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SELECTED WORK

deathpixie / character
pipeline

AI-ASSISTED CHARACTER ANIMATION

The pieces below represent select work from my time at Hume in Los Angeles(2023 - 2025), where I developed short-form videos for virtual artists from concept through completion. I generated visual assets using Midjourney, Open Art, Comfy-UI with custom LoRAs, then refined, animated, and composited them. Depending on the needs of each shot, animation ranged from hand-drawn sequences to AI-assisted motions and expression passes.

The best of both worlds.

To achieve the final hair animation, I first generate an image of DeathPixie with her full hairstyle. I then cut the hair into individual segments and animate them on top of a bald version of her character animation.

The result comes from pairing AI-generated imagery with traditional animation control, which is a consistent hallmark of my process.

Frame-by-Frame.

Other times a more traditional approach is needed, like frame-by-frame animation. In this case you can see me animating frames of a hand pulling a lever. In this way i can control cadence emphasizing anticipation of the movement.

2D Rigs and animation.

In this case, AI was used only for generating assets consistent with DeathPixie’s IP. I then built 2D rigs in After Effects and animated them.

This workflow allowed me to deliver final videos quickly while still maintaining the visual appeal needed to capture and hold the audience’s attention.

Capture a moment.

In this shot, I built a 2D rig so the claw could mimic the sudden, precise motion of a snake attack. The exaggerated movement adds humor to DeathPixie’s intense effort to snag a plush toy from the claw machine.

Take a walk on the
wild-side

InThis walk-cycle needed to feel sensual, not just rhythmic. Instead of using a basic 4-frame bounce, I built a layered soft-body sway through the torso and hips, creating a slow, inviting motion that encourages the viewer to follow her.

Breath of life.

This shot demonstrates how emerging technology can be used creatively to add subtle animation that would be extremely time-consuming to achieve by hand. I used Runway’s then-new ACT-ONE motion model to capture a gentle “blowing out a candle” movement based on my own performance. It felt almost like sleight of hand, but it produced a natural and convincing result.

LET’S MAKE

SOMETHING COOL!

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hello@motionbytarik.com

Los Angeles, CA

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® 2026 TARIK CASTILHO

BUILT WITH CURIOSITY AND COFFEE

LET’S MAKE

SOMETHING COOL!

START THE CONVERSATION

hello@motionbytarik.com

Los Angeles, CA

SEND A MESSAGE →

® 2026 TARIK CASTILHO

BUILT WITH CURIOSITY AND COFFEE

02 /

deathpixie / characterpipeline

deathpixie / characterpipeline

The best of both worlds.

Frame-by-Frame.

Other times a more traditional approach is needed, like frame-by-frame animation. In this case you can see me animating frames of a hand pulling a lever. In this way i can control cadence emphasizing anticipation of the movement.

2D Rigs and animation.

In this case, AI was used only for generating assets consistent with DeathPixie’s IP. I then built 2D rigs in After Effects and animated them. This workflow allowed me to deliver final videos quickly while still maintaining the visual appeal needed to capture and hold the audience’s attention.

Capture a moment.

In this shot, I built a 2D rig so the claw could mimic the sudden, precise motion of a snake attack. The exaggerated movement adds humor to DeathPixie’s intense effort to snag a plush toy from the claw machine.

Take a walk on thewild-side

InThis walk-cycle needed to feel sensual, not just rhythmic. Instead of using a basic 4-frame bounce, I built a layered soft-body sway through the torso and hips, creating a slow, inviting motion that encourages the viewer to follow her.

Breath of life.

deathpixie / character
pipeline

deathpixie / character
pipeline

In this case, AI was used only for generating assets consistent with DeathPixie’s IP. I then built 2D rigs in After Effects and animated them.

This workflow allowed me to deliver final videos quickly while still maintaining the visual appeal needed to capture and hold the audience’s attention.

Take a walk on the
wild-side