Looks like you have JavaScript disabled. For the full Twine experience, you will need to re-enable it.

Game animator and technical animator with experience leading gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams across Unreal Engine projects. Strong focus on hand-keyed and mocap-driven character animation, creature animation, motion capture direction, animation pipelines, and real-time/gameplay integration. Has delivered boss/creature animation, state machine and tooling work in Unreal Engine, and created assets for the Unreal Marketplace. Also supports production through mentoring, benchmarking animation quality, cross-team feedback, and VFX/particle systems to improve player immersion.…Game animator and technical animator with experience leading gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams across Unreal Engine projects. Strong focus on hand-keyed and mocap-driven character animation, creature animation, motion capture direction, animation pipelines, and real-time/gameplay integration. Has delivered boss/creature animation, state machine and tooling work in Unreal Engine, and created assets for the Unreal Marketplace. Also supports production through mentoring, benchmarking animation quality, cross-team feedback, and VFX/particle systems to improve player immersion.

Phil Rowe

Animator, Visual Effects Artist, Game Developer, +2





Game animator and technical animator with experience leading gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams across Unreal Engine projects. Strong focus on hand-keyed and mocap-driven character animation, creature animation, motion capture direction, animation pipelines, and real-time/gameplay integration. Has delivered boss/creature animation, state machine and tooling work in Unreal Engine, and created assets for the Unreal Marketplace. Also supports production through mentoring, benchmarking animation quality, cross-team feedback, and VFX/particle systems to improve player immersion.…Game animator and technical animator with experience leading gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams across Unreal Engine projects. Strong focus on hand-keyed and mocap-driven character animation, creature animation, motion capture direction, animation pipelines, and real-time/gameplay integration. Has delivered boss/creature animation, state machine and tooling work in Unreal Engine, and created assets for the Unreal Marketplace. Also supports production through mentoring, benchmarking animation quality, cross-team feedback, and VFX/particle systems to improve player immersion.

Available to hire

Game animator and technical animator with experience leading gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams across Unreal Engine projects. Strong focus on hand-keyed and mocap-driven character animation, creature animation, motion capture direction, animation pipelines, and real-time/gameplay integration.

Has delivered boss/creature animation, state machine and tooling work in Unreal Engine, and created assets for the Unreal Marketplace. Also supports production through mentoring, benchmarking animation quality, cross-team feedback, and VFX/particle systems to improve player immersion.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Lead Animator at Romero Games Ltd.

June 1, 2022 - July 31, 2025

Led gameplay, cinematic and technical animation teams for an upcoming Unreal Engine 5 FPS game. Developed intricate creature and boss animations to enhance gameplay experience and immersion. Implemented systems such as gun sway to improve weapon handling realism. Built and managed the animation pipeline as the sole animator during the project’s initial year.

Senior Animator at CCP Games, North Wales, United Kingdom

February 1, 2021 - June 1, 2022

Served as the sole animator for Eve Vanguard, overseeing all animation content and pipeline processes. Directed and captured motion capture sessions, ensuring high-quality performance integration. Hand-keyed first-person gameplay animation to enhance player immersion. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline animation workflows.

Principal Animator at Hexworks, North Wales, United Kingdom

August 1, 2020 - January 1, 2021

Spearheaded boss animation for Lords of the Fallen (2023), using fully hand-keyed techniques. Mentored less experienced animators on the team and set benchmarks for animation quality. Collaborated with outsource teams and provided critical feedback to enhance and drive animation quality. Directed motion capture shoots for creature animations.

Lead Animator at Firesprite, England, United Kingdom

August 1, 2015 - January 1, 2020

Spearheaded animation style and quality for an unannounced new IP at Firesprite. Provided constructive feedback to internal and external animators and riggers, improving overall animation quality. Developed and optimized the animation and tools pipeline, significantly improving workflow efficiency. Played a key role in expanding the animation department across the company, fostering a collaborative environment and interviewing candidates for other projects.

Company Owner at Goblin Games Ltd., North Wales, United Kingdom

June 1, 2015 - June 1, 2023

Served as an external contractor for Sumo Digital and contributed to the BAFTA-winning PS5 game Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Delivered high-quality hand-keyed cutscene animations and supported integration using Unreal’s sequencer. Developed the VR horror game Beasts Shall Rise for Early Access, expanding skills in immersive game design. Created and sold assets on the Unreal Marketplace to expand revenue streams.

