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Technical Artist with 15+ years spanning film R&D synthetic data, VFX, AAA games, and real-time engines. I specialize in Python pipeline tools, QA systems, procedural content, and character simulation—often turning subjective review criteria into consistent automated checks. I’ve built and owned end-to-end synthetic-data and QA pipelines (from vendor delivery through publish and downstream ML handoff) and delivered production-rigging and procedural facial/garment systems at pace, collaborating across art, vendor, and production teams.…Technical Artist with 15+ years spanning film R&D synthetic data, VFX, AAA games, and real-time engines. I specialize in Python pipeline tools, QA systems, procedural content, and character simulation—often turning subjective review criteria into consistent automated checks. I’ve built and owned end-to-end synthetic-data and QA pipelines (from vendor delivery through publish and downstream ML handoff) and delivered production-rigging and procedural facial/garment systems at pace, collaborating across art, vendor, and production teams.

TIRUMALAIMUTTU SHANMUGAM

Character Rigger, Character Designer, Visual Effects Artist, +7

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Technical Artist with 15+ years spanning film R&D synthetic data, VFX, AAA games, and real-time engines. I specialize in Python pipeline tools, QA systems, procedural content, and character simulation—often turning subjective review criteria into consistent automated checks. I’ve built and owned end-to-end synthetic-data and QA pipelines (from vendor delivery through publish and downstream ML handoff) and delivered production-rigging and procedural facial/garment systems at pace, collaborating across art, vendor, and production teams.…Technical Artist with 15+ years spanning film R&D synthetic data, VFX, AAA games, and real-time engines. I specialize in Python pipeline tools, QA systems, procedural content, and character simulation—often turning subjective review criteria into consistent automated checks. I’ve built and owned end-to-end synthetic-data and QA pipelines (from vendor delivery through publish and downstream ML handoff) and delivered production-rigging and procedural facial/garment systems at pace, collaborating across art, vendor, and production teams.

Available to hire

Technical Artist with 15+ years spanning film R&D synthetic data, VFX, AAA games, and real-time engines. I specialize in Python pipeline tools, QA systems, procedural content, and character simulation—often turning subjective review criteria into consistent automated checks.

I’ve built and owned end-to-end synthetic-data and QA pipelines (from vendor delivery through publish and downstream ML handoff) and delivered production-rigging and procedural facial/garment systems at pace, collaborating across art, vendor, and production teams.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Work Experience

R&D Technical Artist (Contract via Tek Systems) — Character & Garment Pipeline at Apple

October 1, 2023 - Present

Generated synthetic-data characters, garments, and scenes to train computer vision/ML. Authored PBR look-dev, character and facial rigging, and XGen grooming, and supported end-to-end pipeline standards and digital asset library hygiene. Owned QA and AI-assisted review gating for submissions using Claude Code in an ftrack/Perforce/Maya workflow, evaluating assets across multiple quality categories and converting qualitative feedback into consistent criteria. Created and QA’d proof-of-concept indoor/outdoor synthetic scenes by approving floorplans, performing object-level labeling/tagging for ML interpretability, and ensuring final sign-off before publish. Authored garment LODs for simulation/render performance and guided vendors on construction/metadata/look-dev standards.

Technical Artist at Telltale Games

April 1, 2022 - September 1, 2023

Performed real-time rigging for production characters and built Unreal Control Rig/Blueprint tooling for character GUI picking. Developed Python tools with Qt integration in MotionBuilder and Maya, including an XML-based Auto-Characterizer/Rigger and related animation transfer/export utilities. Built additional Python/QT utilities for alignment, batch renaming, and prop constraining, plus an automated batch animation retargeting pipeline. Did Maya-based rigging to fit Telltale’s MotionBuilder/Unreal pipeline and owned the Python library used across both tools. Source control used Unity Plastic SCM.

R&D Character Generalist (Contract via Harvey Nash) at Apple

June 1, 2020 - January 1, 2022

Provided character-based synthetic data for machine learning and delivered procedural, scalable solutions across teams for digital humans. Developed proof-of-concept Python character tools using PyMel and OpenMaya, and trained an extended team as part of an outsourcing initiative. Automated shader QA for faster feedback, set up motion-capture characters layered with keyframe animation to ensure object interactivity, and provided automated rigging solutions for clean mesh deformation. Set up scenes and cameras for demo videos showcasing SDG products.

