Hello, my name is Paul!
I have been working professionally in the VFX industry for nearly 20 years—19 to be precise. My career began at Framestore Commercials after I graduated with an MA in VFX from Bournemouth University. During my early years at Framestore, I handled various generalist tasks as a junior artist, including 3D camera tracking and basic lighting. From 2005 to 2012, I worked in commercials, during which time I advanced from Junior TD to Senior TD. My responsibilities expanded to include look development, lighting, FX work, and character grooming (hair and feathers) using Maya and primarily Houdini. I contributed to major commercials for clients like Pepsi, Coke, Chemical Brothers, and BMW.
In 2012, I transitioned to the Framestore VFX Film department, where I worked across several teams, including grooming and lighting, before eventually settling in the Character FX department until late 2022.
As a Lead CFX TD, I utilized in-house tools to build simulation rigs for hair, fur, and muscle / fat simulations, and used Maya for nCloth and Qualoth cloth & skin simulations. My responsibilities as Lead included creating simulation rigs, developing automated pipelines, executing shots, bidding on shots, problem-solving, creating tutorials, and providing feedback.
I’ve had the privilege of working on some iconic characters in various films as a CFX Lead, including:
- The Matrix Resurrections
- Beast
- The Suicide Squad
- A Boy Called Christmas
- Disney+ Lady and the Tramp
- POKÉMON Detective Pikachu
- Christopher Robin
- Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 2
- Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
- The Legend of Tarzan
- Paddington
Unfortunately, the Film CFX department did not use Houdini, which led me to leave Framestore in 2022 to revive my Houdini skills. As a result, I started my own company, VFX4DESIGN, in 2023 to focus on Houdini-oriented projects.
In 2023, I worked remotely as a CFX Supervisor at Skydance Animation in Madrid for a brief three-month period, where I operated within a heavily Houdini-oriented pipeline. My duties included shot bidding, recruitment, pipeline improvements, production meetings, running dailies, and enhancing shot production.
However, I ultimately decided to focus on my own company, VFX4DESIGN, where I work as a Senior Houdini Artist—a role I am most comfortable and passionate about.
Today, I consider myself a generalist artist who loves experimenting and exploring new ideas with Houdini. I am proficient in most FX areas within Houdini, including Vellum, Bullet, Pyro, and FLIP Fluids. I am also confident in look development using Material X and lighting/rendering with Karma XPU and USD workflows.
Please feel free to check out my CV and reels. I’m open to new opportunities and look forward to chatting with you.
Best regards,
Paul