Resume

[ bradley_henke ]

Visual Effects Artist | Software Engineer

www.bradleyhenke.com

I am a Visual Effects Artist and Software Engineer with experience in both artist and R&D roles. I enjoy participating at all levels of the creative process, developing workflows and tools, building rigs and simulation setups, and delivering the final art directed performance. I have experience working with cloth, fur, crowd, and environment dynamics, but I am open to all roles in which I can blend my artistic and technical talents.

Citizenships: USA and Canada

EDUCATION

BS/MS Computer Science
Summa Cum Laude
Minor: Applied Mathematics
Minor: Technology, Arts, and Media
Certificate: International Engineering in Spanish

Visual Effects Production
Modeling and Sculpting
Rigging and Animation
Lighting, Rendering, and Compositing
VFX Production Project

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Language Experience: C, C++, Python, MEL, Lua, Java, Web Languages
API Experience: Maya APIs, Houdini APIs, Qt / PyQt, Boost Python, OpenGL
System Experience: Linux (CentOS & Debian)
VFX Software: Maya, Houdini, Nuke

EXPERIENCE

DNEG (Sept 2022 – Sept 2023)

CG Creature Technical Supervisor

Initially hired to focus on Creature FX technologies, but willingly switched gears to fill a need in Crowd. Quickly mastered Houdini Crowd workflows and proprietary technologies. Wrote tools for synchronized multi-character vignette clip stitching, procedural foot planting of multi-limbed creatures, and created custom crowd simulation triggers. Added new features to pipeline instancing tools, profiled problematic nodes to increase performance, and supported the crowd teams through various bug reports. Worked closely with CG supervisors to help plan for large scale crowd cloth scenarios. Created cloth rigs for crowd characters and developed an automation system and QC process to deliver the necessary results.

Image Engine (Dec 2019 – July 2022)

Creature FX Lead

Lead the studio's Creature FX team. Created simulation setups for hero characters using both Houdini Vellum and Maya Nucleus. Worked closely with the Creature FX supervisor to estimate bids days. Delivered several technically challenging takeover shots. Developed pipeline integrated wedging templates for Houdini and Maya via gaffer. Thoroughly documented new technology contributions. Performed the initial investigation and integration of usd/solaris based workflows in Creature FX.

Shows: The School For Good and Evil

Creature FX Artist

Produced cloth, hair, and environment simulations with Houdini Vellum and Maya Nucleus. Created simulation setups. Upgraded the department toolset for python3 compatibility.

Shows: Venom 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

R&D Software Developer

Developed core software components for Rigging and Creature FX. Rewrote the studio's advanced spline IK maya node. Created a "Maya Dispatcher" gaffer node, and wrote pipeline integration, to allow for maya task automation. Contributed to the open source "cortex" codebase.

Shows: Project Power

Moving Picture Company (Jan 2017 – Nov 2019)

Technical Animation Key Artist

Created simulation rigs for cloth, hair, and environment dynamics. Worked closely with show leads to help manage a team of artists. Established methodologies for technically challenging sequences, and developed the supporting software tooling. Delivered the final art directed shot work.

Shows: Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, The New Mutants, Aquaman

Technical Animation Department Developer

Developed and maintained C++ maya nodes (fields, deformers, and utility nodes) for the department's toolset. Created pipeline interfacing software and general tooling to increase artist productivity. Served as a liaison between software and technical animation.

Shows: Alpha, Justice League, A Wrinkle in Time