Leon Peter Cruz
3D Animator and Digital Artist
CV / RESUME
Professional​
Info​​rmation
​3D VFX Artist and Animator:
3D modeling, character rigging, UV texture mapping, lighting, motion capture, animating, simulations, particle effects, compositing, rendering, virtual reality, game engines and A.I. Image and Video prompting for Film
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Canvas Certification: Los Angeles Valley College, Distance Education Program, Fall 2017
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Computer Repair Field Technician Certification: CompTIA A+, #COMP001011005574, 12/15/09
Skills:
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3D Modeling
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3D Character Rigging
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3D Animation
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3D Texturing
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3D Rendering
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Animatics
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Animation: 2D, 3D, & Stop Motion
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Audio Editing & Mixing
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Color Correction & Grading
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Compositing
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Desktop Publishing
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Illustration & Design
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Lighting
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Linux OS
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MAC OS
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Motion Capture
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PC Repair & Troubleshooting
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3D Printing
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Projection Mapping (3D)
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Simulations for water, sand, cloth (Marvelous Designer), & hair (nHair, Ornatrix, XGen, )
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Sound Editing & Mixing
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UV Texture Mapping
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Video Compositing
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Video Editing & Production
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Virtual Reality VR
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Visual Development and Environment Design
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Virtual Production
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Visual Effects
Education
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA, May 2021
Master of Fine Arts: Animation and Digital Arts, Magna cum laude
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California State University Fullerton
Fullerton, CA, May 2015
Bachelor of Fine Arts: Entertainment Art and Animation, cum laude
Work​
Experience:
Industry & Instruction
​​USC Cinematic Arts Summer Program
Adjunct Professor– Fundamentals of Animation, June 2024 – August 2024
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Designed and implemented a curriculum integrating the 12 principles of animation through a series of exercises including traditional 2D animation, stop motion, 3D animation, motion capture, and virtual production with an LED volume.
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Taught hand-eye coordination and muscle memory techniques for drawing and sketching to enhance animation skills.
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Facilitated student practice of presentation skills and provided critiques of their exercises to foster improvement and mastery.
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Guide students to complete a 1-minute animated film using the techniques and software demonstrated throughout the course.
USC Cinematic Arts Production Division:
Adjunct Assistant Professor– Virtual Production in LED Volumes, June 2023 – July 2024
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Introduce and instruct students working with LED volumes and game engine technology for real-time virtual backgrounds. Through a series of exercises, students will collaborate in groups to create short films, taking on creative roles such as scriptwriting and production design. Guided by my instructions with specialized expertise, students learn to seamlessly integrate virtual backgrounds with live-action elements, utilize game engine tools for previsualization, and explore the storytelling potential of LED volumes. The exercises cover various settings, including urban interiors, nature exteriors, urban exteriors, space interiors, and vehicles.
USC XA-Expanded Animation Division
Mentor/Guest Lecturer– August 2023 – October 2024
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Lecture: Integration of particle effects with game engines: Houdini to Unreal Engine
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Collaborated with student on an engaging 3D animated thesis project based on a culturally diverse retelling of the story of Moses, integrating dynamic elements such as motion capture, crowd simulation, real-time engine rendering software, and intricate cloth/hair simulation.
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practical demonstrations on introductory techniques using Unreal, a powerful real-time game engine rendering Contributed as a guest lecturer for a Science Visualization course, delivering comprehensive sessions and software
Lindenwood University
Adjunct Assistant Professor – Introduction to After Effects. August - December 2023
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Dynamically led an online course as an adjunct instructor, captivating students with an immersive journey into the realm of After Effects. Seamlessly integrated cutting-edge CG elements like Unreal Engine and lifelike CG characters into live-action footage, unveiling the magic of advanced compositing techniques.
Moving Picture Company - MPC FILM: Los Angeles, CA
Sets Technical Director, August 2021 – March 2023
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Maintain, update and optimize Unreal environments, textures, visual effects and other assets to import into Autodesk Maya for animation, rigging and set modification for Preproduction and Postproduction
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Ingest Unreal environments from the Virtual Art Department (VAD) to Stage, Previz & Production
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Transfer assets, environments, visual effects and other miscellaneous data to London, Montreal and Bangalore for use in a Virtual Production Cinematic movie pipeline.
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Shots Team: Wonderwall a.k.a. ‘Mufasa the Lion King’: adjust and manipulate cameras, character animations, environment assets, timing and rendering to optimize shots for the Director of Photography.
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Shots Team: Marry a.k.a. ‘Snow White’: adjust and manipulate cameras, character animations, environment assets, timing and rendering to optimize shots for the Director of Photography.
