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Cesar Maximiliano Salazar Cortez
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Mexico City, Mexico
Toptal member since July 13, 2023
Bio
Cesar is a dedicated 3D and immersive worlds artist with over six years of game industry experience. Meticulous and hard-working, he consistently delivers high-quality work within project constraints, always learning and staying up-to-date with industry trends. Cesar thrives in collaborative environments and is committed to providing exceptional results and making a positive impact.
Portfolio
Experience
- 3D Modeling - 8 years
- Rigging - 7 years
- 3D Animation - 7 years
- MEL Scripting - 7 years
- Autodesk Maya - 7 years
- Unreal Engine - 5 years
- Shaders - 5 years
- Unity3D - 4 years
Tools
- Autodesk Maya
- Unreal Engine
Work Experience
Instructor
2022 - PRESENT
Amerike Instituto De Estudios Universitarios
- Taught courses on Level Art and Architecture and 3D Modeling for Interactive Media.
- Guided students in developing level design, architectural aesthetics, 3D modeling, sculpting, and texturing skills.
- Provided feedback, mentorship, and practical instruction to help students excel in game development.
- Fostered and witnessed students' growth and creativity.
- Prepared students for successful careers in the industry.
Technologies: Unreal Engine, 3D Modeling, ZBrush, Sculpture, Substance Painter, Level Design, Virtual Environments, Autodesk Maya, University Teaching, Training, Concept Art, Adobe Photoshop, Organization, 3D, 3D Design, Real-time Rendering Engines, Teaching, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Game Development, Visual Design, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Lighting, 3D Textures, Immersive Experiences, Science Fiction & Fantasy, 3D Graphics, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Illustration, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Game Design, Photoshop Design, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, 2D Games, Art Direction, Creative Design, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
3D Generalist
2016 - PRESENT
Freelance
- Created character concepts for a variety of clients in the comics industry.
- Built 3D environments for use within many metaverse worlds.
- Developed 3D models for use in metaverse avatars and NFT artwork.
- Engaged in creating custom character illustrations.
- Worked on creating art and animation for independent games.
Technologies: 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine, Metaverse, Illustration, Concept Art, Animation, Character Animation, Motion Capture, 3D Character Animation, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Game Development, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Lighting, 3D Textures, Immersive Experiences, Science Fiction & Fantasy, 3D Graphics, 3D Rigging, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Photography, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Children's Illustration, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop Design, Illustrator CS5, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, NFT Design, Motion Graphics, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
Technical Artist
2022 - 2023
360 Dev Lab
- Introduced and adopted new graphical technologies utilizing Unreal Engine.
- Led the creation of all rigs, visual effects, and animations.
- Developed highly optimized materials within Unreal Engine.
- Produced 3D models and textures for environments and characters utilizing Maya and Substance Painter.
- Focused on producing aesthetically pleasing game visuals.
Technologies: Unreal Engine, Rigging, 3D Modeling, Autodesk Maya, 3D Animation, Shaders, Substance Painter, Visual Effects (VFX), ZBrush, Digital Asset Management, Virtual Environments, Sculpture, Google Sheets, Illustration, Time Management, Augmented Reality (AR), Unity, Unity Shaders, Concept Art, MEL Scripting, Motion Capture, Adobe Photoshop, Onboarding, Organization, 3D, 3D Design, Real-time Rendering Engines, Animation, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Game Development, Visual Design, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Lighting, 3D Textures, Immersive Experiences, Science Fiction & Fantasy, 3D Graphics, 3D Rigging, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Game Design, Children's Illustration, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop Design, Illustrator CS5, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, 2D Games, Motion Graphics, Creative Design, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
Animation Supervisor
2022 - 2022
The Dreamerians
- Led a team of animators to produce 80+ high-quality cinematic and 200+ game animations.
- Developed production pipelines to promote clean and efficient production.
- Ensured the team's work met project requirements and exceeded expectations within the specified time frame.
- Provided constructive feedback and approved animation shots.
- Communicated effectively with creative direction and other teams.
