James Weston
3D Artist - Assets & Environments
Experience:
8+ Years
Email:
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
Residency Status:
British Citizen
Permanent Resident of Canada
A Bit About Me
Hi - I'm James, a 3D Assets & Environments Artist.
With over eight years of experience in high-end visual effects, I specialize in asset creation and procedural modelling, developing efficient, scalable workflows across film, episodic, and advertising projects.
My background as a generalist gives me a broad technical foundation and adaptability across multiple disciplines.
Known for my collaborative mindset and problem-solving approach, I bring both technical insight and creative intuition to every project I’m part of.
Work Experience
ZOIC Studios
3D Generalist-Assets & Environments
December 2024 - Present
Vancouver, Canada
-
Procedural Modeling: Developed non-destructive Houdini workflows for asset and environment builds, enabling rapid iteration and scalability across sequences.
-
Solaris Pipeline Development: Assisted in refining the studio’s Solaris-based pipeline for lighting, rendering, and asset integration.
-
Tool Support & Development: Partnered with artists to troubleshoot tools and contribute to custom HDA and VEX-driven utilities that improved efficiency.
-
Environment Modeling: Created and optimized detailed environments, ensuring clean topology and scene organization for downstream departments.
-
Methodology Consultation: Regularly consulted in asset methodology meetings to advise on the most efficient modeling approaches—evaluating procedural versus traditional methods to suit the asset and project needs.
-
AI-Assisted Modeling: Utilized AI-generated reference imagery and geometry tools to create quick, accurate base meshes—accelerating early modeling stages and improving iteration speed.
One Of US
April 2020 - April 2021
3D Asset Artist
London, United Kingdom
-
Asset Department Collaboration: Reported directly to the supervisor, ensuring alignment with project goals and quality standards.
-
Modeling & Texturing: Created high-quality props, environment, and character assets using Maya, ZBrush, and Houdini.
-
Pipeline Testing: Evaluated a new Houdini-based rendering pipeline to optimize production workflows.
Framestore
3D Modelling & Texturing
April 2021 - October 2021
London, United Kingdom
-
Hard Surface Modeling: Created detailed models for both close-up shots and large-scale environments.
-
Advanced Asset Modeling: Modeled assets in Maya and Houdini using non-destructive procedural workflows for fast iterations under tight deadlines.
-
Tool Development & Showcase: Presented new tools and workflows in weekly meetings, enhancing team efficiency with Houdini solutions.
-
Unreal Engine Integration: Delivered a project in Unreal Engine 4, creating and implementing HDAs for seamless in-engine use.
DNEG
Build TD - Modelling & Environments
November 2021 - December 2023
Vancouver, Canada
-
Led Team to Success Under Pressure: Instrumental in guiding a team of artists to deliver a large-scale environment model within a critical deadline.
-
Hard Surface & Organic Modeling: Created intricate models, from hard surface assets to large-scale organic environments.
-
Versatile Asset Creation: Modeled assets using Maya, ZBrush, and Houdini to meet diverse project needs.
-
Environment Collaboration: Supported the environment team by modeling and scattering complex, close-up environments.
-
Houdini Tool Development: Built and documented custom Houdini tools (HDAs) to streamline workflows.
-
FX-Friendly Workflows: Developed and documented modeling workflows tailored for seamless FX integration.
Carson+Doyle
Sept 2020 - April 2021
Motion Graphics Designer/ AR Artist
London, United Kingdom
-
Freelance Motion Graphics Artist: Joined the team to work on Tinder's advertising campaign.
-
Mastered AR Tools: Quickly learned Snapchat's Lens Studio to develop augmented reality content.
-
Successful Filter Creation: Designed multiple successful Snapchat filters for Tinder's PYOT campaign.
Untold Studio
3D Artist - Assets & Environments
June 2024 - December 2024
London, United Kingdom
-
Environment Generalist: Crafted detailed hard surface and organic environments, elevating project realism and visual impact.
-
Asset Creation: Modeled, textured, and developed assets to align with artistic direction, enhancing overall production quality.
-
Houdini Expert: Built complex scattering setups and optimized rendering for stunning, efficient results.
The Mill
3D Generalist
August 2017 - April 2020
London, United Kingdom
-
Fast-Paced Advertising Environment: Collaborated with leads and supervisors, adapting quickly to dynamic project demands.
-
Versatile Asset Creation: Produced a wide range of assets, from character models to full-scale environments.
-
HDRI & Lighting: Created HDRIs from raw photos, set up lighting, and rendered final shots to achieve high-quality visuals.
-
Asset Library Management: Organized and maintained a comprehensive asset library for streamlined production.
