Résumé CV

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My resume offers a concise overview of my career journey, highlighting key accomplishments, relevant experiences, and the skills that drive my success. Whether you're exploring potential collaborations or seeking a dedicated professional for your team, this document provides a detailed snapshot of my background and capabilities.For your convenience, the full resume is available for download below. Simply click the link to view it in PDF format and discover how my expertise can contribute to your organization.

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About Me

Marquis Shepherd is a visionary creative leader who blends technical expertise with artistic finesse to push the boundaries of visual effects and computer graphics. Internationally recognized for his innovative approach, he has collaborated with industry giants such as Berkshire Hathaway’s Clayton Homes, Futureverse in Web3, and Epic Games. His project, Kuruma Drive, earned the prestigious Epic Megagrant award, underscoring his mastery of Unreal Engine.

From spearheading CGI content development at Clipstock LLC to delivering photorealistic architectural renderings as Lead 3D Generalist at Fresh Design International for clients such as Harley Davidson, Marquis has consistently showcased his technical mastery and creative expression.

Dedicated to innovation and excellence, Marquis Shepherd is an invaluable asset for any organization seeking to elevate its digital storytelling and design capabilities.

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Skills

Architecture - Automotive - Animation - Game Design - VFX- Motion Graphics - UI/UX

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Software Knowledge

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Traditional Render Knowledge

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2025 Highlight Reel

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• Other Work

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Personal Projects

Awards + Personal + Freelance

Professional Portfolio

Organizations Contributed To:

Full-Time + Contract+ Freelance

2012 - Present

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2023 ShowReel

2017-2020 Motion Graphics

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Epic MegaGrants

Award - Grant

October 2020

OCTOBER 2020

KURUMA Drive is a groundbreaking project that merges technology, design and interactive experiences. Created by Marquis Shepherd in October 2020 during the pandemic. Epic Games awarded KURUMA Drive an Epic Megagrant to honor projects that push the boundaries of creativity and technology using Unreal Engine.

This accolade from Epic Games underscores KURUMA Drive's potential to revolutionize digital interaction in the automotive industry. The project leverages Unreal Engine's advanced capabilities to deliver immersive real-time automotive experiences that go beyond traditional visualizations. KURUMA Drive does more than showcase vehicles. It transforms how users engage with automotive content through dynamic interactive storytelling and state-of-the-art 3D graphics.

"As a big fan of anime the brand was Japanese inspired with the name "Kuruma" translating to the English word CAR. I adapted the poster to emulate the "AKIRA" movie poster down to the font itself."

The Epic Megagrant demonstrates Epic Games' commitment to supporting game developers, enterprise professionals, media creators, educators and tool developers who contribute significantly to the 3D graphics community. KURUMA Drive's selection for this grant highlights its innovative approach and promising future reshaping how audiences experience automotive design and customization.

Marquis Shepherd is profoundly grateful to Epic Games and Unreal Engine. Their support validates the visionary goals behind KURUMA Drive and supplies the resources needed to accelerate its development. With this grant, KURUMA Drive is poised to introduce groundbreaking features and set new industry standards.

With artificial intelligence taking center stage, KURUMA Drive continues to evolve. It stands as a testament to what is possible when creativity meets cutting-edge technology. The project embodies the spirit of innovation and is poised to make a lasting impact on technology, automotive design and beyond.

"Spit my coffee all over my computer keyboard reading this email and to this day it's still my proudest achievement. All though A.I has affected this project in its current state I'm still looking to complete it in the way I imagined that A.I could not possibly do anytime soon"

In my Personal Projects click or tap on Kuruma Drive to learn more.

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Revolve Menu

Personal Project

Jan 2019 - Present

A side project that redefines how businesses present their products and services through Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D visualization. Drawing from his extensive background in computer graphics, Marquis has seamlessly integrated cutting-edge technology with user-centric design to create an innovative solution that goes beyond traditional digital food menus.Revolve Menu enables customers to view detailed 3D models of products directly from their devices, transforming the decision-making process into an engaging, interactive journey.

