John Carlson

Creative 3D Artist & Animator | Storyteller

Passionate and versatile 3D artist with over 20 years of experience delivering high-impact animation and visual storytelling across professional sports and entertainment. From projection mapping at Cape Canaveral to character animation for Disney’s Pixar Day at Sea and Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure, I bring a holistic creative approach from concept development to final compositing.

Known for my patient leadership, collaborative spirit, and sharp attention to detail, I thrive in fast-paced environments where quality and clarity matter. I motivate teams through thoughtful feedback and hands-on problem-solving, and I’m trusted to carry projects from initial pitch to polished delivery. Whether animating for stadium LED boards or crafting emotionally resonant characters, I love to make great work that moves and inspires.

2024 – Present

Visual Effects Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering - Disney Live Events - Visual Media Production

·         Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure – Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Storyboarded and animated expressive character acting and lip-sync for three Sea Horse Herald animations, welcoming guests with charm and clarity. Brought Sebastian and Flounder to life using puppet master video reference to guide nuanced performance and comedic timing. Cleaned and enhanced motion capture data for Ursula and King Triton, ensuring fluidity and personality in their larger-than-life movements. Animated Newt with the flute and dancing clams for the “Under the Sea” sequence, blending musical rhythm with playful choreography. Modeled, textured, rigged, and animated a wide array of stylized fish, birds, and props, delivering final FBX assets optimized for Unreal Engine.

·       Cool Kids Summer GoofyCore – EPCOT’s CommuniCore: Modeled, rigged, textured, and animated nine whimsical game intros for a live, interactive guest experience at EPCOT’s newly reimagined CommuniCore. Co-developed and animated Goofy’s backyard machine—a kinetic contraption full of personality and charm—in close collaboration with another artist. Delivered stylized animation tailored for large-format display and real-time interaction, blending physical comedy, visual storytelling, and technical precision to delight guests of all ages.

·         Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live – Disney California Adventure: Modeled, rigged, and animated whimsical characters including a red bird, a dragonfly with a mustache, a bumblebee, and a butterfly. Also created props such as sleds, rowboats, and a yard flamingo.

·         Disney Cruise Line – DVC Member Cruise - Treasures and Trivia Show: Developed concept and composited a 60-minute watercolor-style animation celebrating Disneyland’s iconic attractions for the panoramic video wall in the D-Lounge aboard the Disney Dream Cruise ship. The sequence transitioned from pencil sketch to full-color day-to-night environments, culminating in fireworks and a haunting appearance by the Hitchhiking Ghosts. Modeled and animated the Mark I Monorail and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to evoke nostalgia and motion within a stylized aesthetic. Also created and rendered custom logos for various DVC shows. Provided on-site support during a nine-night cruise to ensure seamless playback and guest experience.

·         Disney Dreamers Academy – Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Created 100 individual animated headshots of visiting Dreamers as well as many other files for guest speakers, sponsors, and dance parties.

2016 – Present

Freelance 3D Artist & Animator, Carlson Animation

·         Disney Pixar Day at Sea – Jack-Jack Animation Sequence: Collaborated with a small team of animators aboard the Disney Fantasy Cruise ship to animate multiple Jack-Jack sequences for the Pixar Day at Sea experience. Worked on-location for two weeks to deliver expressive, comedic performances tailored for live audiences. Brought the unpredictable charm of Jack-Jack to life in a setting that blended immersive storytelling with a live stage show and puppets.

·         Disney Pixar Day at Sea – Cruise Ship Bridge: Modeled the bridge of the Disney Fantasy Cruise ship for a functional photo real environment that served as a key visual background that Jack-Jack was composited into.

·         Climate Pledge Arena - Daktronics – Immersive Unreal Forest Experience: Crafted a lush, virtual forest spanning 28,175 square feet of digital signage for Climate Pledge Arena’s inaugural season. Using Unreal Engine, animated fluttering butterflies and a gentle breeze to evoke a serene, living ecosystem across ultra-wide LED canvases. The installation blended environmental storytelling with real-time rendering to create a tranquil, nature-inspired experience for thousands of live event guests.

·         Chick-fil-A - Animated Holiday Display: Directed, led art direction, and animated a 13-minute animated Christmas experience featuring stylized character performances including dancing ballet cows, snowball fights, a snowman-building contest, and reindeer cows pulling Santa’s sleigh. Designed for display across ten 75-inch storefront monitors, the piece blended whimsical storytelling with dynamic choreography and festive visual effects to engage families during the holiday season.

·         Jollibee Mascot – Times Square Animated Advertisement: Modeled and animated the iconic Jollibee mascot for a high-visibility digital billboard in Times Square, bringing the character to life with expressive movement and playful personality. Delivered stylized animation tailored for large-format display, blending brand storytelling with crowd-facing charm to engage thousands of daily viewers in one of the world’s most dynamic public spaces.

·         Cape Canaveral Astronaut - Animation for the ULA projection mapped show.

·         Harvard University – Created digital signage and scoring layout.

·         Additional animation & art created for clients such as: Angels of Anaheim, Disney Dreamers Academy, Disney, AT&T Character Clicks, Bud Light, Bank of America, Atrium Health, Toyota, Kia, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Southeastern University, University of South Florida, and University of Georgia

·         Concept Development, Art Director, Storyboarding, Modeling, Rigging, Animating, Rendering, VFX Compositing, and Video Editing

2022 – 2024

Motion Graphic Designer, Publix Supermarket

·         Created storyboards, animatics, and animations for social media campaigns.

·         Collaborated with art directors and designers, videographers, and photographers.

·         Instructed and trained team members in creative and technical development in various skills, including: animation principles, creative thought exercises, and After Effects.

2014 - 2016

Digital Artist & Animator, Grace Family Church

·         Created creative and imaginative videos for various departments and age groups – from a camp video featuring a giant walking robot to a parking video with a dinosaur in the parking lot.

·         Concept Development, Art Director, Storyboarding, Modeling, Rigging, Animating, Rendering, VFX Compositing, and Video Editing

2007 – 2014

Digital Artist & Animator, Daktronics

·         Created 3D animated opens for: Tampa Bay Rays, Orlando Magic, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Clemson University, University of Florida, University of Alabama, Iowa State University, University of Richmond, and James Madison University

·         Created sponsorship animations for: Toyota, Caterpillar, John Deere, Coca Cola, and Pepsi

·         Other Noteworthy Clients: New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Volunteers

·         Concept Development, Art Director, Storyboarding, Modeling, Rigging, Animating, Rendering, VFX Compositing, and Video Editing

2005 - 2007

Digital Artist & Animator, Create Studios

·         Created 3D animations for University of Virginia’s Football Hall of Fame, Basketball Hall of Fame, and Cavman basketball animated intro

·         3D Animation, Motion Graphics, Concept Development, Storyboarding, Video Production and Editing, DVD authoring, and VFX Compositing.

2003

BA, 3D Computer Animation, University of Central Florida

o   Maya

o   After Effects

o   Photoshop

o   Unreal Engine

o   Premiere

o   Mudbox

o   Motion Builder

o   Character Rigging

o   Lip-Sync

o   Acting

o   Motion Capture Clean-up

o   Stylized and Realistic Animation

o   3D Modeling

o   Concept Development

o   Storyboarding

o   Art Direction

o   Drawing

o   Compositing

o   Video Editing

o   Servant Leadership

o   Creative Storytelling

o   Project Management

o   Positive Encouraging Team Player

o   Effective Communicator