key-framed realistic character animation.
• Key-framed realistic weapons animation for playerview.
• Created motion trees for primary and secondary characters.
• Created and animated multiple facial setups using FaceFX.
• Directed multiple motion capture shoots and defined integration pipeline.


Zombie Studios  |  Producer
Feb 2002 - Jan 2005


Projects:

Combat: Task Force 121  (Xbox / PC)
Kingpin 2  (Xbox / PC)Cancelled
Shadow Ops  (Xbox / PC)
Delta Force: Task Force Dagger  (PC)

Responsibilities:

• Created schedules and milestone definitions for multiple game projects.
• Led and organized game design teams for multiple projects.
• Managed character modelers and animators.
• Rigged and integrated character models into Unreal.
• Directed multiple motion capture shoots.
• Managed and integrated art assets into multiple game engines.
• Developed and trained artists on pipelines and tool sets.


Education

Animation Mentor  |  Character Animation  (Graduate)
Oct 2005 - Dec 2007

Art Institute of Seattle  |  Computer Animation  (AAA)
Sep 1999 - Mar 2001

Software

Maya, Motion Builder, 3ds Max, PhotoShop, Premiere, After Effects, Flash





© Daniel Sipes 2017