ABOUT
Nice to meet you
Hi, my name is Diego and I was born in Zamora Michoacán, Mexico. I currently live in Southern California. I work in the animation industry as a character rigger and instructor.
My favorite hobbies include drawing, animating, and concert photography.
Work Experience
I am a professional artist specializing in character rigging.
DreamWorks Feature
Character Rigger
Glendale, CA. July 2022 – Present
Responsible for constructing 3D character rigs and animation interfaces, and establishing muscle, skin, and clothing behaviors which range from broad squash and stretch to realistic physical simulations
Gnomon
Rigging Instructor
Los Angeles, CA. July 2022 – Present
Teach fundamentals of rigging where I discuss the role of a rigger in production, as well as setup critiques and industry tips. Students explore various styles of rigging through weekly assignments and work towards creating a biped rig.
Nickelodeon
Lead Character TD
Burbank, CA. April 2022 – July 2022
Collaborate with leads, CG supervisor, asset supervisor, animation lead, and overseas partners to build rigs for characters and props. Ensure that all deliverables are completed on time and according to production standards. Review and note assets created by partner studios.
Dreamworks TV
Character TD
Glendale, CA. March 2018 – March 2022
Served as a rigging point person in show specific meetings and reviews. Rigged assets for prebuild to serve as examples for the overseas studios. Helped establish processes and pipeline integration during the course of RnD. Utilized Python scripting to implement new tools and techniques. Created cloth simulations and set up characters for crowd simulations.
Sprite Animation
Lead Character Rigger
Los Angeles, CA. May 2012 – March 2018
Implemented the use of MEL scripting. Trained in-house and outsource riggers. Developed rigs for bipeds, vehicles, creatures, props and edit or add to existing rigs. Worked closely with other team members to ensure all deliverables align with the production’s schedule and technical specifications.