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I am a creative 3D artist and leader with over 10 years of experience in animation production, pipeline development, and mentorship across freelance, academic, and studio settings. I am skilled in Maya, Cinema 4D, and Blender, and have contributed to Emmy-recognized content and globally showcased projects. My approach combines technical expertise with strong communication and leadership, drawing on my creative background as well as experience in the military. Throughout my career, I have fully managed 3D animation projects from concept to post-production, taught and developed 3D animation curricula at the university level, and led studio productions. I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy mentoring others, developing industry-standard workflows, and delivering high-quality, engaging animation content.…I am a creative 3D artist and leader with over 10 years of experience in animation production, pipeline development, and mentorship across freelance, academic, and studio settings. I am skilled in Maya, Cinema 4D, and Blender, and have contributed to Emmy-recognized content and globally showcased projects. My approach combines technical expertise with strong communication and leadership, drawing on my creative background as well as experience in the military. Throughout my career, I have fully managed 3D animation projects from concept to post-production, taught and developed 3D animation curricula at the university level, and led studio productions. I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy mentoring others, developing industry-standard workflows, and delivering high-quality, engaging animation content.

Aaron C Karlson

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I am a creative 3D artist and leader with over 10 years of experience in animation production, pipeline development, and mentorship across freelance, academic, and studio settings. I am skilled in Maya, Cinema 4D, and Blender, and have contributed to Emmy-recognized content and globally showcased projects. My approach combines technical expertise with strong communication and leadership, drawing on my creative background as well as experience in the military. Throughout my career, I have fully managed 3D animation projects from concept to post-production, taught and developed 3D animation curricula at the university level, and led studio productions. I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy mentoring others, developing industry-standard workflows, and delivering high-quality, engaging animation content.…I am a creative 3D artist and leader with over 10 years of experience in animation production, pipeline development, and mentorship across freelance, academic, and studio settings. I am skilled in Maya, Cinema 4D, and Blender, and have contributed to Emmy-recognized content and globally showcased projects. My approach combines technical expertise with strong communication and leadership, drawing on my creative background as well as experience in the military. Throughout my career, I have fully managed 3D animation projects from concept to post-production, taught and developed 3D animation curricula at the university level, and led studio productions. I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy mentoring others, developing industry-standard workflows, and delivering high-quality, engaging animation content.

Available to hire

I am a creative 3D artist and leader with over 10 years of experience in animation production, pipeline development, and mentorship across freelance, academic, and studio settings. I am skilled in Maya, Cinema 4D, and Blender, and have contributed to Emmy-recognized content and globally showcased projects. My approach combines technical expertise with strong communication and leadership, drawing on my creative background as well as experience in the military.

Throughout my career, I have fully managed 3D animation projects from concept to post-production, taught and developed 3D animation curricula at the university level, and led studio productions. I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy mentoring others, developing industry-standard workflows, and delivering high-quality, engaging animation content.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Work Experience

Artist/Animator at Freelance

January 1, 2016 - Present

Managed 3D animation projects end-to-end including modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, editing, and VFX for clients such as Zack D. Films and Girraphic. Contributed animation and visual content to Sports Emmy-nominated and winning broadcast projects under fast-paced production timelines. Created viral content with over 10 million views, including a top video with 33 million views by blending cinematic visuals with quick production strategies.

Lecturer at University of Florida Digital Worlds Institute

July 1, 2018 - Present

Built and expanded a 3D animation track from a single course into a multi-class pipeline that helped elevate the university to a Top 15 national ranking. Developed a software-agnostic curriculum teaching Maya and Cinema 4D workflows for transferable film and game production skills. Advocated for curriculum growth as the only 3D animation faculty member, collaborating across departments to establish animation as a core discipline leading to alumni hired at major companies including Sony and Insomniac.

3D Artist/Animator at University of Florida Digital Worlds Institute

April 1, 2016 - Present

Led 3D animation and pipeline development on studio productions for clients including the Florida Museum of Natural History and Lauren’s Kids, often as the sole animator within a multidisciplinary team. Directed animation and VFX for a 15-minute narrative short showcased internationally and translated into multiple languages for educational and cultural outreach. Mentored staff on professional 3D workflows, building compositing systems and championing industry standard practices under tight deadlines.

Aviation Electronics Technician at United States Navy

June 1, 2011 - September 2, 2025

Led a 16-person technical team responsible for diagnosing and maintaining mission-critical avionics systems supporting carrier-based aircraft across global deployments. Built a culture of accountability, mentorship, and high performance through hands-on training and coordination, which informs leadership and problem-solving approaches in creative production environments.