Head of Character Animation
Dreamworks Animation's
1st Hybrid Feature Film!
Director: Ryan Crego
Producer: Steven Schweikart
1328 Animated Shots
48 Unique Characters
70+ minutes of animation in 6 months
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Created Style Guides and show bibles to help establish and retain animation style across mutiple continents and artists
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Created and presented Powerpoint presentations for character animation guidelines to all studio heads and artists
As Head of Character Animation on a DreamWorks Animation feature project, I led two international animation teams totaling over 100 animators across CGCG and Assemblage Animation.
CGCG delivered the full CG animation, while Assemblage Animation handled all VFX character shots.
Building from a highly successful television series with an established fan base, the team was tasked with elevating a beloved IP for a feature-length cinematic experience. As an added challenge, the characters were to seamlessly travel from live action/real world into Gabby's all CG magical worlds.
Despite a tight schedule and budget, the production thrived creatively, becoming one of the most collaborative and rewarding projects I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of.
Through strategic planning, robust character rig and setup pipelines, clear cross-department alignment, and targeted performance testing, we delivered more than 70 minutes of high-quality feature animation in just six months, on budget and to feature-film standards.
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Rig breaker for all animated characters and props
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Oversaw and managed SIM and crowd teams, establishing performance, motion design and integration of shotwork
The film introduced several new characters, and Chumsley quickly became a personal favorite. His face stood apart from the other Gabby Cats - that distinctive muzzle design begged to be animated like a puppet mouth. Sock puppet and Muppet references guided our shape development, and while rigging such a unique face was no small challenge, the team at CGCG pulled through beautifully. The result is one of the more memorable characters in the film.
Vera, played by Kristen Wiig, presented a wonderful opportunity. Taking her signature quirks and live-action performance, we molded an entertaining and heartfelt character.
Cookie Bobbie became a fan favorite. Googly eyes are a Gabby's Dollhouse staple, and for our version I leaned into a Cookie Monster-inspired pivot swing that gave them a life of their own. Both characters were beautifully designed by the talented Ellen Jin, and pushed our tech animation and simulation departments to their absolute limits.
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Met aggressive schedule and budget constraints while maintaining high production value
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Established clear cross-department animation guidelines to ensure consistency and efficiency
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Led performance testing, character rig validation, and animation setup workflows to streamline production
Teams
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Traveled to partner studios to help oversee and manage animation expectations
Pawesome Dreamworks Animation Crew
Aquarium Sequence
With so many entertaining sequences in this film, picking a favorite is no easy task, but the Aquarium sequence stands out as something truly special. The gorgeous designs and color treatment alone bring a breathtaking beauty to the characters, and the music elevates everything to another level entirely.
Beyond directing the animation, I also wrangled underwater character motion design, hair simulation, and crowd timing and choreography - all of which had to land together to deliver that irresistible, get-on-your-feet energy the sequence needed. Proud of every frame!