01STYLIZED 3D SHORT FILM
Neon Wilderness
A quiet world pushed into motion through restrained character acting, atmospheric scale and light that changes with the emotional beat.
DYLAN CROSS 2D / 3D ANIMATOR & MOTION ARTIST
I MAKE IDEAS MOVE, REACT & FEEL ALIVE.
Character animation, stylized CGI and motion-driven stories created for films, brands, studios and screens.
Available for select freelance projects — 2026
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2D CHARACTER◆3D ANIMATION◆STYLIZED CGI◆TITLE DESIGN◆MOTION SYSTEMS◆VISUAL STORYTELLING◆
Showreel / 01:42
One reel.
Multiple visual worlds.
Selected work / 6 worlds
Built to move.
Designed to be felt.
Character, camera, timing, light and graphic rhythm are treated as one system—not separate finishing layers.
022D / 3D CHARACTER FILM
Line of Flight
Hand-drawn urgency meets spatial camera movement. Every silhouette stays readable while the frame moves at full speed.
03ENSEMBLE CHARACTER PERFORMANCE
Forest Chorus
Distinct personalities staged in one frame, using pose, eye-line and controlled overlap to keep the scene alive without losing focus.
04 / GRAPHIC MOTION FILM
Signal Bloom
Color, perspective and hard cuts shaped into a rhythmic brand world.
05 / CREATURE PERFORMANCE
Ash & Scale
Weight, tension and close-range acting built around a single charged encounter.
06MIXED-MEDIA TITLE SEQUENCE
Red Current
Illustrated figures, graphic shapes and moving depth layered into a sequence that feels drawn and cinematic at the same time.
2D + 3D development
The finished frame begins
long before the render.
A01 / CHARACTER
Expression language
Shape, profile and emotional range established before animation begins.
A02 / DESIGN
Silhouette first
A readable pose should survive even when detail disappears.
A03 / WORLD
Environment vocabulary
Repeated shapes and materials make a world feel designed, not assembled.
Breakdown lab / drag the playhead
From structure
to emotion.
The strongest animation decisions remain visible beneath the final image: clear rigs, controlled values, readable silhouettes and deliberate lighting.
FINAL FRAME
RIG / STRUCTURE
Pose before polish
The silhouette must communicate before lighting, texture or effects arrive.
Timing creates character
The same drawing can feel nervous, heavy or confident depending on spacing.
Light directs emotion
Contrast is staged around the audience’s next feeling—not just the prettiest render.
01
EVERY MOVEMENT
NEEDS A REASON.
02
TIMING CREATES
PERSONALITY.
03
A STRONG POSE
TELLS THE STORY.
04
DETAIL MEANS NOTHING
WITHOUT EMOTION.
Process / frame by frame
From first mark
to final delivery.
- 01Direction
Define the feeling, visual language and audience reaction.
- 02Research
Collect movement, camera and material references with purpose.
- 03Boards + style frames
Turn the idea into readable beats and a coherent visual world.
- 04Animatic
Lock timing, edit rhythm and sound before expensive production.
- 05Build + rig
Create only the systems required to support the performance.
- 06Animate
Block the strongest poses, then shape arcs, overlap and spacing.
- 07Light + composite
Control focus, atmosphere and graphic continuity.
- 08Finish + deliver
Polish, sound-sync, caption and export every required format.
DRAW / RIG / MOVE / LIGHT
About Dylan
I’m Dylan, an animator obsessed with movement, character and visual rhythm.
I work across 2D, 3D and motion design, building animated worlds for brands, studios and independent productions. Sometimes that begins with a rough pencil frame. Sometimes it begins with a fully modelled scene. The goal is always the same: make the audience feel something.
- Based
- Los Angeles, CA
- Experience
- 8+ years
- Available
- Freelance + studio collaborations
BLENDER · CINEMA 4D · MAYA · HOUDINI · UNREAL ENGINE · AFTER EFFECTS · TOON BOOM · PHOTOSHOP · DAVINCI RESOLVE ·
Built for collaboration
Clear thinking at every frame.
Direct communication
Clear visual reviews, practical feedback and decisions tied to the brief.
Production-aware craft
Animation ambition balanced with budget, schedule and delivery reality.
Useful handoff
Organized files, clean exports and formats prepared for every screen.
Start a conversation
Have a story
that needs to move?
Tell me what you are creating, where it will be seen and what you want the audience to feel.
hello@dylancross.studio