Michael Cawood

Michael Cawood

Director on 'Devils, Angels & Dating'

Austin, Texas Area

Current
  • Lead Animator at Armature Studios
  • Director at Devils, Angels & Dating
Past
Education
  • Glamorgan Centre for Art and Design Technology
  • Richard Williams Animation Master Class
  • Alton College
Connections
396 connections
Industry
Animation
Websites

Michael Cawood’s Summary

Character Animator, Animation Supervisor and Animated Filmmaker

Projects include:
'Narnia: Prince Caspian' - Senior Character Animator
'Happy Feet' - Technical Animator
'Kameo' - Lead Animator
'Starfox Adventures' - Senior Cinematics Animator
'Rockband 2' - Senior Cinematics Animator
'Churchill Insurance' - Senior Character Animator
'Renault Megane Sport' - Senior Animator
'Viva Pinata' - Senior Animator
'The Club' - Senior Cinematics Animator
'Sir Billi the Vet' - Animation Supervisor
'Vodafone - Texts UNLTD' - Senior Animator

Michael Cawood’s Specialties:

Software experience:
Maya,
XSI,
Linux,
Windows,
Mac OS,
Renderman,
Premiere,
Final Cut Pro,
Digital Fusion (DFX),
After Effects,
Particle Illusion,
Photoshop,
FrameCycler,
Flipbook,
Microsoft Office


Michael Cawood’s Experience

  • Lead Animator

    Armature Studios

    (Computer Games industry)

    January 2009Present (11 months)

  • Director

    Devils, Angels & Dating

    (Animation industry)

    May 2007Present (2 years 7 months)

    Developing a short character based CG animated film project. Involving:
    • Script writing
    • Character designs
    • Concept art
    • Storyboards / Animatic
    • Previs
    • Rigging
    • Lighting / Rendering
    • Layout
    • Scheduling
    • Promotions / Marketing
    • Pipeline development for idea sharing
    • R&D/Tool development for unique features
    • Administrator on the Development Forums
    • Recruitment

    DevilsAngelsAndDating.com

  • Remote Character Animator

    Walsh Family Media

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Animation industry)

    November 2008January 2009 (3 months)

    'We Need a Hit' - Feature Film

  • Senior Character Animator

    Glassworks

    (Privately Held; Animation industry)

    November 2008December 2008 (2 months)

    'Churchill Insurance' - TVC
    'Unanounced' - TVC
    • Previsualisation

  • Senior Animator

    Passion Pictures

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Animation industry)

    September 2008October 2008 (2 months)

    'Vodafone - Texts UNLTD' - TVC
    • Previsualisation
    • Layout, Camera Setup
    • Editing
    • Simple Compositing
    • Tools & Technology Feedback

  • Senior Character Animator

    Passion Pictures

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Animation industry)

    April 2008June 2008 (3 months)

    'Harmonix: Rockband 2' - Game Cinematic & TVC
    • Previsualisation
    • Layout, Camera Setup
    • Mocap Retargeting
    • Rigging Feedback

  • Senior Character Animator

    Moving Picture Company

    (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

    January 2008April 2008 (4 months)

    ‘Narnia: Prince Caspian’ – VFX feature film
    ‘Renault Megane Sport’ – Animated VFX based TVC
    ‘Toyota Auris’ – VFX based TVC
    • Editing in Shake
    • Previsualisation

  • Senior Animator

    Ark VFX

    (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Animation industry)

    June 2007January 2008 (8 months)

    'Be Sombody' - VFX based TVC
    'The Club' - HD Cinematics for XBox 360, PS3 & PC
    • Overseeing the studio’s Animation interests
    • Character Design
    • Character Rigging
    • Editing
    • Previsualisation
    • Special Effects
    • Rendering and Compositing
    • Production tracking
    • Representing the company at animation events
    • Mocap retargeting and reanimating

  • Animation Supervisor & Lead Character Animator

    Glasgow Animation

    (Animation industry)

    December 2006May 2007 (6 months)

    ‘Sir Billi the Vet’ - CG feature film
    • Supervised 16 animators to produce over 30mins of the film’s animation
    • Review dailies for in-house and external animators
    • Scheduling & assigning shots
    • Animatic supervision & editing guidance
    • Layout approvals
    • Demoreel reviews & candidate interviews
    • Training and Mentoring
    • Pipeline development
    • Rigging feedback and supervision

  • Lead Animator

    Rare Ltd

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Games industry)

    June 1999November 2006 (7 years 6 months)

    'Kameo: Elements of Power' - Xbox 360
    'Starfox Adventures' - Gamecube
    'Viva Piñata 2' - Xbox 360
    'Perfect Dark Zero' - Xbox 360
    ‘Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts’ - Xbox 360
    ‘Various undisclosed projects’
    • Supervise 10 artists (predominantly animators)
    • Scheduling & assigning work
    • Storyboards, Animatics & Pre-viz
    • Simple modeling
    • Facial setup and rigging
    • Compositing in SD & HD
    • Special effects
    • Lighting & Rendering
    • Layout/Camera/Lensing
    • Character design and profiling
    • Rigging
    • Cloth dynamics
    • Facial expressions
    • Stretch & squash rigging controls
    • Muscle rigging controls
    • Story development & script writing
    • Game Design & Documentation
    • Concept Art & Diagrams
    • Training and mentoring
    • Festival presentations
    • Festival panel discussions
    • Portfolio review
    • Recruitment
    • Festival steering committee member
    • Demoreel reviews & candidate interviews
    • Editing in SD & HD
    • Twice yearly staff reviews
    • Career development recommendations

  • Technical Animator

    Animal Logic

    (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

    June 2006September 2006 (4 months)

    ‘Happy Feet’ - CG feature film
    • Problem solving
    • Animation polish and refinement

  • Animator

    BIT UK

    (Animation industry)

    June 1998August 1998 (3 months)

    'Archer' - Short animated promotional film and documentary commission
    • Storyboards
    • Character Designs
    • Traditional 2D Animation
    • 2D Colouring
    • Compositing
    • Editing


Michael Cawood’s Education

  • Glamorgan Centre for Art and Design Technology

    1st Class Degree with Honours , Animation , 19961999

    (equivalent to an international University Degree)
    A focus on character animation and short film making.

  • Richard Williams Animation Master Class

    Animation 19971997

  • Alton College

    Diploma with Distinction , Art and Design , 19941996

    (equivalent to an international College Diploma)
    Covered during the course was short animated film making featuring a wide range of experimental subject matter and techniques.


Additional Information

Michael Cawood’s Websites:

Michael Cawood’s Interests:

Active and outgoing when I have time, taking part in things that range from abseiling, sky diving in a wind tunnel, trapeze lessons and gliding… to various classes and wild life treks. I'm also currently developing my own short animated film.

Michael Cawood’s Honors:

Awards for short animated films:
Best 2nd Year film for "Two Face Tabby"
Best 3rd Year film for "Panda Pander"
Best Traditional 2D Animation for "Panda Pander"


Michael Cawood’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

  • career opportunities
  • consulting offers
  • new ventures
  • job inquiries
  • expertise requests
  • business deals
  • reference requests
  • getting back in touch

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