Natalie Rodriguez

Character Animator

Phone: (323) 555-0147
Address: Los Angeles, CA
Website: https://natalierodriguezanimation.com
Email:
  • Character animator with 4+ years of experience bringing personalities to life through nuanced performance and precise timing across television and streaming productions
  • Proficient in Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, and After Effects with expertise in both 2D and 3D animation pipelines for episodic content
  • Collaborative team player experienced in fast-paced production environments, consistently delivering high-quality character acting on tight deadlines

Work Experience

Moonbeam Animation Studios

Character Animator

March 2022 - Present
  • Animate lead and supporting characters for Emmy-nominated series "Galaxy High" on Disney+, maintaining consistent performance quality across 24 episodes
  • Reduced animation revision cycles by 35% through improved blocking presentations and clear communication with directors during dailies
  • Collaborated with team of 18 animators to deliver 22-minute episodes on aggressive 6-week production schedules
  • Mentored 3 junior animators on advanced facial animation techniques and studio pipeline workflows
  • Successfully adapted animation style for crossover episode featuring characters from 3 different show universes

Stellar Studios

Junior Animator

June 2021 - February 2022
  • Animated 12+ secondary characters for Netflix's "Adventure Pals" series, completing 85 shots across 16 episodes
  • Mastered studio's proprietary rigging system within first month, becoming go-to animator for complex character setups
  • Implemented efficient workflow between rough animation and cleanup stages, saving production team 25 hours per episode
  • Maintained animation quality standards while working remotely during pandemic production challenges

DreamWorks Animation

Animation Intern

January 2021 - May 2021
  • Completed 15 independent shots for feature film "Ocean's Call" after intensive 3-week training program
  • Assisted senior animators with creature animation reference gathering and motion studies
  • Received "Outstanding Intern Achievement" award for exceptional character performance in final project
  • Contributed to pre-production development by creating test animations for new character rigs

Various Clients

Freelance Animator

September 2020 - December 2020
  • Created character animations for 4 educational apps, adapting style to match each client's brand requirements
  • Delivered all projects on schedule despite working across 3 different time zones with international clients
  • Developed personal short film "Midnight Express" which received Official Selection at SIGGRAPH Student Theater 2021

Skills

3D Animation: Maya (character animation, basic rigging, constraints), Blender (full pipeline)
2D Animation: Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, TVPaint
Compositing: After Effects, Nuke (node-based workflows)
Supporting Tools: Photoshop (cleanup, storyboards), Premiere Pro (animatic editing), Substance Painter
Character animation and acting performance
Facial animation and lip-sync
Quadruped and creature animation
Comedy timing and exaggerated animation
Motion capture cleanup and enhancement
Animation principles (timing, spacing, weight, anticipation)
Deadline-driven project management across multiple shots simultaneously
Collaborative approach to incorporating director and supervisor feedback
Clear communication with storyboard, layout, and lighting departments
Adaptable to different animation styles and studio pipeline requirements

Education

California Institute of the Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation

2017 - 2021
Relevant Coursework: Character Animation, 3D Modeling, Visual Storytelling, Motion Graphics, Advanced Acting for Animators

Animation Mentor

Advanced Body Mechanics Workshop

Completed: August 2023
Instructor: Carlos Baena (Former Pixar Animator)

iAnimate

Creature Animation Masterclass

Completed: March 2022
Focus: Quadruped Locomotion and Animal Performance

Awards & Recognition

"Midnight Express" - 3D Animated Short Film

Various Organizations

2021
  • Official Selection - SIGGRAPH Student Theater 2021
  • Best Character Animation - CalArts Producer's Show 2021
  • Staff Pick - Vimeo Animation Channel (180K+ views)

Outstanding Intern Achievement Award

DreamWorks Animation

2021
Recognized for exceptional character performance in final project

Featured Artist - "Rising Stars"

Animation Magazine

2022
Recognition as emerging talent in animation industry

Winner - 11 Second Club Monthly Competition

11 Second Club

November 2020
Monthly character animation competition winner

References

Sarah Chen

Lead Animator, Moonbeam Animation Studios

Supervised my character animation work on "Galaxy High" series
Email: [email protected] | Phone: (818) 555-0192

Marcus Thompson

Animation Supervisor, Stellar Studios

Mentored me during junior animator role, 2021-2022
Email: [email protected] | Phone: (310) 555-0234

Professor Elena Vasquez

Advanced Character Animation, CalArts

Thesis advisor for award-winning short "Midnight Express"
Email: [email protected] | Phone: (661) 555-0156