Photogrammetry, Modelling & Texturing

Interactivity:

Utilizing Sketchfab for Realtime interactivity and Augmented Reality.

Using Artificial Intelligence

Revolve Menu harnesses the power of AI to generate dynamic, customizable backgrounds, offering businesses an unlimited array of unique visuals. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms, the platform can produce tailored background imagery that aligns with the angle in real-time, ensuring every menu presentation is visually distinct and engaging. This AI-driven feature not only enhances the visual appeal but also provides endless creative possibilities, allowing businesses to continuously refresh their digital presence without the need for manual design or photography work.

UI / UX:

Crafting the UI for Desktop and Mobile, Marquis prioritized clean, modern design elements that reflected each brand’s identity while maintaining consistency across the platform. He incorporated dynamic layouts and interactive elements that allowed users to easily explore menu items in 3D and Augmented Reality, creating an engaging experience that went beyond static images and text. His attention to detail ensured that every button, transition, and animation contributed to an immersive, cohesive journey for the user.

On the UX side, Marquis focused on simplifying the user’s interaction with the menus, ensuring that navigation was intuitive and efficient. He conducted user testing to refine workflows, making sure that accessing features like AR views, detailed product descriptions, and customization options were straightforward and enjoyable. His design choices reduced friction points and enhanced accessibility, catering to a wide range of users and devices.

Skills Utilized:

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KURMA Drive

Personal Project - Automotive

May 2020 - Present

Kuruma Drive is a side project revolutionizing automotive visualization with cinematic, photorealistic content powered by cutting-edge CG and photogrammetry techniques. By eliminating the constraints of time, location, and weather, Kuruma Drive offers unparalleled creative freedom, allowing brands to showcase vehicles in dynamic, immersive environments. With seamless integration into existing workflows and on-demand, programmatic production capabilities, Kuruma Drive delivers high-quality, customizable content efficiently and cost-effectively. From custom camera paths to final-pixel renders, every detail is tailored for a flawless presentation, making Kuruma Drive the smart choice for modern automotive marketing.

The Idea:

Together, these features are designed to deliver results and quality comparable to the video shown below.

Skills Utilized:

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Umiverse

Freelance - Gaming

May 2022 - July 2022

I connected with Web3 influencer and Vayner Sports Roster member @Brycent, who introduced me to the team at Loot Squad, an NFT gaming guild that leverages NFTs, cryptocurrency, and Play-to-Earn mechanics to enhance the gaming experience. Co-founded by Brycent, Loot Squad focuses on developing blockchain consumer products and yield farming within NFT games. At the time, the team was working on a game reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., featuring uniquely designed characters by the talented artist @oniking. I was brought on to translate @oniking’s distinctive art style into 3D models for the game, ensuring the visual integrity of the characters remained true to the original designs.

While we only got around to the development of the Reaper and Dragon Umi's, the weapon models where to come next and each had its own animation/ special moves.

Character Reveal Opening Motion Graphics

By leveraging the project's assets, including the website, I extracted the websites background images into separate layers, allowing for advanced manipulation and parallaxes animations for the character reveal opening.

Skills Utilized:

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Nostalgic Games

Personal Project - Gaming

Sonic Advnture 2 Remake

Nostalgic Games is a passion project dedicated to reimagining beloved childhood video games I loved with the power of Unreal Engine 5. Combining cutting-edge graphics with the timeless charm of iconic titles from the early Dreamcast and PS2 era, like Sonic Adventure 2 and The Bouncer, Nostalgic Games aims to breathe new life into these classics while preserving the essence that made them unforgettable.

