Esteban Rodriguez

Welcome to My Journey in Rigging!

Hello! I'm Esteban Rodriguez, a passionate Rigger, Developer, and Supervisor with years of experience in the industry. I specialize in creating and enhancing rigging systems, ensuring they are efficient, stable, and tailored to meet the unique needs of any project. My journey has taken me through various roles, from a Rigging Artist to a Rigging Supervisor, where I've had the opportunity to lead teams, develop innovative tools, and contribute to high-profile projects.

I currently work remotely, but I'm open to relocating or working in a hybrid environment if needed. My expertise includes facial, body, and prop rigging, tool development, and troubleshooting complex issues during production. With strong communication skills and a commitment to excellence, I am ready to elevate your rigging department to new heights.

Explore my work, learn more about my tools like "Mutant Tools," and let's discuss how I can contribute to your next project. Whether you're looking for an artist, developer, or supervisor, I'm here to help!

Clients and Contributions

I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing clients, delivering high-quality rigging solutions remotely, with the exception of my time at Scanline VFX, where I worked both remotely and on-site in Montreal. Here’s a look at what I accomplished for each of them:

Stellar Creative Lab

As a Rigging Supervisor at Stellar Creative Lab, I was responsible for overseeing facial, body, and prop rigging while proactively addressing issues before they escalated. My role extended beyond just rigging; it involved designing the entire workflow, integrating both old and new studio tools to ensure a seamless production process.

Rigging

One of my key responsibilities was designing the rigging workflow using a mix of old and new studio tools. I worked closely on Frank, the main character’s rig, ensuring everything was set up correctly from the start. As we moved forward, I discovered more stable solutions, leading to a complete rebuild of the character’s rig to make it even more robust.

Development

On the development side, I helped map out the entire pipeline—from receiving models, rigging them with our proprietary software, to final delivery. This involved everything from managing files within the rigging department to creating utilities for saving and loading components, and of course, squashing bugs as they came up. I also managed crowd work for over 300 assets, making sure everything was smooth and efficient.

Social

I’m a big believer in a positive work environment, so I organized lots of team-building activities that helped us gel as a team. We grew stronger together and created a solid working structure. Throughout, I kept in mind that we’re all human, with human needs—something that’s easy to forget in a fast-paced environment like ours. This focus helped keep morale high and made sure we could handle stress without burning out.

Scanline VFX

At Scanline VFX, I worked as a Rigger Developer, where my main focus was on enhancing and creating in-house tools for our artists, all while balancing troubleshooting and development work.

Development

My role involved improving existing tools and building new ones to streamline the rigging process. A big part of my job was converting custom nodes into standard vanilla nodes, which made it easier for us to collaborate with external vendors. I also developed core classes for assets, shape tools, and simple crowd helpers that were used across multiple projects. Even though I wasn’t assigned to just one project, I took on tasks as they came through tickets, ensuring that my work benefited the entire production pipeline.

Troubleshooting

I often solved issues that popped up during production. Using Git for version control and adhering to PEP8 coding standards, I was able to troubleshoot problems effectively, ensuring that everything ran smoothly behind the scenes.

Social

Communication was key in my role, especially in understanding what wasn’t working and why. I worked both remotely and in Montreal, adapting to different environments while staying focused on delivering quality results.

Bardel Entertainment

At Bardel Entertainment, I worked as a Rigging Artist, where I focused on creating high-quality rigs and optimizing tools to enhance our workflow.

Rigging

I specialized in body, and prop rigging, ensuring that all deformations and shapes were top-notch. My goal was always to achieve excellent results that made characters and props move realistically and appealingly, which was critical for the projects we worked on

Development

In addition to rigging, I took the initiative to improve our tools and design work helpers that sped up the rigging process. What started as personal coding projects to make my work more efficient grew into a full toolset that I shared with the team. These tools helped us maintain quality while significantly reducing delivery times.

Social

My strong communication skills were a key asset in contributing to the success of our projects. I was proactive in sharing ideas and solutions with the team, ensuring we all worked together smoothly. By fostering open communication, we were able to tackle challenges head-on and keep the production process moving efficiently.

Production-ready rigging framework! Easy to use! Modular! Body, Face, Quadrupets, Whatever!

Some Tutorials

One of my core goals is to share the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career to help others grow, just as others have helped me along the way. I believe that by contributing to the community through tutorials, we can all elevate our skills and achieve greater success together. My tutorials are designed to break down complex rigging techniques and tools into easy-to-understand steps, making advanced concepts accessible to everyone, regardless of their experience level. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills, these tutorials are here to support your journey in the rigging world.

Explore my tutorials, and let’s continue to grow together!