Jakob Zoepfl

About Jakob Zoepfl

I am a passionate animator that focuses on animation and animation systems in games…

Experience

1. Senior Gameplay Animator

   Crystal Dynamics

   Aug 2019 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   In my role at Crystal Dynamics, I specialize in developing and implementing high-level animations and animation systems in Unreal Engine 5. My primary focus lies in gameplay animations, encompassing combat, interactions, traversal, locomotion, and performance. I am deeply passionate about creating complex and versatile animation networks in Unreal Engine, ensuring that every animation feels beautiful, satisfying, and seamlessly integrated with the underlying systems. I firmly believe that a character\'s movement is an essential extension of the player\'s experience.My workflow is heavily mocap-driven, where I excel at adjusting, refining, and enhancing motion capture data to achieve both realism and stylistic appeal. When required, I also create hand-keyed animations that align with our animation style, ensuring believability and visual appeal.I have extensive experience designing and implementing robust state machines, both on the animation and gameplay side, ensuring seamless communication between the two. On the animation side, I efficiently build new features such as anim-graph structures, motion matching (a personal favorite), linked anim layers, overlays, aim blends, IK setups, complex attack graphs, locomotion systems, traversal mechanics, and various interactive elements.On the gameplay side, I have a deep understanding of game state management and how it dictates animation flow. Maintaining authority within game states is crucial, and establishing clear rules early in development ensures stability and flexibility throughout production. I prioritize ensuring that the game state responds intelligently to animation states in key scenarios, resulting in polished and responsive gameplay.Beyond my technical expertise, I take pride in fostering growth within my team. I actively position myself as a source of knowledge and support for fellow animators and developers, striving to simplify complex systems and empower my colleagues.