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Hi there! I’m Yinyin Niu, a passionate animator based in Chicago with over three years of experience crafting 2D and 3D animation. I love storytelling and bringing characters and creatures to life through thoughtful movement, weight, and timing. I’m comfortable driving projects from concept through to final render and thrive in collaborative environments that push visual fidelity and gameplay readability. I’ve contributed across the full production pipeline—from concept and storyboarding to rigging and post-production. I’m seeking a full-time role in games, film, or interactive media where I can create compelling animation and help teams deliver polished, engaging experiences.…Hi there! I’m Yinyin Niu, a passionate animator based in Chicago with over three years of experience crafting 2D and 3D animation. I love storytelling and bringing characters and creatures to life through thoughtful movement, weight, and timing. I’m comfortable driving projects from concept through to final render and thrive in collaborative environments that push visual fidelity and gameplay readability. I’ve contributed across the full production pipeline—from concept and storyboarding to rigging and post-production. I’m seeking a full-time role in games, film, or interactive media where I can create compelling animation and help teams deliver polished, engaging experiences.

Yinyin Niu

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Hi there! I’m Yinyin Niu, a passionate animator based in Chicago with over three years of experience crafting 2D and 3D animation. I love storytelling and bringing characters and creatures to life through thoughtful movement, weight, and timing. I’m comfortable driving projects from concept through to final render and thrive in collaborative environments that push visual fidelity and gameplay readability. I’ve contributed across the full production pipeline—from concept and storyboarding to rigging and post-production. I’m seeking a full-time role in games, film, or interactive media where I can create compelling animation and help teams deliver polished, engaging experiences.…Hi there! I’m Yinyin Niu, a passionate animator based in Chicago with over three years of experience crafting 2D and 3D animation. I love storytelling and bringing characters and creatures to life through thoughtful movement, weight, and timing. I’m comfortable driving projects from concept through to final render and thrive in collaborative environments that push visual fidelity and gameplay readability. I’ve contributed across the full production pipeline—from concept and storyboarding to rigging and post-production. I’m seeking a full-time role in games, film, or interactive media where I can create compelling animation and help teams deliver polished, engaging experiences.

Available to hire

Hi there! I’m Yinyin Niu, a passionate animator based in Chicago with over three years of experience crafting 2D and 3D animation. I love storytelling and bringing characters and creatures to life through thoughtful movement, weight, and timing. I’m comfortable driving projects from concept through to final render and thrive in collaborative environments that push visual fidelity and gameplay readability.

I’ve contributed across the full production pipeline—from concept and storyboarding to rigging and post-production. I’m seeking a full-time role in games, film, or interactive media where I can create compelling animation and help teams deliver polished, engaging experiences.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro

Expert

Blender

Expert

Language

English

Fluent

Chinese

Fluent

Work Experience

3D Animator at Alchemy Information Technology Co.

June 1, 2024 - September 17, 2025

Produced 50+ animations for video/mobile games using Maya and 3Ds Max; streamlined workflow efficiency by 20% and reduced review cycles by 50%. Developed animations for Valorant, including character rigging and complete sets of combat motions to ensure polished gameplay visuals. Collaborated with VFX, design, and development teams to integrate character animations and weapon effects, maintaining high visual fidelity. Created dynamic combat and creature animations emphasizing realism, weight, and fluidity. Designed full boss move sets for The Tortoise (Boss: The Rosefinch), covering navigation, attacks, reactions, and taunts. Ensured seamless transitions and strong gameplay readability.

Animation Intern at Artisk AI

August 1, 2025 - September 17, 2025

Created engaging 2D animations in After Effects and Premiere Pro for multi-platform marketing campaigns. Supported scriptwriting, storyboarding, and motion rhythm planning for a 60-second brand video. Managed asset preparation, editing, and rendering optimizations to deliver efficient, high-quality outputs. Collaborated with the CEO and marketing team to align animation work with brand strategy.

Spine Animator at Fan-made Plants vs. Zombies PVP Game Project

January 1, 2025 - Present

Sole animator responsible for all animation assets in a non-commercial Plants vs. Zombies project. Recreated original PvZ1 animations in Spine at 60 FPS, 2× HD resolution; designed new UI/UX animations. Coordinated with artists/programmers to optimize engine integration and memory performance. Helped project reach early testing stage (v0.1) with 48K+ social media followers.

Freelance Graphic Designer at Remote (Chengdu, China)

January 1, 2025 - Present

Designed promotional/event materials for an anime convention, ensuring cohesive branding across platforms. Created posters, illustrations, tickets, badges, standees, and venue materials. Managed vendor coordination to ensure high-quality, print-ready deliverables.

2D Animator at Flamingo (Animated Short, Umbrella Studio)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Produced 20 seconds of character animation in Toon Boom, collaborating with directors to deliver expressive storytelling.

Director & Animator at Unfortunate Family (MFA Thesis Film)

December 31, 2022 - September 17, 2025

Directed and animated a hybrid 2D/3D short film; managed full pipeline from writing to compositing.

Director & Animator at OTAKU (BA Thesis Film)

December 31, 2020 - September 17, 2025

Directed and produced a 2D short film, featured in three international film festivals, and exhibited at Liu Haisu Art Museum.