In this video, I’m showcasing my customized Sonic game and control system, tested within The Matrix City assets in Unreal Engine 5. My goal is to remake Sonic Adventure 2 with in-game, playable visuals matching the quality of Movie Sonic. The positive feedback and enthusiastic comments from viewers highlight the excitement around this project and continue to motivate me to push this idea forward.

Skills Utilized:

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Futureverse

3D Artist - Gaming

Contract - Full Time

Jul 2022 - Jun 2023 · 1 yr

Tasked with creating high and low poly models and textures for characters, props, and marketing materials, I played a key role in bringing game projects to life through visually striking content. Collaborating with a talented team, we delivered immersive experiences and captivating visuals that resonated with players across the globe. It was an invaluable experience that honed my creative and technical skills while contributing to projects that engaged audiences worldwide.

The Next Legends

3D Environment Modelling - Texturing - Unreal Engine 5

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Being part of the original development team for a game carrying the legendary name of Muhammad Ali was a dream come true. In this project, I played a key role in designing and building both the interior and exterior environments of the Main Gym, the central hub where players train and level up their characters. This opportunity allowed me to contribute to a project that pays tribute to an iconic figure while highlighting my expertise in environment design and 3D modeling.

Designing the gym was a complex challenge, as it required detailed exterior architecture that seamlessly integrated with the three interior floors. The entire structure had to function as a cohesive in-game environment while being highly optimized to ensure peak performance within Unreal Engine. Balancing visual fidelity with technical efficiency was crucial to maintaining a smooth and immersive player experience.

All the blocking and modeling work was carried out in Autodesk 3ds Max.

Creating the interior was equally challenging, as many of the details were highly stylized. The 3D modeling required unconventional techniques to align with the art director's vision. For example, wooden planks were intentionally bent and skewed to capture the hand-drawn aesthetic. The same approach applied to the texturing work, which combined Photoshop and Substance Designer to achieve a cohesive, artistic look that complemented the stylized environment.

Building The Greatest Gym (Interior)

Building out the interior was also complex as there was alot of fetails that were stylized so the 3D modeling had to be somewhat unorthadox to fit the astyle of the art director so, wodden planks for instance where bent and skewed to fit the hand drawn astetic.

All the blocking and modeling work was carried out in Autodesk 3ds Max as well.

The Greatest Gym Marketing (Characters)

Prop + Equipment Modelling

Combination of low-poly models for in-game use and high-poly models for marketing materials were developed to balance performance with visual quality.

The low-poly modeling approach ultimately enhanced the overall aesthetic, with its sharper edges and "Arcane"-inspired stylistic texturing contributing to a distinctive, visually striking look.

Buzzies

3D Modelling - Texturing- Unreal Engine 5

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The second major project I worked on at Futureverse was Buzzies, an NFT collection featuring five distinct bee families, each with countless unique traits. Every Buzzie is a one-of-a-kind companion, full of personality and character.

Cosmic Family

The Cosmic Family presented a unique challenge due to its vibrant, colorful nature. The materials needed to be designed in a way that allowed for near-infinite variations in both the wings and the body. To achieve this, I developed custom shaders with layered, specialized control maps, providing a level of control and flexibility that even current AI technology of today just simply can't replicate in any meaningful way.

Irradiated Family

Much like the Cosmic Family, the Irradiated Family of bees presented significant material challenges. The materials the Art Director envisioned didn’t exist, so I had to develop them from scratch. The eyeballs incorporated parallax and color-shifting effects, while the body required a distinct approach. While the Cosmic Family utilized subsurface scattering, the Irradiated bees needed that same effect combined with transparency to reveal their internal organs. Achieving this in Unreal Engine 5 was no easy task, but my skills allowed me to successfully bring the vision to life.

Cyber Family

The eyes for the Cyber Family were particularly challenging due to the mechanical and highly detailed nature of the bees. The design leaned heavily into a mech-inspired, industrial steampunk aesthetic. For this, I modeled eyes resembling camera shutter lenses, compasses, and other stylistic elements that captured that distinct steampunk vibe.

