I am Rick Thomas, a seasoned animator and generalist with over 30 years in the feature film, commercial and gaming industries. My expertise spans modeling, rigging, layout, animation, and compositing, with deep experience in pre-visualization, art direction, and story development. I thrive on collaborative pipelines and turning creative ideas into cinematic results. I have helped deliver projects for Disney, Sony, Mattel and more, and I’ve led teams, implemented workflows, and mentored colleagues. I’m currently available for immediate opportunities and ready to contribute to ambitious visual storytelling, with a focus on real-time rendering in Unity and live-action animation integration.…

Rick Thomas

I am Rick Thomas, a seasoned animator and generalist with over 30 years in the feature film, commercial and gaming industries. My expertise spans modeling, rigging, layout, animation, and compositing, with deep experience in pre-visualization, art direction, and story development. I thrive on collaborative pipelines and turning creative ideas into cinematic results. I have helped deliver projects for Disney, Sony, Mattel and more, and I’ve led teams, implemented workflows, and mentored colleagues. I’m currently available for immediate opportunities and ready to contribute to ambitious visual storytelling, with a focus on real-time rendering in Unity and live-action animation integration.…

Available to hire

I am Rick Thomas, a seasoned animator and generalist with over 30 years in the feature film, commercial and gaming industries. My expertise spans modeling, rigging, layout, animation, and compositing, with deep experience in pre-visualization, art direction, and story development. I thrive on collaborative pipelines and turning creative ideas into cinematic results. I have helped deliver projects for Disney, Sony, Mattel and more, and I’ve led teams, implemented workflows, and mentored colleagues. I’m currently available for immediate opportunities and ready to contribute to ambitious visual storytelling, with a focus on real-time rendering in Unity and live-action animation integration.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Creator, Animator and Character Designer at PSYLAB Productions
December 31, 2022 - December 31, 2022
Culver City, CA. Created The Krepys, a virtual band project representing musical albums, online comic and TV series; included live show and tour. Led rendering in Unity to achieve real-time visuals.
Character Animation, Lip-sync, Rigging; Bird Character Design/Modeling; Rigging; Animation Layout/Pre-Vis; Lighting at Mattel
December 31, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Pixel Chix project. Responsible for character animation, lip-sync, rigging, bird character design/modeling, animation layout and lighting.
Freelance 3D Animator at Engine Room VFX
December 31, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Twitches – Disney Original Movie. Nonlinear blend shape cloud vortex animation.
Vehicle Concept and Design; Lighting; Camera-Projected Texturing at Dolby Digital
December 31, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Film Trailer production; vehicle concept/design, lighting and camera-projected texturing.
Hand Camera Track; Fluid Dynamic Cloud Fly Through; Atmospheric Effects at Disney Soarin
December 31, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Theme Park Ride and Commercial. Hand camera tracking; fluid dynamic clouds; atmospheric effects.
Freelance 3D Animator at Radium
December 31, 2005 - December 31, 2005
VW Polo - Commercial; camera track; fluid dynamic clouds; partial dynamic contrails; atmospheric effects.
Freelance 3D Animator at Radium
December 31, 2005 - December 31, 2005
TACO BELL - Commercial; camera track; particle dynamics; debris; rendered with Maya Hardware; prepped for Inferno.
Senior 3D Character Animator at Lightspan Partnership
December 31, 1998 - December 31, 1998
Development and animation of 3D characters; texture mapping; lighting; special effects; environmental development.
Creator, Animator and Character Designer at PSYLAB Productions / The Krepys
January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2022
Led character design and animation for The Krepys, a virtual band project representing musical albums, online comic, and TV series; oversaw rendering pipeline and migrated production to real-time Unity rendering for live shows and touring.
Character Animation, Lip-sync, Rigging at Mattel
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Responsible for character animation, lip-sync, rigging, and bird character design/modeling; also contributed to animation layout and pre-visualization; collaborated on lighting for renders.
Freelance 3D Animator at Kool-Aid – Stir Up Singles
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Rendered scenes with MAYA and Mental Ray; composed in After Effects; prepped for Inferno; contributed to branded animated spots.
Freelance 3D Animator at Engine Room VFX
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Nonlinear blend shape cloud vortex animation; contributed shading, lighting, and dynamics for commercials and features; collaborated across departments.
Various 3D Animation Roles at Dolby Digital / Disney Soarin / RadiUM / Taco Bell
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2006
Film trailer and theme park ride work including vehicle concepts, camera tracking, cloud and atmospheric effects, and particle dynamics; some shots involved lighting, rendering, and compositing for promotional material.
Senior 3D Character Animator at Lightspan Partnership
January 1, 1994 - December 31, 1998
Developed and animated 3D characters, mapped textures, lit scenes, and created environmental effects for educational and branded projects; delivered award-winning work for multiple clients.
Creator, Animator and Character Designer at PSYLAB Productions
January 1, 2013 - January 1, 2022
Created The Krepys, a virtual band concept representing musical albums, online comic and TV series; directed animation and character design; transitioned rendering to real-time in Unity; organized live show and tour.
Character Animator / Lip-sync / Rigging at Mattel
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Character animation, lip-sync, rigging, bird character design/modeling; animation layout and pre-visualization; lighting.
3D Artist / Film Trailer Animator at Dolby Digital
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006
Vehicle concept and design; lighting; extensive camera-projected texturing; fog/glow effects; Silver Addy Award winner 2007.
Hand Camera Tracking / Visual Effects Artist at Disney Soarin
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Hand camera tracking; fluid dynamic cloud fly-through; atmospheric effects; realistic ticket-in-wind animation.
Freelance 3D Animator at Radiium
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Freelance 3D animation work for various brands including VW Polo; cloud rendering; particle dynamics; atmospheric effects.
Freelance 3D Animator at VW Polo
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Camera tracking; fluid dynamic clouds; atmospheric effects; partial dynamic contrails; rendered with Mental Ray.
Freelance 3D Animator at TACO BELL
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Camera tracking; particle dynamic dust; rigid body dynamic debris; rendered with Maya hardware; compositing in After Effects.
Freelance 3D Animator at KOOL-AID
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005
Liqud animation; glass reflections and refractions; Syflex cloth; rendered with Maya and Mental Ray; prepped for Inferno.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Motion Picture Technology Film Animation at University of Central Florida
January 1, 1990 - January 1, 1994
Bachelor of Arts at University of Central Florida
January 1, 1990 - January 1, 1994
Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture Technology - Film Animation at University of Central Florida
January 1, 1990 - January 1, 1994

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Gaming, Professional Services

Skills

Experience Level