Technologies: 3D Animation, Rigging, Supervisor, Digital Asset Management, Organization, Time Management, Unity3D, Autodesk Maya, Training, Onboarding, Leadership, Google Sheets, Unity, MEL Scripting, Motion Capture, 3D, 3D Design, Real-time Rendering Engines, Animation, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Game Development, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Textures, 3D Graphics, 3D Rigging, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Illustration, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Game Design, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop Design, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
3D Animator and Rigger
2019 - 2022
The Dreamerians
- Demonstrated technical expertise and attention to detail through rigging nearly 100% of the characters.
- Prioritized ease of use and excellent range when producing rigs for the animation team.
- Set a standard by creating high-quality cinematic and gameplay animations myself.
- Created a variety of Maya tools to accelerate rigging processes and general-use tools.
- Monitored actively and solved pipeline issues, introducing new technologies to the production pipeline.
- Acted as a bridge between developers and animators to fulfill both departments' needs regarding animation integration and rigging solutions.
Technologies: 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, Rigging, MEL Scripting, Autodesk Maya, Unity3D, Google Sheets, Illustration, Training, Unity, Concept Art, Motion Capture, Adobe Photoshop, Onboarding, Organization, 3D, 3D Design, Real-time Rendering Engines, Animation, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Textures, 3D Graphics, 3D Rigging, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Game Design, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop Design, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, Motion Graphics, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
Art Director and 3D Generalist
2016 - 2019
Bixelium Entertainment
- Led and managed the art side of all projects as an art director, maintaining cohesive visual direction and maximizing productivity.
- Undertook various tasks, including modeling key assets, rigging and animating characters, and mentoring junior team members.
- Ensured effective communication with other departments to define scope, allocate resources, and track project progress.
- Emphasized collaboration and efficiency to achieve successful art direction and deliver exceptional results.
Technologies: 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, Autodesk Maya, Unity3D, Unreal Engine, Concept Art, Illustration, Rigging, Time Management, Google Sheets, Leadership, 3DCoat, Substance Painter, MEL Scripting, ZBrush, Digital Asset Management, Virtual Environments, Sculpture, Training, Supervisor, Visual Effects (VFX), Adobe After Effects, 2D Animation, Motion Capture, Adobe Photoshop, Onboarding, Organization, 3D, Virtual Reality (VR), 3D Design, Real-time Rendering Engines, Animation, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, 3D Games, Communication, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, Game Development, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, Games, 3D Lighting, 3D Textures, Immersive Experiences, Science Fiction & Fantasy, 3D Graphics, 3D Rigging, Photoshop CS6, Digital Art, Photography, Character Design, 2D Illustrations, Character Illustration, Sketch, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D Visualization, Game Design, Children's Illustration, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop Design, Illustrator CS5, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, 3D Illustration, Art, 2D Games, Motion Graphics, Art Direction, Creative Design, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Maya, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design
Education
2011 - 2016
Bachelor's Degree in Animation
New Mexico State University - Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
Skills
Tools
Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop CS6, Adobe Substance 3D, Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop Design, Maya, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Google Sheets, Sketch, Illustrator CS5, Adobe After Effects, 3DCoat, ZBrush, Adobe Premiere Pro
Industry Expertise
Games, 3D Illustration
Other
3D Modeling, 3D Animation, Rigging, Illustration, 3D, 3D Design, Animation, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, 3D Art, 3D Rendering, 3D Rigging, 3D Graphics, Digital Art, 2D Illustrations, 3D Visualization, Children's Illustration, 2D Art, Digital Illustration, Game Art, Art, Creativity, Creative Concept Development, Motion Capture, MEL Scripting, Digital Painting, Shaders, Leadership, Digital Asset Management, Time Management, Training, Real-time Rendering Engines, Teaching, 3D Games, 2D Games, Communication, Visual Design, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, PBR Workflow, 3D Textures, Character Design, Character Illustration, Game Design, NFT Design, Art Direction, Creative Design, 3D Character Modeling, 3D Character Design, Unity3D, 2D Animation, Concept Art, Unity Shaders, Visual Effects (VFX), Augmented Reality (AR), Unity, Supervisor, Organization, Onboarding, Sculpture, Level Design, Virtual Environments, University Teaching, Virtual Reality (VR), Metaverse, Game Development, Storyboarding, 3D Lighting, Immersive Experiences, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Texture Art, Photography, Motion Graphics
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