Jesse Bolzman

About Jesse Bolzman

I have always had a passion for creativity. Whether it is building with Lego, creating images with a pencil, or even discovering musical melodies and sounds, I love exploring the limitless array of creative possibilities. I’m fascinated by capturing an object’s essence in another form or designing something unique. Ultimately, I love imagination! When I was around 11, I was introduced to my first 3D program. I was immediately infatuated with it! It was like my dream of building with infinite Lego bricks had been unlocked! In 2010, I discovered the 3D animation program Blender. Its endless possibilities fascinated me. I went from creating objects to making them move! Then from making objects move, I went to giving their movement purpose. That brought me to my ultimate discovery, the most rewarding capability of imagination - creating the illusion of life! In the fall of 2012, I started my first Animation Mentor class. This started the journey I\'m still on today. I\'ve had the privilege of being able to work on several large video game productions including Call of Duty, Days Gone and Horizon Forbidden West. I\'ve gone through the heartache of canceled projects, the hardship of seeing coworkers let go in layoffs, and the uncertainties that come with video game development. But I\'ve also seen the joy of a successful game launch. I\'ve felt the excitement from seeing fans enjoying something I had a part in making. I\'ve experienced the selfish glee of seeing players scream from a jump scare I animated. This industry has many ups and downs, but through it all I love what I do. I love crafting engaging and emotional experiences for fans to enjoy. I love collaborating with other developers to make something better than any one of us could make on our own. I love talking with directors to bring their visions to life. I hope to keep being able to bring joy, emotion, excitement and stories to the world around me. Lastly, I hope never to stop growing! Not only as an animator but as an illusionist of life!

Experience

1. Lead Cinematic Animator

   Bend Studio

   Jun 2022 — Present

Education

• Animation Mentor

  Completed Advanced Studies in Character Animation Program

  2012 — 2014

• Animation Mentor

  Character Animation certificate

  2012 — 2014

• CGTarian

  Acting in Animation

  2015 — 2016