Skills Utilized:

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Clayton Homes

3D Generalist - Architectual Visualization

Full-Time

Jun 2023 - Jan 2025 · 1 yr 8 mos

After my time at Futureverse, I leveraged my unique generalist skills to easily transition back into 3D architectural visualization. I was promptly hired by Clayton Homes, a Berkshire Hathaway company, which had recently acquired a small subsidiary called BIMaire. During my time there, I was responsible for delivering real-time, photorealistic architectural renderings and interactive visualizations of both interiors and exteriors for various home builders and communities, utilizing my expertise in Unreal Engine.

Exteriors

To achieve renderings at the scale we were producing, custom C++ tools were developed in Unreal Engine. These tools provided precise control over every aspect of each house, from the interior models to the selection of windows, doors, and materials used throughout.

Interiors

This same setup allowed interiors to be instantly swapped to new floor plans, complete with materials, props, and furniture—provided everything was correctly positioned in 3ds Max.

Video Editing / Motion Graphics

The builders of these homes required content for customers browsing listings on platforms like Zillow. I experimented with various video styles, including edited, template-based videos that could be mass-produced for different houses and options, walkthroughs resembling real estate tours with simulated camera operator or drone movements, and cinematic videos featuring high-quality camera work, depth of field, and a focus on house-specific details and props. Each video type offered a unique perspective, providing viewers with an engaging and comprehensive look at the space.

Scalable, Template-Based Editing

Walkthrough - Animated Camera

Dynamic - Prop Focus with Depth of Field

Skills Utilized:

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Fresh Design

Lead 3D Generalist - Architectual Visualization

Full-Time

Jan 2014 - Aug 2018 · 4 yrs 8 mos

After my time at PDT International, I was offered a Lead Position at Fresh Design, where I was responsible for delivering photorealistic architectural renderings of both interiors and exteriors for numerous Harley-Davidson locations, along with various other clients. It was during this role that my career took a pivotal turn, as I was introduced to Unreal Engine. At that time, the software was just reaching version 4.0, before the groundbreaking advancements of Ray Tracing, Nanite, and Lumen features revolutionized the industry.

Harley Davidson

Harley-Davidson was one of the core clients at the company, and for their projects, I utilized 3ds Max for modeling, V-Ray for rendering, and Photoshop for final adjustments. While these renderings may appear somewhat dated compared to what’s achievable with today’s technology, they remain a standout highlight in my career.

SAN FRANCISCO

3D Rendering

Final Construction

Below are a few renderings from various locations. In total, I completed 83 total Harley-Davidson renderings across Japan, Latin America, Mexico, and North America, many of these designs eventually brought to life in real-world construction.

At the time, these renderings required countless hours to complete, followed by additional time for Photoshop adjustments and correcting any mistakes. The need for faster rendering and even the potential to produce videos became increasingly important. Initially, I explored light baking options in V-Ray for import into Blender’s now-retired Game Engine.

Bike Builder

After successfully integrating multiple store environments into Unreal Engine, we soon recognized that, although navigating and exploring these spaces was visually impressive, the experience lacked meaningful interactivity. There was little for users to engage with beyond passive observation. At the same Harley-Davidson dealerships where we produced V-Ray renderings, bike customizations were managed through bulky binders filled with parts, making the process slow and inefficient.

I meticulously modeled all objects alongside a stateside co-worker, while the team at Fresh UK focused on integrating my UI/UX designs and our models into Unreal Engine using UMG elements and blueprints. This setup ensured that when items were selected, they would accurately appear on the bike in their correct positions.

