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  • Biography
IMDbPro

David Bawel

  • Animation Department
  • Visual Effects
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
David Bawel is a world-class pioneer and innovator in both the Entertainment and Technology Industries. Mr. Bawel's technological innovations and creative expertise has been utilized by Academy Award-winning producers and directors like Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, and the Wachowskis; helped generate billions in revenue; and revolutionized the Entertainment Industry.

A partial list of Mr. Bawel's achievements includes: designing and building the new form facial motion capture system that created the iconic CG character, Gollum, in the Lord of the Rings films; creating a new animatronic control system for characters in The Hobbit films; working directly with James Cameron to build the pipeline for the Avatar films; designing and building both WETA Productions and WETA Digital with Academy Award-winning VFX pioneer, Richard Taylor; establishing technologies for the Industry's first multi-character animated action sequences in the Lord of The Rings films; and designing and executing the Industry's first 32-camera motion capture system utilized by the Wachowskis in the Matrix films.

In addition, Mr. Bawel developed code that undergirds current HTML5 technologies worldwide; created technological architecture for the popular Blue Man Group; developed plug-ins to automate the tracing process for Motion Analysis Motion Capture Systems; developed procedural software purchased and utilized by WETA and THQ; worked on such gaming successes as "Grand Theft Auto IV"; animated, modeled and textured on projects too numerous to list, and recently consulted on confidential projects with the Virtual Worlds Labs Division at Lockheed Martin and as Senior Level Front End Developer integrating WebGL in the development pipeline at Sony.

Mr. Bawel's most recent technological innovation is the development and build of 3rd Brain's Patented and Patent-Pending "theCO", a New Form Streaming Entertainment System set to uplevel the way the world experiences entertainment.

Mr. Bawel now brings his extensive experience, singular expertise, and unique sense of fun and adventure, to 3rd Brain.

Update, March, 2023: It is with tremendous sadness that we of 3rd Brain must announce the passing of our very dear friend and colleague, David Bawel. He was a monumental and innovative talent, whose generous heart, brilliant mind, and roguish sense of humor will be greatly missed by all of us privileged to know and work with this wonderful man. We will love you. Always.
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    Known for

    Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
    The Matrix Reloaded
    7.2
    • Animation Department
    • 2003
    Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
    The Matrix Revolutions
    6.7
    • Animation Department
    • 2003
    Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    7.8
    • Special Effects(Weta Workshop)
    • 2012
    Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    9.0
    • Visual Effects(Weta Digital, uncredited)
    • 2003

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Animation Department



    • Splice (2009)
      Splice
      5.8
      • facial animation director (uncredited)
      • 2009
    • Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
      The Matrix Revolutions
      6.7
      • facial capture supervisor
      • 2003
    • Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
      The Matrix Reloaded
      7.2
      • facial capture supervisor
      • 2003
    • Disney Sing-Along Songs: Sing a Song with Pooh Bear and Piglet Too! (2003)
      Disney Sing-Along Songs: Sing a Song with Pooh Bear and Piglet Too!
      6.9
      Video
      • lead animation
      • 2003
    • Jim Cummings in Winnie the Pooh: Sing a Song with Tigger (2000)
      Winnie the Pooh: Sing a Song with Tigger
      8.1
      Video
      • lead animator
      • 2000
    • Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999)
      Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
      6.7
      Video
      • lead animator: The Production Plant
      • 1999
    • Ed Begley Jr., Bronson Pinchot, Jonathan Lipnicki, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Will Estes in Meego (1997)
      Meego
      5.3
      TV Series
      • graphics animation
      • 1997

    Visual Effects



    • Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington in Avatar (2009)
      Avatar
      7.9
      • motion capture consultant (uncredited)
      • 2009
    • Tajja Isen in Jane and the Dragon (2005)
      Jane and the Dragon
      7.2
      TV Series
      • motion capture consultant
      • 2006
    • Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
      The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
      9.0
      • motion capture supervisor: Weta Digital
      • motion edit supervisor (uncredited)
      • 2003
    • The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
      The Nuttiest Nutcracker
      3.8
      Video
      • motion capture co-supervisor
      • 1999

    Additional Crew



    • Dora and Diego's 4-D Adventure Catch That Robot Butterfly (2010)
      Dora and Diego's 4-D Adventure Catch That Robot Butterfly
      6.2
      Short
      • technical development
      • 2010
    • Disney Sing-Along Songs: Sing a Song with Pooh Bear and Piglet Too! (2003)
      Disney Sing-Along Songs: Sing a Song with Pooh Bear and Piglet Too!
      6.9
      Video
      • production supervisor
      • 2003
    • Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999)
      Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
      6.7
      Video
      • project supervisor: The Production Plant
      • 1999

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