Résumé
Staff-level engineer specializing in CG asset interoperability, AI-assisted creative tooling, and real-time production systems across film, VFX, and immersive/interactive media.
Summary
I build production technology at the intersection of real-time graphics, open standards, and creative workflows. My work has focused on making complex assets portable, inspectable, reusable, and useful across studio boundaries: from OpenUSD and MaterialX pipelines to browser-based review tools, Unreal Engine workflows, spatial computing prototypes, and emerging AI-assisted VFX systems.
The throughline is practical interoperability. I like tools that respect artists, survive production pressure, and give teams a clearer way to move between experimental systems and dependable pipelines.
Core Strengths
OpenUSD & Interoperability
- OpenUSD pipeline architecture
- MaterialX and open shading standards
- Cross-DCC asset exchange
- Production interoperability and downstream reuse
Real-Time Graphics & XR
- Unreal Engine and Unity
- WebGPU, WebXR, and OpenXR
- Gaussian splats and volumetric capture
- Spatial computing and visionOS
- Real-time rendering and asset optimization
AI-Assisted Creative Workflows
- ComfyUI and node-based workflows
- AI-assisted VFX tooling
- Image and video generation
- Depth estimation and generative asset workflows
Pipeline & Technical Leadership
- Cross-functional technical strategy
- Production tooling architecture
- Vendor collaboration
- Mentorship, documentation, and prototyping
Professional Experience
Disney Studios - Staff Software Engineer, Creative Technology
- Led cross-studio interoperability initiatives focused on OpenUSD- and MaterialX-based asset exchange, downstream reuse, and production tooling in collaboration with Pixar, ILM, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel, and external partners.
- Designed and implemented a web-native OpenUSD inspection and rendering platform for lightweight production review, scene exploration, and asset validation directly in the browser.
- Embedded with Pixar to support real-time XR and downstream asset reuse initiatives for feature-film workflows built on Unreal Engine and OpenUSD-based pipelines.
- Collaborated with Marvel Animation and external VFX vendors to support standardized delivery and reuse of more than 1,500 production-grade assets.
- Developed cross-platform asset ingestion, simplification, and visualization tooling for web review and Unreal Engine integration across Disney production banners.
- Collaborated with Epic Games on standardized asset ingest and downstream reuse workflows supporting interoperable real-time content pipelines across studio and game-engine ecosystems.
- Helped prototype and ship immersive XR environments for the Disney+ Apple Vision Pro experience using real-time rendering and spatial computing technologies.
- Explored AI-assisted creative filmmaking workflows using ComfyUI, multimodal systems, image-to-video, depth estimation, generative asset creation, and related VFX workflows.
- Prototyped and evaluated Gaussian splats, volumetric capture systems, real-time visualization pipelines, and lightweight web-based review tooling for production stakeholders.
Pluto - Lead XR Engineer / Product Lead
- Led development strategy and technical direction for Pluto's XR multi-application platform ecosystem.
- Designed and prototyped cloud-streamed XR applications spanning virtual and augmented reality workflows.
- Collaborated across engineering, product, and partner teams to define scalable XR platform architecture and multi-application workflows.
- Helped shape product strategy around interoperable real-time XR experiences and distributed application systems.
- Prototyped XR applications and tooling across Unreal Engine, Unity, and Three.js/WebXR ecosystems.
Magic Leap - Creative 3D Engineer, Digital Experience
- Developed real-time 3D experiences and interactive content for Magic Leap web platforms and digital experiences.
- Prototyped experimental features and immersive workflows for Magic Leap World using Unity and real-time rendering technologies.
- Authored technical and community-facing content for Magic Leap platforms and ecosystem partners.
Self-Employed - VR & Web Developer
- Designed and developed performant VR, WebGL, and interactive web experiences for clients spanning media, marketing, and immersive technology sectors.
Selected Projects / Initiatives
OpenUSD Web Inspection & Review
Built browser-based review and inspection workflows for OpenUSD content, making production assets easier to validate, explore, and discuss without requiring heavyweight desktop tooling.
Studio Asset Interoperability
Advanced OpenUSD and MaterialX exchange patterns across studio, vendor, and game-engine contexts, with an emphasis on durable downstream reuse rather than one-off conversion.
AI-Assisted Creative Prototyping
Explored ComfyUI, multimodal generation, image-to-video workflows, depth estimation, and production-oriented VFX experiments as practical creative systems rather than novelty demos.
Emerging Visualization Systems
Prototyped and evaluated Gaussian splats, volumetric capture systems, real-time visualization pipelines, and lightweight web-based review tooling for production stakeholders.
Patents
System and Method for Large Asset Deployment for Extended Reality Devices
U.S. Patent No. 12,608,421, issued April 21, 2026. Inventors: Michael Becker, Nicholas Maggio, and Mark R. Mine.
Technical Skills
- OpenUSD, MaterialX, asset interchange, pipeline architecture
- Unreal Engine, Unity, real-time rendering, optimization
- WebGPU, WebXR, WebGL, OpenXR, visionOS
- ComfyUI, AI-assisted VFX workflows, image/video generation
- Browser-based production tooling and lightweight review systems
- Cross-studio technical leadership, vendor collaboration, documentation
Education & Certifications
Berklee College of Music
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2010.
Certifications
Product Strategy - Northwestern Kellogg School of Management; Unity Certified Developer.