Matt Baamonde | Senior Unreal Engine Artist

ABOUT MATT

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Matt Baamonde is a multifaceted creative force, constantly pushing the boundaries of art and technology. With a degree in music composition from the renowned Berklee College of Music as a shredding guitar virtuoso, Matt's journey began in the realm of music production and film scoring. After a decade of working on hundreds of TV shows and movies in various creative roles in Hollywood, he ventured into the visual arts, specializing as an Unreal Engine VFX artist and character animator.

Driven by an insatiable passion for innovation, Matt thrives at the forefront of virtual world-building. He embraces the limitless possibilities that emerge from the fusion of cutting-edge technology and boundless creativity. As a pioneer in the new era of media and entertainment, Matt is excited to shape the future of immersive experiences.

With a diverse skill set encompassing visual effects, graphic design, 3d animation, photography, video editing, and music production, Matt brings a holistic perspective to his projects. His musical background lends a unique understanding of rhythm and movement, essential elements that breathe life into his visual creations.

A visionary at heart, Matt's work is fueled by his ability to manifest the impossible. He continually seeks to expand the horizons of what's achievable, transforming his imagination into captivating realities. Through his art, Matt invites audiences to step into uncharted territories and experience the extraordinary.

My Resume

MATT'S CAREER

UNREAL ENGINE | ANIMATION | VIRTUAL PRODUCTION | GAME DESIGN | AI

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Matt Baamonde is a visionary Unreal Engine Artist and Real-Time Virtual Production Specialist with a proven track record of delivering captivating visuals for over 100 AAA film and TV projects. He has collaborated with industry giants such as CNN, the Las Vegas Sphere, Warner Brothers, Fox, ESPN, Sony, Paramount, Amazon, Microsoft, Hilton, Walmart, the CES Tech Conference, and Coachella.
As a master of Unreal Engine, Matt excels in harnessing the power of real-time technology to create immersive experiences and push the boundaries of visual storytelling. Known for his reliability, collaborative spirit, and innovative mindset, he thrives in fast-paced environments, pioneering new frontiers in cinematic and interactive development.
With a relentless drive to innovate and a commitment to delivering unparalleled results, Matt is poised to make a significant impact in the realm of virtual production and beyond.
Matt was recently nominated and accepted as a member of the prestigious visual effects society VES Global.

RESUME

WORK EXPERIENCE

CNN / Warner Bros Discovery

SENIOR UNREAL ENGINE (UE5) ARTIST / NEW MEDIA DESIGNER

2021 - PRESENT

Create and develop realtime interactive XR Unreal Engine based virtual production worlds
Key artist for notable projects: CNN's first ever Virtual Weather Set, World Sport Set, Explainers
Design, manage, animate, and optimize 3D worlds and characters for photorealistic realtime playback on Green Screen, LED Walls, and Hybrid AR/XR productions.

Xite Labs / SociallyU / Volume Global / Bemo.TV

SENIOR UNREAL ENGINE (UE5) PRODUCTION ARTIST

2021 - PRESENT

Spearhead the creation and development of realtime interactive virtual production projects for top-tier productions, utilizing state-of-the-art XR technology and focusing on Unreal Engine development and rendering.
Key artist for notable projects including: The Las Vegas Sphere, Marvel's Infinity Saga Experience, TV's King of Killers, Microsoft Team CEO, Mesh, Build, Inspire and Celebrate, Walmart Shareholders 2022-2024, Formula-E, Hilton Shareholders 2022-2024, Pacbio Celebration, New Years Eve LA, CES and Coachella.
Design, manage, and optimize 3D worlds, (both imaginary and real world digital doubles) for photorealistic realtime playback on LED sets for cinematic quality virtual production.

Baazar Productions Inc. (Creative Agency)

OWNER | LEAD

2015 - PRESENT

Create, manage and develop client visual media projects ranging from Unreal Engine based Virtual Production, Live events, ICVFX, media graphic design, animation, video editing and marketing to brand strategy, social media and ecommerce management
Create, develop and manage Baazar Productions sales funnels, customer outreach programs and business growth channels

Tinopolis Corp: Base Productions, Magical Elves, A.Smith & Co., 495 Productions

POST PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

2010 - 2015

Administration, music supervision, editing coordination between talent and creative contractors and assets and in-house development teams
Credits include: Joe Rogan Questions Everything, ESPN's Sport Science, Project Runway, UFC, Top Chef, X-Games etc.

EDUCATION

2006 - 2009

Berklee College of Music

BACHELORS OF ARTS

Degree: Contemporary Writing and Production

CERTIFICATIONS

Unreal Engine 2, 3, 4 & 5
Blender, 3DS Max
Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere

AWARDS

Unreal Engine 2, 3, 4 & 5
Blender, 3DS Max
Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere

UNREAL ENGINE, VP, GAME DESIGN SKILLS

ENVIRONMENT CREATION / LEVEL BUILDING / WORLD DESIGN

Expert in Unreal Engine 5 (& 4) for comprehensive environment creation and level design, including terrain, lighting, foliage, sky and water surfaces. Skilled in 3D modelling for level design, static mesh optimization and procedural content generation (PCG), enhancing interactive world realism and NPC AI integration.

