Scaling from Freelancer to Department Lead 🚀 My time as Creative Director on Sonic the Hedgehog ...

Scaling from Freelancer to Department Lead 🚀 My time as Creative Director on Sonic the Hedgehog ...Scaling from Freelancer to Department Lead 🚀 My time as Creative Director on Sonic the Hedgehog ...

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Hugo Jackson

pro

• Jan 23

Scaling from Freelancer to Department Lead 🚀

My time as Creative Director on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taught me how to scale.

I went from being a hands-on 3D Generalist to supervising a pipeline and leading a team of 10 artists for a global theatrical release.

Whether it's managing the "Echidna Tribe" sequence for Paramount or working on a branding project, the core skill remains the same: Director-Level Communication.

I help brands and studios bridge the gap between creative vision and technical execution. Whether you need a solo operator or someone to build and lead a team, I’ve been there.

Check out the full breakdown of the Sonic work in my portfolio (Check it out)

Adobe After Effects Autodesk Maya 3D Rendering

a link to the video instead.

Sonic 2: Echidnas' Backstory Project

Adobe After Effects

Autodesk Maya

3D Rendering

Creative Direction

Mehmet Özsoy

pro

• Jan 25

Great job!

Hugo Jackson

pro

• Jan 25

Thank you!!!

Lee Smalt

pro

• Mar 4

Got to kick off the year working on a looping animation for inside the Vegas Sphere. This project actually covered 2 locations, 17 surfaces, and 14 different aspect ratios- all covered in a 2-week sprint. You can see more details in this case study.

Motion Design Adobe After Effects 2danimation

Habib Salami

• Mar 7

This is beautiful

Michael Ugwuzor

pro

• Mar 3

I worked on the launch animated visuals for Agents UI by LiveKit.

My role was creating the motion and visual effects that show how the product works, especially the glass UI look and the audio visualizers.

2D Animation 3D Animation Animation Adobe After Effects Figma

Majd mo

• Mar 7

👁️👌👌

Danny Oliva

pro

• Mar 4

A nice surprise to start the week.

I just set up my profile here a few days ago, and I’m honestly really happy to see my work already ranked in the Top 25% of AI Artists.

I’ve only had the chance to upload a small portion of my portfolio so far, but it’s great to see the community responding well to the focus I put into Technical Stability and Visual Integrity.

Coming from 17 years in professional animation, it’s been a fun challenge bringing those "old school" editorial rules into these new AI workflows.

If you’re around, say hi! I'm looking forward to connecting with more of you.