Hey, I'm Zach.

I'm a mid-level 3D generalist in Chicago with a background in architecture and a soft spot for building environments.

I'm driven by the pursuit of 3D craft, and most of what I know I've taught myself through Gnomon Workshop, YouTube and a lot of figuring it out. Architecture taught me to care about detail and scale, and I love making environments move with animation.

Right now I'm a CG Generalist at STL, making motion graphics, VFX and fully CG animation for architecture projects and brands. There I managed a team of five for a year building a digital twin of O'Hare Airport in Unreal Engine.

Away from the computer I'm usually behind a camera, shooting film and digital for weddings, events and the street.

Software

My workflow is built around Cinema 4D, 3ds Max and Unreal Engine, and I've picked up a wide range of tools along the way.

  • Go-to tools:Cinema 4D · 3ds Max · Unreal Engine · Rhino 3D
  • Every project:Substance Painter · After Effects · Photoshop · Photography
  • Also in the kit:Maya · AXYZ Anima · Marvelous Designer · ZBrush · Gaea · EmberGen · Premiere · Lightroom · V-Ray · Corona · Redshift · Drawing

Experience

2024– now

CG Generalist at STL, Chicago

Motion graphics, VFX and fully CG animation for architecture and brand work, using Unreal Engine, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Redshift and AXYZ Anima. Clients include Bally's Casino · Chicago Public Schools · O'Hare Airport

Managed a team of 5 for a year building a digital twin of O'Hare Airport inside Unreal Engine.

2023– now

Freelance Motion Designer at Cracked Media, St. Louis

Animation for brands, concerts and concept art in Cinema 4D, Unreal Engine and After Effects.

Free­lance

3D Artist for 4Topps

3D work for a stadium seating company.

2024

3D Visualization Artist at BeVizual, Chicago

Architectural still renderings in 3ds Max and Chaos Corona.

2024

Visualization Teaching Assistant at Washington University in St. Louis

Taught 12 students Rhino and V-Ray in an architecture representation course led by Jonathan Stitelman.

2022– 2023

3D Visualization Artist at Clayton Korte, San Antonio

Matte painting and architectural still renderings.

2019– 2021

Graphic Designer at the University of Illinois, Champaign

Posters, social media and more for the architecture school, working with the director.

Architecture

2022

Architectural Designer at Clayton Korte, San Antonio

2021– 2022

Architectural Designer at SB, Chicago

Education

2022– now

Self-guided through Gnomon Workshop and YouTube

–2024

Master of Architecture coursework, Washington University in St. Louis

Full-ride Director's Scholarship · co-founded the WashU VFX Club, bringing together people interested in VFX

2021

B.S. in Architecture, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign