Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Community
Timeline
Generic

David Pumpa

Leamington Spa,Warwickshire

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Principal Cinematic Animator

Playground Games
Leamington Spa
2025.02 - 2025.08

Fable

  • Defined level of quality for body and face animation.
  • Handled most difficult cinematic sequences, especially outward facing content like trailers or commercials.
  • Reviewed cinematic animation for internal and outsource teams
  • Owned new features for production to further cinematic goals
  • Educated animators on best cinematic practices and helped improve their animation quality.

Lead Cinematic Animator

Playground Games
Leamington Spa
2020.11 - 2025.02

Fable

  • Created cinematic department for the studio.
  • Continuously streamlined pipeline with automation and feedback cycles.
  • Documented every step of pipeline for animators and artists of all skill levels.
  • Reviewed quality for internal and outsource team.
  • Translated cinematic directors vision into deliverable goals.
  • Focused on team's well being and career growth.
  • As department matured, delegated more tasks to artists to encourage growth.

Senior Cinematic Animator

Bend Studio
Bend, Oregon
2016.11 - 2020.07

Days Gone

  • Created in game cinematics, unique interactions, and cutscenes.
  • Spearheaded research and development on potential new tech
  • Organized and unified cinematic pipeline
  • Tackled unique animation challenges using limited resources and technical skills
  • Helped define cinematic language for cinematic assets
  • Was responsible for documentation of new tech and processes
  • Explored various pre-production methods
  • Volunteered with various clubs and cultural initiatives to improve studio interaction.
  • Managed and delegated work to rest of cinematics team

Senior Face Animator

Sucker Punch Studios
Bellevue, Washington
2020.02 - 2020.04

Ghost of Tsushima

  • Responsible for realistic face animation for golden path cutscenes.
  • Mostly just churned out content as studio approached its shipping deadline.
  • Used FACS based face rigs.

Cinematic Animator

Bend Studio
Bend, Oregon
2015.11 - 2016.11

Days Gone

  • Animated most technical and challenging cinematic scenes.
  • Programmed tools for both Maya and MotionBuilder to expedite production.
  • Generated work-around solutions to adapt to limitations of game engine.

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
San Diego, California
2013.10 - 2015.11

The Order: 1886

  • Worked on grapples and prop interactions
  • Created workarounds and rigging for Maya and MoCap pipeline
  • Assisted animation team with technical issues

The Last of Us: Left Behind

  • Versatile animator jumping between animation and motion edit on multiple projects.
  • Hand keyed face animation.
  • Specialized in scenes with complex character interactions.

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
San Diego, California
2013.04 - 2013.07

Killzone: Shadow Fall

  • Worked on video game cinematics using motion capture and hand-key animation.
  • Animated body, vehicles, and props using Motion Builder.
  • Set up pre-pro environments and characterized rigs on MoCap stage.
  • Go-to guy for difficult MoCap scenes.
  • Taught new animators proper MoCap workflow.

Associate Cinematic Animator

Treyarch
Santa Monica, California
2012.01 - 2012.09

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

  • Created in-game cinematics using motion capture and hand-key animation.
  • Generated animation ideas for in-game cinematics.
  • Created pre-production for cinematics.
  • Directed stunt actors on MoCap stage.
  • Incorporated and cleaned animations in Motion Builder.
  • Exported animations in various stages to game engine.

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
San Diego, California
2011.01 - 2011.09

Uncharted 3

  • Worked on video game cinematics using motion capture and hand-key animation.
  • Worked on body, facial, and prop animation using Maya and Motion Builder.
  • Incorporated hair dynamics into scenes.

inFAMOUS 2

  • Pushed MoCap performances to get maximum effect.
  • Frequently worked on two person interactions.

Animation Intern

Pendulum
San Diego, California
2010.08 - 2010.12

Red Faction: Armageddon

  • Cleaned and implemented Motion Capture for pre-rendered cinematics.
  • Hand keyed vehicles and creatures in Maya.
  • Created facial animation using tracked footage.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Computer Animation

Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida
2008.06 - 2010.06

Skills

  • MotionBuilder
  • Maya
  • Unreal Engine
  • Photoshop
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Python

Community

  • Mentor for the Animation Diversity Foundation
  • Created Animation Tutorials on Youtube
  • Stream Animation on Twitch
  • Active member of the AnimState Community
  • Guest Lecturer and University Outreach

Timeline

Principal Cinematic Animator

Playground Games
2025.02 - 2025.08

Lead Cinematic Animator

Playground Games
2020.11 - 2025.02

Senior Face Animator

Sucker Punch Studios
2020.02 - 2020.04

Senior Cinematic Animator

Bend Studio
2016.11 - 2020.07

Cinematic Animator

Bend Studio
2015.11 - 2016.11

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
2013.10 - 2015.11

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
2013.04 - 2013.07

Associate Cinematic Animator

Treyarch
2012.01 - 2012.09

Cinematic Animator

Sony San Diego
2011.01 - 2011.09

Animation Intern

Pendulum
2010.08 - 2010.12

Bachelor of Science - Computer Animation

Full Sail University
2008.06 - 2010.06
David Pumpa