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Zootopia+ | Character Technical Direction, Sim Rig Setup, & CFX
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As a full-time Character Technical Director at Walt Disney Animation Studios, I contributed to Zootopia+ as both a cloth simulation artist and technical animator. My work included creating garments and cloth simulation rigs for the mouse characters, procedurally extending those setups across multiple character instances, and tuning simulation and rig settings for shot-specific needs. I also performed technical animation and fur refinement, balancing believable secondary motion with the stylized, anthropomorphic performances of the film’s animal characters.
Role
Character Technical Director
Cloth Simulation Artist
Technical Animator
Studio
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Burbank, CA

 
Project
Animated Episodic Shorts
Released 2022
Tools
Autodesk Maya
Proprietary Cloth Sim & Rigging Tools
Proprietary Character Animation Tools
Featured Work Reel
Mouse garment creation and cloth simulation rigging, procedural character setup, fur refinement, secondary-motion polish, and shot-level technical animation. Specific responsibilities are identified within the reel.
My Contributions
  1. Created and tailored garments for mouse characters and developed the corresponding cloth simulation rigs used to produce believable secondary motion.

  2. Procedurally placed and extended garment and simulation setups across multiple mouse characters, adjusting rig and simulation parameters to accommodate character variation and shot-specific requirements.

  3. Performed shot-level technical animation to refine cloth behavior, character interactions, intersections, secondary motion, and final character polish while preserving the intent of the animated performance.

  4. Refined fur controls and character presentation to maintain clear animal-inspired qualities, silhouettes, and physical behavior within the stylized anthropomorphic performances.

  5. Collaborated with animation, character, rigging, and technical partners to troubleshoot simulation, deformation, fur, rigging, and shot-specific production challenges through final delivery.

Cloth simulation setup across multiple mouse characters, including garment creation, simulation rigging, procedural placement, and character-specific rig adjustments.
Process & Collaboration

My work spanned both character setup and shot production. I created garments for the mouse characters, built their cloth simulation rigs, and used procedural workflows to extend those setups across additional character instances. From there, I adjusted simulation and rig parameters to account for character variation, movement, collisions, and the specific needs of each shot.

During shot production, I refined cloth and fur behavior, resolved intersections and deformation issues, and performed technical animation to strengthen secondary motion and character interactions. Because the characters combined humanoid performances with distinctly animal designs, I also paid close attention to maintaining believable animal qualities in their movement, fur, silhouettes, and final presentation. I iterated closely with animation, character, rigging, and technical partners before polishing and validating the final work for the production pipeline.

Project Context
Official trailer courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

Copyright © 2026 Sahar Kausar. All Rights Reserved.

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