Daniel Sipes

daniel.sipes @ gmail.com

Experience

IO Interactive  |  Animation Director
Nov 2023 - Present


Projects:

Project 007  (In Development)

Responsibilities:

• Define a cohesive animation style for the project.
• Maintain animation quality across both gameplay and cinematics.
• Collaborate and unify vision with the Game and Art Directors.
• Provide creative and technical feedback to collaborating departments.
• Direct motion capture sessions.
• Direct and feedback cinematic layout and editorial.
• Provide guidance for animation technology development.
• Grow and mentor the animation team.


Guerrilla  |  Cinematics Animation Director
Feb 2018 - Oct 2023


Projects:

Horizon Forbidden West  (PS5 / PS4)
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores   (PS5)

Responsibilities:

• Oversaw the entire cinematic animation pipeline including
   previs, mocap acquisition and direction, layout,
   animation, and final implementation.
• Managed internal cinematic animation team.
• Provided feedback and direction to external vendors.
• Directed and assisted on stunt and performance capture shoots.
• Provided feedback for facial animation pipeline.
• Assisted produciton in scheduling.
• Collaborated with multiple art, programming, and design departments.
• Created various tools for MotionBuilder and Maya.


Ready At Dawn  |  Lead Cinematic Animator
Dec 2011 - Jan 2017


Projects:

Lone Echo  (Oculus)
The Order: 1886  (PS4)

Responsibilities:

• Oversaw the entire cinematic animation pipeline including
   previs, mocap selection, editing and shot selection,
   animation critiques, and final implementation.
• Managed internal cinematic animation team.
• Directed and provided feedback to external animation team.
• Collaborated with multiple art, programming, and design departments.
• Provided feedback for developement of facial solving pipeline.
• Assisted produciton in scheduling.
• Created tools and pipelines for MotionBuilder.
• Created and defined internal motion capture studio pipeline.


WB Games  |  Lead Animator
Jul 2009 - Mar 2011


Projects:

LOTR: War in the North  (Xbox / PS3)

Responsibilities:

• Managed and implemented in-game conversation system including
   camera shots, facial animation, body motion, and setup.
• Managed and scheduled a small animation team.
• Created animation for various design prototypes.
• Created animations and animatics for multiple game pitch videos.


Surreal Software  |  Senior Animator
Feb 2008 - Jul 2009


Projects:

This is Vegas  (Xbox / PS3)Cancelled

Responsibilities:

• Animated or directed all facial animation for cinematic and in-game
   characters.
• Created and implemented in-game animation from motion capture
   and key-framed data.
• Trained and mentored a small team of animators in facial animation.
• Developed python and mel scripts to improve animator workflow.
• Assisted prototype teams exploring different game systems.
• Directed and assisted motion capture shoots.


Zombie Studios  |  Lead Animator
Oct 2005 - Oct 2007


Projects:

CQC: Combat  (PC)
Live Fire Virtual Trainer  (PC)

Responsibilities:

• Managed a small internal and external team of animators.
• Directed motion capture shoots and defined integration pipeline.
• Animated realistic characters and weapons.
• Created motion trees for primary and secondary characters.
• Created and animated multiple facial setups using FaceFX.


Zombie Studios  |  Producer
Feb 2002 - Jan 2005


Projects:

Combat: Task Force 121  (Xbox / PC)
Shadow Ops  (Xbox / PC)
Delta Force: Task Force Dagger  (PC)

Responsibilities:

• Created schedules and milestone definitions for multiple game projects.
• Led and organized game design teams for multiple projects.
• Managed character modelers and animators.
• Rigged and integrated character models into Unreal.
• Directed multiple motion capture shoots.
• Managed and integrated art assets into multiple game engines.
• Developed and trained artists on pipelines and tool sets.


Education

Animation Mentor  |  Character Animation  (Graduate)
Oct 2005 - Dec 2007

Art Institute of Seattle  |  Computer Animation  (AAA)
Sep 1999 - Mar 2001





© Daniel Sipes 2024