Principal/Lead Animator and VFX Artist at Sony Manchester Studio, United Kingdom

January 1, 2013 - August 1, 2015

Solo animator for an unannounced AA VR project focused on character animation and rigging. Executed motion capture recording and cleanup, enhancing realism in character movements. Implemented gameplay animations in UE5, building state machine setups. Built real-time destructibles and set up physics bodies. Developed and implemented VFX particle systems to contribute to immersive and engaging gameplay experiences.

Senior Animator at Avalanche Studios Group

June 1, 2003 - November 1, 2012

Mad Max - In-Game Team: created player and secondary character animations from mocap data, including combat and locomotion character mechanics. Mad Max - Cinematics Team: polished cutscene body work; hand-keyed creature animation (dog); provided detailed feedback/critique to internal and external animation teams via Shotgun; set benchmarks and maintained polish standards. Just Cause 3: hand-keyed creature animations (cows, goats and deer).

Senior Animator at Piranha Bar, Dublin, Ireland

August 1, 2001 - January 1, 2003

Developed high-quality 3D animated visuals for prominent Irish TV networks, enhancing brand visibility. Collaborated with major clients including Coca-Cola, O2 and Vodafone to deliver engaging advertising content. Utilised So image XSI for modelling and animation to ensure top-notch production standards. Contributed to the success of various campaigns by increasing client engagement and brand recognition.

Senior Animator at Eurocom Ltd., Derby, UK

September 1, 2000 - January 1, 2003

07 Legends - Cinematics Cutscene Animator; Rio - Cinematics Cutscene Animator (hand-key); GoldenEye Reloaded - Character Animator (mocap); NPC anims. GoldenEye 007 - Main Character Animator responsible for all first- and third-person animations for the player character (hand-key). Dead Space Extraction - cinematic blockouts, camera animation, final pass animation and audio synching. Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs - cinematic blockout, storyboarding, final pass hand-keyed character animation including facial animation. G-Force - some in-game hand-keyed character animation plus cinematic final polish. 07 Quantum of Solace - main Bond character animator mixing hand-key and mocap.

Main Character Animator at Warthog, Manchester, UK

August 1, 1996 - January 1, 2000

Main character animator for iconic licensed characters including Day Duck and Bugs Bunny for the licensed game 'Loons, Back In Action'. Utilised Maya for character animation and modelling, enhancing the game’s visual appeal. Collaborated closely with the development team to ensure timely delivery of high-quality animations. Contributed to additional projects including last-minute work on 'Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter' showcasing versatility.

3D Animator at Infogrames, Manchester, UK

September 1, 1993 - June 1, 1996

Specialised in creating engaging 3D animations for the Loney Tunes game 'Loons'. Primary focus was animating the Tasmanian Devil along with various secondary characters using 3ds Max Character Studio to deliver captivating animations that enriched player interaction and enjoyment.

In-house Animator (Summer role) at University of Wolverhampton (Medical research content partner)

January 1, 1993 - Present

Produced a series of anatomical animations depicting the workings of muscles and tendons for a medical research company during summer study. Utilised university-contract animation work to deliver clear scientific visualizations.

3D Character Animator at Charybdis Ltd, Nottingham, UK

August 1, 1991 - June 1, 1993

Developed high-quality 3D character models and animations for various gaming projects, enhancing visual storytelling. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design immersive game levels, ensuring engaging player experiences. Contributed to successful launches of titles such as 'The Machines' and 'Magic & Mayhem 2', showcasing creative skills.

3D Artist / Data Design at Data Design Interactive, Birmingham, UK

September 1, 1990 - June 1, 1991

Delivered high-quality 3D models, textures, and animations for multiple gaming projects using 3D Studio v4 and Lightwave. Collaborated with the creative team to enhance visual storytelling in titles such as Conquest Earth and Lego Rock Raiders. Utilised Photoshop for texture creation, improving overall aesthetics and player engagement. Used traditional techniques to create animated sprites in DPaint.