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Ellen Montgomery

Puppeteer ​∙ Fabricator​ ​∙ Animator

Skills

Puppeteering
Character Acting
Adobe Creative Suite
Microsoft Office Suite
Hand Painting
Airbrush Painting
Paint/Color Matching
Mold Making
Paint Prep
3D Printing
MotionBuilder
Faceware
ShotGrid
Confluence
Maya
Unity
ZBrush
JIRA
AR/VR

Animation Collaborative - Lecture Masterclass

March 2019

AnimSquad - Intermediate Animation Mentorship with Jeffrey Engel

Winter 2018

Mold3D Academy - Creating Appealing Characters with Dylan Ekren

Winter 2018

The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago

2013 - B.F.A in Media Arts & Animation

Education

Experience

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater - Puppeteer

October 2024 - ongoing

  • Puppeteer in Holiday on Strings (2024), Hallowe’en Spooktacular (2025) at Knott’s Berry Farm, & Winter Wonderland (2025), performing iconic characters such as Santa Claus, Dracula, & other whimsical creatures

  • Performs with marionette puppets to convey charming character performances through song-and-dance numbers set to novelty show tunes & songs, using choreography, improvisation, and lip-synced monologues

  • Support show operations by setting puppets & props backstage, engaging guests during puppet meet-and-greets, & interacting with guests or students during field trips by demonstrating puppetry techniques, explaining marionette fabrication, & answering questions about the program & the theater's legacy

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater - Workshop Apprentice / Fabricator

May 2023 - September 2025

  • Airbrush & hand-paint marionette puppets with water-based paints & inks while mixing custom colors to accurately match original finishes

  • Restore marionette puppets by assessing condition, repairing damage, & preparing surfaces for paint through sanding, filling, & priming

  • Support theater operations by coordinating other vendors, sourcing materials, organize legacy collections, & preparing design files with Adobe Creative Suite programs

Amazon Games Studio - Animator

July 2021 - May 2023

  • Creates hand-keyed animations, modifies cycles & mocap performances from Motion Builder in Maya for real time game assets for ‘New World'

  • Works with Game Designers to execute player combat animations & make revisions based on critiques, playtests & player feedback

  • Partners with Technical Artists to review & iterate on animation rigs as well as update & improve documentation of animation processes

Magnopus - 3D Animator

February 2019 - May 2021

  • Creates hand-keyed animations, cycles, and animation libraries for characters and props in Maya for VR experiences through Occulus and Unity game engine

  • Works with Art Director and other team leads to develop a pipeline and product application with new proprietary software by the client

  • Drives concepts for animations by creating prototype or block-out animations, as well as integrate the assets into Unity that work with the Avatar system and state machines

CounterPunch Studios - Animator (Contract)

November 2018 - February 2019 & May 2021 - July 2021

  • ​Creates hand-keyed realistic facial animations as well as clean and embellish motion capture data with character emotion and storytelling for cinematic scenes in AAA+ titles

Next Generation Esports (NGE) - Lead 3D Animator

July 2017 - December 2017

  • Responsible for providing  animation direction, rigging specifications, & oversight to an outsourced animation team, as well as delivering feedback and drawovers for animation

  • Collaborate with the Art Director & Creative Leads to establish an effective animation pipeline to execute client’s  vision, while also creating rigging & animation documentation & improving studio processes

  • Creates stylized hand-keyed character & prop animations in Maya & the implementation of animations, rigs, and assets into Unity

The Walt Disney Company (DCPI Digital Media) - Jr. Animator

January 2014 - December 2017

  • Works in the Digital Games & Apps department on 15+ award-winning mobile games across all Disney brands

  • Creates character animations in Maya, including planning & executing cutscenes, in-game cycles, & lip sync animations

  • Collaborates with Pixar, Disney Channel & feature filmmakers on interactive game developments based on TV show or toy product releases, & make revisions based on feedback

  • Manages outside agencies and freelancers to provide animation direction & reviews with drawovers

  • Assists in modeling, rigging, & animating props in Maya, ZBrush, & Topogun

  • Creates FX & particle animations with Unity Shuriken Particle system

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