Connor Swan: 3D Rigging Technical Artist

          I am a detail-oriented 3D Animation and VFX Artist, specializing in rigging. I have worked on a Sundance writers lab short film and 3D assets for a music video, and assorted games animations. In both my academic and professional life, I have been consistently praised for the quality of my work by my clients and peers. Whether working on academic, personal, or professional projects, I approach my work analytically and with commitment to ensure the product meets the needs of the client.  My primary skill set is creating character and asset rigs, coding/scripting, animating in 3D, creating 3D models, and creating dynamic simulations, while I also have experience editing video, creating a pitch bible, and other preproduction processes.  My software experience is primarily in Maya, Zbrush, and Blender, as well as adobe Premiere and other assorted softwares from working in IT for a few years.

          I was originally drawn to animation in high school, back when I was still on the engineering track; it was the right balance of artistic and technical to fit me well, and it was something I genuinely enjoyed.  After two years studying biotechnology at UCSD, I discovered that what I really wanted was to work in a career I enjoyed rather than just one I was good at, so I attended AAU and got my BFA in Animation and VFX. I would be happy to work in film or game development, they both are very applicable to what I do. I am an avid gamer and thoroughly enjoy watching movies, so it is difficult to choose a favorite, but of the best that come to mind, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Zootopia are at least near the top of the list. I have a soft spot for anthropomorphic characters, like the cast of Zootopia and the old Sly Cooper games, and I tend to lean toward more lifelike animation like in Horizon: Zero Dawn. The art style of Zootopia is easily one of my favorites, in particular its impressively convincing fur simulation and creative character design, and the technical skill in the character and particularly the creature animation of Horizon: Zero Dawn is incredible and believable. Of the independent films I’ve seen, I was impressed by the CG work in Kill Command, but my favorite overall animation would have to be the short film The Plan. The anthropomorphic characters were engaging, believable, and relatable while the art style was appealingly simple and complemented the premise well.