IMDb
Michael Levine, Technical Artist/Director , Creature/Cloth/Hair/Muscle and Crowd Simulation Professional Experience ,
Complete Credits List:
2023 - FuseFX - Senior Creature FX TD – cloth, crowd, grooming, hair and fur simulations using Maya and Houdini for:
The Santa Clauses, La Brea, I’m a Virgo, Praise This!, Marvel’s Secret Invasion, The Morning Show, Untitled Marvel Project
2022 - Method Studios - Senior Creature FX TD –
For All Mankind - Season 3, Thor: Love and Thunder
2022-2018 - Encore VFX - Senior Creature FX TD –
Setup master cloth/hair/crowd simulation rigs, delivered dozens of elements weekly for episodic broadcast TV schedule for the following shows: Supergirl, The Flash, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Titans, Doom Patrol, Boss Level, All-American, Ghosting , Secrets of Sulfur Springs
2021 - Nexodus Inc. - Cloth/Muscle Simulation TD - “Ark 2 Cinematic Trailer” -
Setup and delivered clothing and muscle simulation elements for final Unreal Engine delivery
2018 - Image Engine Design Inc - Senior Creature FX TD -
Setups of master assets and dynamic simulation rigs, and delivery of sim elements for shots.
Jurassic World , Point Break (2015), The Last Witch Hunter , Independence Day: Resurgence , Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , Game of Thrones , Logan, Lost in Space (2018), Kin (2018) , Out of the Cradle (2018 - museum exhibit and television special for NHK in cooperation with Square/Enix)
2016 - Image Engine Design Inc - Lead Creature FX TD - Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Feature Film/ Final Fantasy XV Game Cutscenes -
Lead the simulation team of 10 artists, built master rigs and setups for over a dozen characters in cooperation with Square/Enix,
2014 - Framestore - Paddington - Senior Creature FX TD - running multi-levels sims for hero skin, muscle, flesh, cloth, and hair.
2014 - Mind Over Eye - Denon and Infiniti G30 campaigns - Senior Cloth Technical Director - Setup sim elements and renders for campaigns.
2013 - Digital Domain - Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor - E3 CG Teaser - Hair Simulation TD - Setup master hair sim rigs
2013-2012 - Blue Sky Studios - Epic - Character Simulation Technical Director
Responsible for simulation of cloth, hair, armored crowd simulations, and rigid armor for hero characters and dynamic props.
2012 - Sony Pictures Imageworks - Hotel Transylvania - Senior Cloth/Hair Technical Director
2011-2010 - Rising Sun Pictures -
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Lead Cloth Technical Director
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Lead Cloth Technical Director
Tested and setup cloth department workflow and pipeline for the “Dementors”. Responsible for cloth rig creation and improvements, department tools, updating, and maintenance. Other responsibilities included: artistic direction, scheduling, and troubleshooting simulation/pipeline issues for other department members. Also assisted with Houdini fx elements.
2010 – Asylum Visual Effects – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice - Cloth/Hair Technical Director
Grooming and dynamics for Chinatown dragon using nCloth and ‘Shave and a Haircut’.
2009 – ImageMovers Digital – A Christmas Carol .
Cloth/Hair Technical Director. Hair simulations for shots with motion-captured human characters, using nCloth for hair dynamics
2008 -2009 Sony Pictures Imageworks – G-Force. Senior Cloth/Hair Technical Director
CG guinea pig hair, fur, wind, dynamics and interactions with live actors using Maya Hair and proprietary hair system. Cloth simulation using Syflex.
2008 – Zoic Studios – Sea World Orlando Commercial. Cloth Technical Director.
CG cloth sim for dancers’ ribbons using Maya nCloth.
2008 – Photon NZFX – The Warriors Way . Cloth TD in the Auckland, New Zealand office. Working on cape simulations using Maya nCloth.
2008 – Digital Domain – Lighting Technical Director -
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - Lighting of terra cotta warriors to live-action plates using Renderman, and Nuke.
Speed Racer - Lighting of CG cars with live-action elements and matte paintings, using Mental Ray, and Nuke.
2007 – Zoic Studios – Criminal Minds. Cloth Technical Director.
CG cloth sim for live-action actor’s dress using Syflex.
2007 – Sony Pictures Imageworks – Beowulf -Cloth/Hair Senior Technical Director/Team Lead.
3D cloth simulation for character costume shots. Setup of cloth rigs for production pipeline, using Maya cloth and
proprietary software. Troubleshooting and assisting cloth team members with technical issues.
2006-2005 – Walt Disney Feature Animation – Meet the Robinsons.
Cloth Technical Director. Responsible for all character interaction with 3D cloth elements and props. Construction of master cloth rigs for shots using Maya cloth and Disney proprietary cloth solver.solvers.
2004-2003 – Sony Pictures Imageworks – The Polar Express.
Cloth/Hair Technical Director, Cloth simulation for character costumes. Master setup of cloth dynamics and properties for production pipeline, using Maya cloth. Hair grooming and setup of characters using proprietary software and Renderman.
2002 – The Secret Lab – ESPN Ultimate X-Games - Paint fixes and roto for IMAX feature.
2002-2001 – Walt Disney Feature Animation/The Secret Lab – Kangaroo Jack -
Cloth Technical Director 3D cloth simulation and skin dynamics for kangaroo and jacket using Maya Cloth.
2001 - Industrial Light + Magic – Jurassic Park 3 - Lighting Technical Director -
Lighting of CG dinosaurs and integration with live-action and fx elements.
2000-1997 – Walt Disney Feature Animation/The Secret Lab –
102 Dalmatians -Technical Director
3D Skin and Muscle dynamics/inertia for fully CG puppy; using Maya and proprietary software.
Dinosaur - Lighting Technical Director.
Lighting and Compositing of CG characters and effects elements with live-action and miniature plates. Utilizing Renderman, Maya, and proprietary software.
Publications:
3DArtist Issue #64 - How to Animate Hair in Maya , Imagine Publishing, February 2014
3DArtist Issue #65 - Grooming Hair with Xgen , Imagine Publishing, March 2014
3DArtist Issue #66 - How to Tailor a Robe with nCloth , Imagine Publishing, April 2014
3DArtist Issue #68 - Zbrush Fibers to Maya nHair , Imagine Publishing, June 2014
Honors:
2014 VES Awards nominated team member - Epic - "Bomba" and "Mary Katherine"
2013 Golden Globe nominated team member - Hotel Transylvania - Best Animated Feature
2012 BAFTA Award winning team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Best Special Visual Effects
2012 Academy Award winning team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Achievement in Visual Effects
2012 VES Awards nominated team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- Outstanding Visual Effects
2011 BAFTA Award nominated team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Best Special Visual Effects
2011 Scream Awards winning team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Best Visual Effects
2011 Academy Award winning team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Achievement in Visual Effects
2011 VES Awards nominated team member - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Outstanding Visual Effects
Software Experience - Houdini, Vellum, Maya, Ziva, Pyhton, Mel, nCloth/nHair, Xgen, Fusion 360, ZBrush, Katana, Photoshop, Nuke, Mental Ray, Renderman, Yeti, Shave + Haircut, Marvelous Designer
Education- California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts , 1997
Major: Experimental Animation