Hey, I’m Joseph Kennedy
I've been wildly interested in 3D, games, and animation since I was a youngling, in my early exploration days of the Internet. Even as a I child, I experimented with various animation programs, specifically Pivot because I loved the stick-figure flash animations that were prominent during those days. Around 2016, I started seriously learning 3D, as it was the perfect field to go into games, animations, movies, or just general digital work. I'm a huge advocate of Blender, due not only to its free pricing, but its efficient workflow and wide range of possibilities and tools accessible within one package. That said, I'm still learning and experimenting with various industry tools such as the Autodesk Suite, Adobe/Substance Suite, Unity, Unreal, and a few miscellaneous software.
View my Resume (Downloadable PDF) or scroll below to see it in plain text.
Contact me at: thevalkerie@yahoo.com or through my Social Medias or the Contact Form below.
Resume
Summary
Inspired and driven 3D generalist experienced in multiple aspects of 3D art, game design and production, animation, programming, interactive and immersive experiences, and other areas of the digital content creation field. Specifically skilled in modeling, texturing and materials, rendering and composition as well as VFX, particle systems and fluid/smoke simulations.
Experience
Assistant Technician for University of the Arts - Center for Immersive Media, a relatively new and experimental studio at my school focused on exploring and advertising the use cases of virtual reality, motion capture, soundscapes, projection mapping, virtual production, and various emerging technologies.
August 2021 - June 2024
Working with Qualisys Motion Capture Systems to track both performers and 6 DOF rigid-body objects
Producing creative research projects and applications in collaboration with school faculty, students, and external partners
Guidance and assistance with various classes, helping teach and showcase unique and relevant uses of VR art-based apps for animators and illustrators, and motion capture systems with dance and performing arts
Mainly a technical and visual artist working in Unity
Creating abstract visuals using particle systems for using in a touch screen projection mapping project
Creating, editing, and animation of 3D models for a dramatic play about the Greek-Syrian Refugee Crisis
Creating templates for ambisonic and surround sound, using both Oculus VR headsets as well as motion tracking
3D Artist at Astral Clocktower Studios, an indie game studio working on Kristala, an ARPG souls-like built in Unreal Engine 4
November 2020 - August 2022
Responsible for various hard surface props, things ranging from tables, crates, tools, lanterns, and weapons like swords, hammers, and shields
Responsible for various organic forms such as a large swamp tree, cat and rat skulls, candles and so on.
Preliminary testing for Hair Cards and Groom Simulation in UE 4 for furry creatures
All work created from given concept art and optimized for real-time use in Unreal Engine 4
Education
University of the Arts, Philadelphia - Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, specializing in Game Art - May 2022, cum laude (3.62 GPA)
Skills
Quality and results driven
Encouraging team member with ability to lead
Knowledgeable in various aspects of technical and artistic packages and softwares within the digital industry
Strong critical thinking and analysis
Experience with research, and understanding market demographics
Genuine passion for content creation, and realizing fantastical virtual environments
Great mentorship capacity, a willingness to learn new things from others and impart knowledge back in order to benefit both parties
Software
Blender 3D
Autodesk Tools: Maya and Mudbox
Adobe Tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, XD
Texturing Tools: Substance Suite, CrazyBump, xNormal
Megascans: Textures & 3D Models, Quixel Mixer & Bridge
HoudiniFX
Game Engines: Unity, Unreal Engine 4 & Godot
Qualisys Motion Capture Systems
Projects
Note: A more comprehensive list of recent and on-going projects can of course be found on my Portfolio page and CIM Blog page.
The Echo Chamber - 2023 - A collaborative project/installation created in tandem with Philadelphia’s National Liberty Museum, for an exhibition they were hosting called “Data Nation: Democracy in the Age of A.I.”. This project was a geodesic dome, with a touch-screen kiosk that allowed visitors to type in a belief or conviction, and variations of that belief were then echoed around the dome from a multitude of speakers using A.I. text-to-speech technology.
The Curious Case of Suffolk - 2022 - a short 3D FPS adventure/narrative demo, the player explores an abandoned mansion, and discovers the dark secrets of the owner. Built in Unreal Engine 5, acts as my final senior thesis for school, mainly an environmental piece to showcase asset creation skills, featuring some light storytelling.
Hexes - 2019 - 3 short musical animations featuring connected environments
Dish Hunt - 2019 - Freshman Year 2D Stationary Shooter
Flappy Plane - 2019 - Freshman Year 2D Side Scroller
Philly Restaurant Visualization - 2018 - Short animation featuring Center City, Philadelphia using real-world map data, with paths to nearby restaurant locations.
Descent to Sin - 2018 - Short animation pans down to Earth’s core to reveal a sinister power source
Awards
Presidential Award of Excellence
National Junior Honors Society - Pennsbury High School 2017
Dean’s List for Academic Good Standing, Fall of 2019 and 2020