CINEMATIC ANIMATION PIPELINE & RENDERING / SEQUENCE PROGRAMMING

Experienced in managing cinematic animation pipelines and rendering processes using Unreal Sequencer, Blender, Maya including post production VFX work in After Effects, Nuke and/or DaVinci Resolve. Specialized in motion capture cleanup and high-fidelity animation rendering, optimizing sequences for VFX and interactive media.

BLUEPRINT VISUAL SCRIPTING

Proficient in Blueprint Visual Scripting within Unreal Engine, creating interactive applications and games. Expertise in live interactions and sequence activation, enabling rapid feature implementation and gameplay enhancement.

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION TOOLS

Skilled in advanced virtual production tools, managing the integration of physical and digital elements with technologies like NDisplay, Mo-sys, and Motion Capture Suits. Proficient in DMX lighting control and real-time sequence activation for enhanced production fidelity.

CUSTOM MATERIAL EDITOR DESIGN

Experienced in designing custom materials using Unreal Engine, focusing on multi-layer blending and virtual texturing. Optimizes material logic for solid body, organic, and VFX surfaces, improving visual quality and performance.

VERSIONING / REVISION CONTROL

Proficient in version and revision control using Perforce P4V and Git, ensuring project consistency and collaborative efficiency. Implements robust version control systems to manage project iterations and maintain code integrity across team contributions.

OTHER EXPERT SKILL SETS

3D PRODUCTION AND ANIMATION

Unreal Engine 4 + Unreal Engine 5, Unity, Cinema 4D, Daz Studio, Maya, Blender, 3DS Max, Houdini

VFX / COMPOSITING

Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve + Fusion, Nuke, Sony Vegas

ADOBE CC SUITE

Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom & Lightroom Classic, XD, Bridge, Acrobat, Animate, and Character Animator, Substance Suite

AI MASTERY

ChatGPT + API, Midjourney, DALLE, Runway, Wonder Dynamics (Invited Beta Tester,) ControlNet, Eleven Labs, Stable Diffusion, Deforum, AnimateDiff, Comfy UI and Automatic 111

CODING

HTML & CSS, Javascript, Python, C++

WEB DESIGN

Wordpress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, WooCommerce and similar front end web platforms.

MISC

FUN FACTS

Background in Hollywood scoring and music supervision with over 100 film and national TV credits. VES Global member.

Strength: Resourcefulness

Weakness: Coffee

HOBBIES

Music, Photography, Guitar, Filmmaking, Fitness, Video Game Development

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Raccoon

PORTFOLIO

CNN Extreme Weather Set

Virtual Production, ICFVX

The Chattanooga Show

Virtual Production, Live Events

Of The Trees

Live Events, Environment Design

Coca Cola

Virtual Production, Commercial

Story Summit XR

Interactive XR, Virtual Production

Microsoft Team CEO Presentation

Live Events, Virtual Production

Microsoft Build, Inspire & Celebration

Live Events, Virtual Production

The Legend of Zelda: Link Vs Ganondorf

Environment Design, Character Animation, General Animation

Batman Beyond: One Shot

Environment Design, Character Animation, General Animation, Filmmaking

Project Overview

Bringing the dystopian future of Neo-Gotham to life, this Batman Beyond animated pitch showcases the potential for a gritty, neon-soaked reimagining of the beloved animated series. Leveraging the power of Unreal Engine 5, we've created a visually stunning and atmospherically rich environment that captures the essence of Terry McGinnis' world.

Technical Highlights

Real-time Rendering: Utilized Unreal Engine 5's Lumen global illumination system to achieve dynamic, cinematic-quality lighting in real-time, bringing Neo-Gotham's bioluminescent underbelly to life.

Nanite Micropolygon Geometry: Employed UE5's Nanite virtualized geometry to create highly detailed cityscapes and character models without compromising performance.

Ray Tracing: Implemented ray-traced reflections and shadows to enhance the futuristic, glossy surfaces of Neo-Gotham's architecture and the sleek design of the Batsuit.

Niagara VFX: Crafted complex particle systems using Unreal's Niagara to simulate the neon haze, flying cars, and Batman's high-tech gadgetry.

MetaHuman Integration: Adapted MetaHuman technology to create hyper-realistic facial animations for Terry and other key characters, pushing the boundaries of digital performance.

Creative Direction

Our vision was to blend the nostalgic appeal of the original series with cutting-edge graphics that today's audiences expect. By reimagining classic elements through a cyberpunk lens, we've created a Neo-Gotham that feels both familiar and freshly dangerous.

The pitch video strategically unveils key iconic elements - the Batcave, Terry's suit-up sequence, and a pulse-pounding flight through the city - each designed to evoke the series' core themes of legacy, technology, and the eternal battle against corruption.

Unreal Engine Innovations

Developed a custom material system to dynamically age and weather buildings, allowing us to showcase Neo-Gotham's decades of history in a single frame.

Created an AI-driven traffic system for flying vehicles, bringing a living, breathing quality to the city's skyways.

Implemented a unique "memory glitch" effect using Unreal's post-process volume, visually representing the interplay between Terry's actions and Bruce Wayne's mentorship.

This project not only demonstrates technical proficiency in Unreal Engine 5 but also showcases the potential for reviving beloved properties with state-of-the-art game engine technology. The Batman Beyond pitch stands as a testament to the power of real-time rendering in breathing new life into animated storytelling.