Senior / Lead Facial Rigger (Contract) at Method Studios

November 1, 2019 - May 1, 2020

Generated high-quality facial rigs for digital double creatures for the film The Witches (2020). Built procedural rig systems with Python to enable iterative production while accommodating ongoing rig changes and additions. Reviewed facial HUD controls and corresponding range-of-motion behaviors, and QA’d rigs for consistency and efficiency at production pace.

3D Design Engineer (Contract) at LG SVL (Silicon Valley Lab)

February 1, 2018 - May 1, 2019

Conducted Houdini research for procedural 3D assets and world creation. Processed LiDAR point-cloud data in Houdini, converting it into optimized meshes with UVs. Built Houdini procedural road and building tools enabling city creation from a few user-defined curves. Produced city-based 3D assets using Maya, Photoshop, and Unity3D, maintained simulation-friendly polycounts, and created lighting/UV/PBR shading in Unity. Shot and edited product demonstration videos for technical presentations.

Freelance CG Generalist / Simulation Artist (nCloth/nHair) at Being Good (Animated Short)

August 1, 2017 - December 1, 2017

Performed nCloth simulations for character garments, including wrinkle/fold realism via constraints and native simulation tools. Baked simulations to high-resolution garment objects and cleaned up results as needed. Performed nHair simulation and baked hair curves, then fed simulation output into an XGen grooming setup.

Instructor (Contract) at SAE Expression College

February 1, 2017 - May 1, 2019

Instructed courses including Dynamic Effects (Houdini), 3D Modeling, Texturing and Lighting, Character Rigging, CG and Live-Action Compositing, and Motion Studies using Vicon motion capture. Covered rigid body/fracturing with Bullet physics and built procedural networks for smoke, fire, liquid, and wire simulations using Pyro/FLIP/Wire solvers. Taught manual UV unwrapping, texture painting, shaders, photo-realistic rendering, and compositing 3D objects with live video/photos. Centered character rigging instruction on anatomy, full rig setup, and realistic skin deformation.

Technical Artist (Freelance) at Luckbat Studios

April 1, 2015 - November 1, 2017

Worked on cloth simulation and additional physics setups (rigid body, soft body, particle) in Cinema4D. Addressed skinning and automated corrective shapes to simplify rig complexity. Performed animation QC to avoid mesh interpenetration.

Character Animator (Freelance) at BJC Advisory and Consulting

March 1, 2015 - February 1, 2016

Animated content for Talking Ted — a soundboard mobile app featuring dialogue-driven videos. Produced facial expressions and lip-sync, and maintained an Excel sheet for branching animation frame timing to sync rendering/game programming with audio. Built a Python pipeline tool to reconnect missing Maya animation nodes to rig controls when reference node imports failed.

Technical Artist (Contract) at Mokuni Games

March 1, 2015 - October 1, 2016

Created looping/branching character animations for iOS/Android and VR interactive projects. Rigged multiple character types using custom-developed scripts and shared rigs across characters with matching proportions to keep the animation library size optimal. Developed MEL tools (MayaLT) for transfer of skinning, animation, and FBX baking, and managed file libraries to mix-and-match rigs/animations.

3D Artist (Freelance) at IdeaRocket Studios

August 1, 2014 - January 1, 2016

Produced photorealistic product renders for TV and online commercials, including MetLife Insurance and mobile app campaigns. Performed batch rendering and compositing. Rigged origami concepts to support smooth metamorphosis between shapes.

3D Artist (Freelance) at Guna Foundation

June 1, 2014 - August 1, 2014

Created photorealistic 3D assets for documentary production reconstructing ancient India in 3D from present-day ruins, including Buddha statues and stupas.

3D Artist (Freelance) at Electronic Field Productions, Inc

May 1, 2014 - June 1, 2014

Modeled and textured war radio products and connecting cables. Built previs scenes including 3D set construction and camera setup per shot, and created a 3D animatic for a full commercial storyboard.

Technical Artist / Rigging (Freelance) at Traceback Studios

August 1, 2011 - October 1, 2014

Handled mesh deformation and rig control issues across pipeline stages. Implemented functionality to preserve volume, solve shoulder candy-wrap twist, and eliminate mesh interpenetration without breaking existing animation.

3D Animator at IT Object Software Ltd | Bangalore, India

April 1, 2005 - May 1, 2009

Performed motion capture retargeting and animation cleanup using MotionBuilder for PS2/PSP console titles. Used non-linear animation methods to produce seamless loops and transitions. Work includes AAA game titles such as BBoy (2006), Killzone, and Ghost Rider.