Skills Utilized:

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PDT International

3D Generalist - Architectual Visualization

Full-Time

Sep 2013 - Feb 2014 · 6 mos

The second job of my career marked a pivotal moment, as it was my first opportunity to fully apply the 3D skills I had developed in school. After leaving OMG National, I was finally able to pursue my passion for 3D rendering. Hired on the same day as my interview at PDT International, I was responsible for producing photorealistic architectural renderings for both interior and exterior projects across a diverse range of clients. This role allowed me to dive deep into the world of 3D visualization, solidifying my expertise and setting the stage for future opportunities in the field.

Skills Utilized:

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7LEAVES Cafe

3D Generalist - Architectual Visualization

Contract

Jul 2018 - Jan 2019 · 7 mos

After leaving Fresh Design and transitioning to Clipstock, which primarily focused on motion graphics, I already began to miss architectural visualization. Unlike the varied tasks I handled in motion graphics, architectural visualization allowed me to follow a streamlined workflow modeling in 3ds Max and rendering with V-Ray or Unreal Engine, which was rapidly gaining traction by this time with the rise and growing popularity of Fortnite.

Berryessa - Houston, TX

Many Other Locations

Skills Utilized:

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BrandStar

3D Generalist

Freelance

April 2023

While working concurrently at Futureverse and Clipstock, I frequently collaborated with a colleague on various projects at BrandStar. He served as the Lead Producer, and I contributed my Unreal Engine expertise wherever needed. BrandStar utilizes LED volumes for virtual production shoots, allowing in-engine footage to be perfectly synced and tracked 1:1 with live-action footage, ensuring seamless integration between virtual and real-world elements.

Mustang Mach-E Spot

Ford

I served as a consultant on this project while also handling the complete car setup and driving animations for the CG sequences in the spot.

Lumen > Pathtracing

EVO Gaurd

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The client requested a specific house to be featured in the spot, and I was provided the single image of the property. I carefully cut out the house in Photoshop and used it as a reference in 3ds Max, modeling over the front facade and extruding it backward to add depth and dimension.

Skills Utilized:

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Avatars Global

3D Generalist

2023 - Present

*Under NDA

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BAE Systems

Freelance

April 2022

This freelance project was completed as an art test for BAE Systems, designed to demonstrate my expertise in 3D modeling, texturing, compositing, and Unreal Engine rendering. The entire project was edited and rendered within Unreal Engine over the course of a weekend. While I ultimately did not secure the position, the positive feedback and high engagement evident from the view count and comments on this video reflect the quality of the work.

Skills Utilized:

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OMG National

Junior Video Editor - Motion Graphics

Full-time

Jul 2012 - Aug 2013 · 1 yr 2 mos

Immediately after graduating from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, I launched my professional career at a small internet marketing firm called OMG National. This role marked my first opportunity to apply the skills and techniques I had honed during my studies. At OMG National, I created motion graphics in After Effects, integrating logos, images, and text with green screen-captured talent. These elements were then seamlessly combined in Final Cut Pro for final output and delivered as SEO and reputation management videos for a diverse range of clients. This position served as the foundation for my post-college career, allowing me to translate academic knowledge into real-world creative solutions.

Skills Utilized:

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Clipstock

Director of Motion Graphics

Full-time

Aug 2018 - Aug 2022 · 4 yrs 1 mo

I returned to After Effects, creating 2D and 2.5D animations and motion graphics. However, this time, I was able to apply my newly acquired skills in Unreal Engine, pushing my creative boundaries in new ways.

At Clipstock, I was assigned specific topics such as ( Bitcoin ) and tasked with creating a wide variety of motion graphics related to that subject. My goal was to produce diverse and unique visuals, ensuring the website showcased a rich collection of distinct and engaging content.

2D Motion Graphics

2.5D Motion Graphics

3D Motion Graphics

By this point, with the introduction of Unreal Engine 4. 22 had achieved ray tracing capabilities, delivering a remarkable leap in lighting and shading quality. Honestly, the results were comparable to the highly efficient performance of Lumen and Nanite Today.

This stands as one of my finest works in Unreal Engine, showcasing exceptional quality.

Skills Utilized:

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