USC Summer Programs for High School Students: 3D Character Design and Modeling,
Los Angeles, CA
Teaching Assistant, 2020 & 2021
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Support Professor Scott Easley with demonstrations of 3D modeling, UV layout and texturing for online class
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Teach students living in the U.S.A., China, Canada, Europe and South America via Zoom to utilize Autodesk Maya to create 3D models of organic objects, characters and vehicles, while being sensitive to cultural diversity and needs of each student
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Take attendance, have class discussion to ensure learning objectives are met with course rubrics.
USC Cinematic Arts Production Division:
Teaching Assistant – Directing in a Virtual World, August 2020 – May 2021
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instruct students and support Professor Michael Fink with utilizing Unreal & Nuke software to integrate live action film plates, compositing, rotoscope, color correction, color grade, and camera track with visual effects,3D animation, motion capture, plus other disciplines of animation and visual effects for live action motion pictures.
USC Division of Animation and Digital Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Student Assistant, August 2019 – May 2021
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Motion Capture Fundamentals/Performance MFA class: Assist students and Professor John Brennan with motion capture software and techniques utilizing Motive & Motion Builder, Faceware, LiveFace, Character Creator, IClone, as well as its integration into 3D software such as Maya and the game engines Unity and Unreal Engine via online through zoom.
USC Viterbi Department of Computer Science, Los Angeles, CA
Course Producer, June 2020 – May 2021
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Assist Professor Scott Easley with rigging 3D character models for motion capture and integration with game engines Unity and Unreal
LOGAN.TV Los Angeles, CA
Contract Temp - Rigger/3D Animator, December 2020 – February 2021
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Create and ensure rig movements are fluid, free of glitches and believable.
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Design and maintain character set-ups
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Collaborate with animators to customize controls for characters and props.
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Key frame Animation of Props and Characters.
USC Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Los Angeles, CA
3D Animation Artist, May 2019 – September 2019
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Coordinate with Junjun Jing, Ph.D. of USC’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, to create 3D animation of stem cell function in the regrowth of mouse incisor teeth, (and potential Human application thereof)
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3D modeling, texturing, rigging and XGen Interactive Grooming implementation of anatomical mouse
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3D animation of anatomical mouse, mouse skull, and cellular incisor regrowth
Mosquito State (Film): Bow Street Films, VFX Supervisor: Maks Naporowski (VFX Director), Los Angeles, CA
3D Rotoscope Artist, June 2019 – September 2019
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Live action integration with visual effects utilizing Foundry Nuke and Autodesk Maya
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Face, body and camera tracking of live action actor
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Cloth simulation and tracking within film plates
Work​
Experience​
(Admin.)
Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)
Los Angeles, CA
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Scheduling Specialist
Los Angeles Trade Technical College
October 2019 – March 2020
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Administrative Aide: Curriculum Specialist
Los Angeles Valley College
May 2017 – January 2019
Los Angeles Harbor College
June 2016 – May 2017
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Specially Funded Program Technician
Los Angeles Harbor College
November 2015 – June 2016
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Office Assistant
Los Angeles Harbor College
May 2013 – November 2015
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Software Expertise
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Adobe:
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Audition
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After Effects
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Dream Weaver
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Fuse
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Illustrator
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InDesign
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Lightroom
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Mixamo
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Media Encoder
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Photoshop
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Premiere Pro
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Substance Designer
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Substance Painter
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Autodesk:
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Maya
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Motion Builder
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Mudbox
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Bifröst (Maya)
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Canvas
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Comfy Ui
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COCI (Curriculum Inventory System)
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Daz
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FaceWare
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Analyzer
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Retargeter
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Final Cut Pro (Apple)
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FOOOCus
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Git / GitHub
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Houdini
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KeyShot
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Linux OS
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Marvalous Designer
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Microsoft Office:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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Motive (OptiTrack)
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Nuke (Foundry)
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PeopleSoft SIS
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Perception Neuron (Motion Capture System)
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Perforce
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Pixlr (Online photo editor)
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Pixologic ZBrush
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Realusion
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Character Creator​
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Iclone
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Live Face
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Motion Live
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Redshift
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SAP (System Analysis Program Development)
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Solid Angle “Arnold”
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Unity (game engine)
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Unreal Engine
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Zoom
Gallery Exhibitions
USC School of Cinematic Arts SCA A.I. Art + Film Exhibition December 4, 2023
A.i. art generated with Stable diffusion - Video1 Video2
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USC Visions and Voices: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Re-Animated, 2019
3D Model and Animation of 3D Projected Volcano eruption and Frankenstein's creature
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Los Angeles Harbor College Art Gallery, 2017
Oil Painting “Lovers till the End”
California State University Fullerton: Surf’s Beat Generation, 2016
Team collaboration of 3D animated image stills for “Tales from the Tube”
Vincent Price Art Museum: Student Exhibition, 2012
Side view illustration of “Human Skull”