JACK GECKLER

5350 Playa Vista Drive #24, Playa Vista, CA 90094 ph: (818) 795-2872

EXPERIENCE

Massive Technical Director

Nov 2007 – Present / Digital Domain , Los Angeles, CA
  • Create crowds, armies and indivual placement of characters for upcoming feature film (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor).
  • Integrate multiple software platforms into daily work flow including Massive, Maya, and Nuke.

Massive Technical Director

July 2007 – Nov 2007 / Rhythm & Hues , Los Angeles, CA
  • Create quadruped crowds for upcoming feature film (Golden Compass).
  • Manipulate agent brain and hand-place agents with customized brain logic.
  • Integrate multiple software platforms into daily work flow including Massive, Maya, and R&H proprietary software.

Character Animator/Visual Effects Animator/Previz Artist/Layout Artist

Aug 2006 – June 2007; Dec 2004 – June 2005 / AsylumFX, Santa Monica, CA
  • Animated characters, cameras, and objects for feature films and commercials, following shots from previz phase through to final animation.
  • Responsible for creating slap comps of animation sequences using Shake for director approval.
  • Responsible for creating final camera layout and animation for selected shots.
  • Feature Titles included: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), Apocalypto (2006), Déjà Vu (2006), Sky High (2005) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) as well several commercials including Propel Fitness Water “Stress Monster” and “Uphill”, Tylenol Go Tabs, Dodge Nitro, Lexus, Marlboro, Corona, Chevy “Claim Your Chevy“ and several Nintendo GameCube and DS spots.

Freelance Character Technical Director

July 2006 – August 2006 / Rainmaker Studios, Vancouver, BC
  • Consulted on various rig and skinning issues for Night at the Museum(2006).
  • Performed skinning of Sphynx character for the film.

Technical Animator

Sept 2005 – August 2006; June – July 2007 / Sony Pictures Imageworks, Culver City, CA
  • Integrated characters into various scenes for upcoming feature film, Beowulf (2007).
  • Added animation over motion capture rig.
  • Troubleshot character, rig, and environment issues as well as labeled and fixed swaps on various characters’ motion data.
  • Lit and added effects to environments in Motion Builder for various scenes.

Character Animator

July 2005 – August 2005 / Hydrogen Whiskey, Santa Monica, CA
  • Responsible for cinematic facial animation on various characters.
  • Worked exclusively on Smack Down VS. RAW 2006 for PS2.

Animation Lead

June 2005 – July 2005 / 5-X-B, Los Angeles, CA
  • Lead animator on a series of three NFL commercials.
  • Supervised a team of three animators.
  • Also responsible for previz and layout of sequences.

Character Animator/Mocap Lead/TD

Dec 2003 – Dec 2004 / Genuine Games, Woodland Hills, CA
  • Animated characters for upcoming PS2/xbox releases.
  • Created realistic animations and camera layouts for in-game cinematics.
  • Integrated motion capture data onto existing characters and problem solved any rig issues.
  • Responsible for lighting and rendering in Mental Ray for in-game cinematics.
  • Titles include: Fight Club (PS2 and xbox) and Bullet Proof (PS2 and xbox).

JACK GECKLER

5350 Playa Vista Drive #24, Playa Vista, CA 90094 ph: (818) 795-2872

EXPERIENCE con’t

Animation in 3-D/Acting for Animators Lab Instructor

Oct 2000 – Oct 2003 / Full Sail Real World Education, Orlando, FL
  • Taught students to understand and implement the use of advanced character motion as it pertains to 3-D Animation.
  • Wrote and presented various lecture materials including “Puppeteering as it Pertains to Animation” and “Acting Fundamentals to Improve the Animating Process.”

Puppeteer/Character Actor

Nov/1995- Aug/2001 / Disney MGM Studios/Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL
  • Puppeteer for various roles at Disney MGM Studios and The Magic Kingdom, including lead characters in “Bear and the Big Blue House,” Jim Henson’s “Muppet Vision 3-D,” and “Legend of the Lion King.”

SKILLS

3-D/2-D

  • Maya, Massive,Motion Builder, Max, Shake, Nuke, 3-D Equalizer, Illusion, After Effects, Maya Live, Boujou, Premiere, PhotoShop, iRush, Syntheyes

Platforms

  • Unix/Linux, Macintosh OSX, Windows NT/2000

EDUCATION

Full Sail Real World Education -- 1999-2001

  • Associates of Science Degree, Computer Animation

BrevardCommunity College -- 1996-1997

  • Architectural Drafting and Traditional Art Studies

REFERENCES

Joel Behrens, Lead Compositor

Digital Domain

(818) 415-3721

Matt Hackett, Lead Animator

Asylum FX

(213) 804-4345

Additional references available upon request.