I'm Merlin Roche, an animator and designer with experience across 2D and 3D animation pipelines. I'm a quick learner who enjoys collaborating with others, taking initiative to manage schedules and workflows, and delivering high-quality work on both solo and team projects. I pride myself on being outgoing, enthusiastic, and eager to grow my skills in fast-paced production environments. I've built experience across teaching, color and texture work, and character animation in animation studios. I thrive in collaborative settings, love solving creative problems, and continuously seek feedback to improve. I’m excited to bring energy, reliability, and a passion for storytelling to new animation projects.…

Merlin Roche

I'm Merlin Roche, an animator and designer with experience across 2D and 3D animation pipelines. I'm a quick learner who enjoys collaborating with others, taking initiative to manage schedules and workflows, and delivering high-quality work on both solo and team projects. I pride myself on being outgoing, enthusiastic, and eager to grow my skills in fast-paced production environments. I've built experience across teaching, color and texture work, and character animation in animation studios. I thrive in collaborative settings, love solving creative problems, and continuously seek feedback to improve. I’m excited to bring energy, reliability, and a passion for storytelling to new animation projects.…

Available to hire

I’m Merlin Roche, an animator and designer with experience across 2D and 3D animation pipelines. I’m a quick learner who enjoys collaborating with others, taking initiative to manage schedules and workflows, and delivering high-quality work on both solo and team projects. I pride myself on being outgoing, enthusiastic, and eager to grow my skills in fast-paced production environments.

I’ve built experience across teaching, color and texture work, and character animation in animation studios. I thrive in collaborative settings, love solving creative problems, and continuously seek feedback to improve. I’m excited to bring energy, reliability, and a passion for storytelling to new animation projects.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Junior Animator at Boulder Media
January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024
Rigged 2D animation in Toon Boom Harmony; contributed to Boulder Media’s television projects; mixed remote and in-studio work; learned the ins and outs of managing schedules, seeking feedback, and iterating improvements.
Colourist, Texture Artist at Jam Media
January 1, 2023 - March 31, 2023
Paid work as a colourist for Jam Media on several shorts; gained studio experience working in a pipeline and using Jam’s production software (Jam Pot).
Part-Time Teaching Assistant at Center for Talented Youth Ireland (CTYI)
January 1, 2018 - January 1, 2020
Supported instructors, oversaw classroom behavior and assisted with lessons during CTYI programs.
Part-Time / Full-Time Instructor at Center for Talented Youth Ireland (CTYI)
January 1, 2020 - February 28, 2023
Transitioned from Teaching Assistant to Instructor after pitching a new online animation course during the pandemic; taught both in-person and online classes.
Full-Time Instructor at Center for Talented Youth Ireland (CTYI)
July 1, 2025 - August 31, 2025
Taught a variety of classes to students aged 8-12, including Animation, Drawing Comics, and Game Design; coordinated classroom environments and resolved issues with students and management.

Education

BA Honours in Animation – Visual Media at Ballyfermot College of Further Education
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2022
Certificate in Visual Effects & 3D Technology at Ballyfermot College of Further Education
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2020
Diploma in Animation – Classic & Computer at Ballyfermot College of Further Education
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2019
NTA VFX Creative CG Compositing in Nuke at NTA VFX
November 1, 2025 - December 1, 2025
Intro to Compositing (Nuke) at Animation Skillnet
October 1, 2022 - December 1, 2022
The Animator's Workshop at Adam's Animation Academy
April 1, 2025 - June 1, 2025
3D Next Step Bootcamp at Animation Skillnet
August 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022

Qualifications

NTA VFX Creative CG Compositing in Nuke
November 1, 2025 - December 1, 2025
Intro to Compositing (Nuke)
October 1, 2022 - December 1, 2022
3D Next Step Bootcamp
August 1, 2022 - September 1, 2022
The Animator's Workshop
April 1, 2025 - June 1, 2025

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Software & Internet, Gaming
    paper Merlin Roche 2025-2026 Showreel

    My previous animation work, both from classes and from my work on various Irish 2D productions.

    My roles for each clip are listed in the bottom left corner of each shot. The software used is shown in the top right.

    If you are interested in reaching out to me for work, my contact details are at the start and end of the video!

    #2d animation #portfolio #showreel #animation

    paper The Beavarians Short Film

    Developed a 2D animated film over the course of 9 days as part of a local animation challenge at the Dublin Animation Meetup (DAM) in Dublin, Ireland. I made the film in After Effects, using assets I drew in Clip Studio Paint. I assembled the sound in Reaper. The film was shown at the associated film festival for the event, DAMNATION.