Mark Gross
Technical Artist focused on Unreal character rigs, animation tooling, and validation pipelines — building artist-facing systems that scale from prototype to production.
Open to: Technical Artist (Rigging / Characters) · Technical Animator · Avatar & Animation Tools
I build Unreal character and rigging tools and partner with engineers on systems that scale.
Background in real-time production at Blur Studio (Houdini/Unreal pipeline tools, DCC → engine handoff) and large-scale asset validation at PPC (multi-site automation, regression testing, cross-team rollouts). Now targeting games Technical Artist / rigging roles where avatar and animation systems need to scale to millions of users. I work closely with artists, engineers, and producers to evolve processes — not just patch them — and I document everything I ship.
Characters & Rigging
- Control Rig / FK-IK Blending
- Skin Weights & Deformation
- LODs & Morph Targets
- DCC → Unreal Export
Animation & Real-Time
- Animation Blueprints
- State Machines & Blending
- Runtime Deformation
- Shaders & Post-Process FX
Tool Development
- Python & C++
- Qt / PySide UIs
- Unreal Editor Scripting
- Blueprints Integration
Pipeline & Scale
- Asset Validation & Regression Tests
- Cross-Team Rollouts & Docs
- REST APIs & CI Workflows
- ShotGrid / Perforce / Git
Tools & Projects
Character tools, rigging systems, and pipeline automation for games and real-time production
Character Import Validator
Production-grade Unreal Engine 5.4 C++ Editor plugin that validates SkeletalMesh imports against configurable studio rules — skeleton hierarchy, bone scale, LODs, materials, physics assets, and naming conventions. Dockable Slate panel with red/yellow/green severity, fix suggestions, and JSON report export for CI integration. Built for teams importing hundreds of characters per week.
View on GitHub →Unreal & Houdini Pipeline Tools
In-engine integrations, HDAs, and Python automation for real-time and interactive production. Built alongside artists and engineers — in-engine QA, asset export validation, and DCC → Unreal handoff tooling.
View Code Preview →Content Validation Framework
Terminal-based testing framework for content pipelines — test suite management, asset validation with checksums, regression testing, and multi-format reporting (JSON, HTML). Built to catch export errors before they reach production.
View Code Preview →Blender Shader Add-on
Procedural toon and behavioral shader tools — node-based materials with conditional logic and an artist-facing UI panel. Demonstrates real-time shading and material graph authoring.
View Code Preview →Multi-Site Pipeline Automation
Python tools and APIs for multi-site asset validation, delivery, and regression testing across LA and London offices. Cross-departmental rollouts, onboarding docs, and proprietary system integrations.
View Code Preview →Real-time Viz & Animation Pipelines
Workflow tooling and previs pipelines; development and testing of real-time visualization tools and interactive content delivery for animated and game-adjacent projects.
View Code Preview →Flex JSON Config Editor
Flask web app for editing pipeline JSON configs across multiple offices — MongoDB integration, SSH remote commands, schema-aware editing, and live file watching.
View Code Preview →HDRI Light Rig Manager
USD-native look dev lighting tool for Houdini Solaris — HDRI browser, turntable rig, preset system, and contact sheet renderer. Built with pxr USD Python API and Karma.
View Code Preview →Meshy 3D Generator
PyQt5 desktop app for AI-powered image-to-3D model generation — drag-and-drop input, API integration, threaded processing, and multi-format export (GLB/FBX/OBJ).
View Code Preview →Video Watermarker
PyQt5 desktop tool for batch watermarking video files via FFmpeg — adjustable text, position, colour, opacity with threaded processing.
View Code Preview →Video Reel
Technical art, character systems, shaders, and real-time FX
Technical Art & Character Systems Reel
Rig tools, in-engine characters, shaders, and FX — built in Unreal Engine, Houdini, and Blender. Demonstrates real-time workflows and artist-facing tooling.
Real-Time Lighting & FX
Fire FX and multi-light scene composition in real-time — custom HDRIs, procedural flame simulation, and post-process effects.
MNKI Promo
End-to-end promotional piece — compositing, color grading, and motion graphics pipeline from rough cut to final delivery.
Experience
Work Experience
Media Operations Engineer (Pipeline & Tool Development)
The Picture Production Company- Developed Python tools and APIs to automate media processing and pipeline workflows
- Built internal toolsets for asset validation and delivery across proprietary systems
- Collaborated with artists and engineers to ship cross-departmental tool rollouts
- Led technical onboarding and tool training for production teams
Pipeline and Systems Coordinator (Houdini & Unreal Tools)
Blur Studios- Built Houdini and Unreal Engine tools for real-time and cinematic pipelines
- Developed Python-based automation for render workflows and asset processing
- Worked closely with artists and engineers to design tools that met production needs
- Supported real-time experiences with custom in-engine tooling and pipeline integration
Freelance Technical Artist
Independent- Developed personal tools and shaders in Blender, Houdini, and Python for portfolio and freelance clients
- Built a Blender add-on for procedural toon shading and conditional shader logic (open-source)
- Studied C++, Qt, and computer graphics fundamentals for pipeline engineering roles
Pipeline Technical Assistant (Real-time Viz Tools)
The Third Floor Inc- Supported pipeline and production teams with workflow tooling and troubleshooting
- Contributed to development and testing of real-time visualization tools
- Assisted delivery of interactive content and custom animation pipelines
Education
Bachelor of Arts
Ithaca CollegeTechnical Skills
Let's build something together.
Open to full-time Technical Artist (Rigging / Characters / Animation Tools) roles at games studios — Roblox, Epic, Riot, and similar. Remote or LA.