Christopher Hurwitz

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVE

Freelance consulting work in the fields of web authoring, interactive advertising, multimedia, writing, and film.

LONG TERM OBJECTIVE

The evolution of mutually beneficial partnerships which further my pursuit of media production, novel and screenplay publication, digital sound sculpting, music, and film direction.

EDUCATION

B.S., Engineering and Applied Science California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

June 1990 GPA: 3.5

WORK EXPERIENCE

Freelance Consultant, 1995-present
Over seven years as a freelance consultant developing bleeding-edge interactive pieces. An overview of my work is available online in my interactive portfolio. Highlights include:

Vega 52, a multiuser, collaborative music video creation environment. Users design unique animations based on templates, then trigger the animations in real-time in a multiuser environment. Each animation enables a different music track. When animations from all genres are triggered simultaneously, the full musical composition is enabled.

Chatmaster 3000, a multiuser, animated chat environment, providing a digital canvas for collabrative composition and expression.
Macromedia Site of the Day, 9/20/2001.

Nike Freestyle Remixer, a real-time, keyboard-driven, video remixing tool. Allows user to create custom remixes of Nike's Freestyle commercial, and email their cuts to friends.

Spiderman.com Interactive Teaser for the 2002 feature film.

Excite Extreme - Tech lead for joint Intel / Excite development of 3D Java search interface. Site died when Excite folded.

HP Pong Banner - Considered Internet's first fully interactive advertisting piece - 1997 Communication Arts award, 1998 MC Icon Gold & Platinum awards

Nike Zoom Air - Interactive advertising for the Atlanta Olympic games campaign - 1997 Communication Arts award

Outlook Express Banner - 1998 Clio award

Morgan Interactive, Vice President, Engineering, 1993-1995

Technology lead at edutainment CD-ROM development firm.

Morgan Interactive Multimedia Engine
Led development of realtime, multitasking, multimedia engine in C++.
The engine was designed to handle the flow of parallel streams of realtime media using a plug and play, object-oriented, component based architecture.
Long term goal involved using the engine as an interface to an online, interactive, edutainment world for children.

Edutainment Multimedia Authoring
All the details that arise from being the technology slinger at a startup firm.

• Authoring, optimization, and mastering of Director based multimedia titles for Macintosh and Windows
• CD-ROM mastering, one-off replication
• Macintosh and Windows installer creation
• Game concept development
• System and network administration
• Technical support

SimGraphics Engineering, Software Engineer, 1991-1993

Computer Graphics programming for Virtual Reality related applications on high end SGI workstations.

VActor Performance Animation System, Digital Puppetry
One of the original programmers on the Performance Animation System, now VActor. The system allows actors to control computer generated, digital puppets directly with his or her facial muscles. Additional special effects are achieved with Polhemus 3D sensing devices, hand-based input devices, and bodysuits.

• Implemented expression mixing subsystem which cross referenced realtime input frames to drive puppet geometry modeling.
• Expanded expression mixing technology to include recognition of emotional and mood characteristics.
• Created X/Motif user interfaces for VActor development and runtime tools.
• Created object-oriented interface libraries for VActor input devices.
• Reengineered device drivers for Polhemus 3D motion capture.

VActor Venue Management
Managed remote VActor productions, including those in Japan and Germany.

• Configured SGI workstations for optimal performance.
• Trained actors in the use of the VActor system.
• Managed all aspects of technical production.

VActor Character Design and Development
Designed and implemented VActors for commercial clients.

• Worked with Viewpoint Datalabs to develop character geometry to client specification.
• Designed animation and facial expression repertoire for each character.
• Developed necessary morphing geometry targets with Viewpoint.
• Mixed morphing components and expression generation matrices.
• Created shell script system that automated character data management, shipping directory builds, and licensing/encryption for production release.

VRW, Virtual Reality Workbench
Revised and expanded functionality of realtime, 3D, CAD assembly testing environment.

Hero Locations, Location Scout, 1990-1991
Hunted sites for commercials and videos as a freelance location scout in Hollywood.

SOFTWARE SKILLS

Web Authoring:	Shockwave, SMUS (Multiuser Server), Flash, Java, HTML, CGI.
Media Tools:	Director, After Effects, Photoshop, DeBabelizer, Premiere, SoundEdit 16, Deck II
Environments:	SGI Irix, HP/UX, X/Motif, Macintosh, Windows 98/95/3.1, DOS
Languages:	C, C++, BASIC, Unix shell scripting, Java, Director Lingo
Miscellaneous:	Internet fluency. CD-ROM authoring/mastering. 3D Rendering, Lighting, and Modeling techniques. Algorithmic texture generation.