Google cloud: Curry on Curry
No one knows Stephen Curry’s game like his longtime coach, Bob McKillop. Except, maybe, Gemini from Google Cloud.
Gemini dug through 16 seasons of Curry’s career stats, then put Steph to the test—challenging how well he really knows his own game and offering fresh insight as he heads into the 2025–26 season.
With Portal A facilitating the production and BIEN leading animation, we needed a fast, precise approach to character motion—one that could stand up to the most detail-obsessed Curry fans. His signature moves had to feel unmistakably him, even within a bold graphic style.
We used AI-driven motion capture via QuickMagic as a foundation, then brought everything into Unreal Engine to refine and perfect the animation frame by frame. Niagara particle systems of flowing numbers were layered into the action, and final shots were composited and stylized in After Effects.
A fast turnaround, a lot of technical problem-solving, and a result we were incredibly proud of.
BTS Reel
I served as 3D Lead on the project, guiding the team through key milestones and helping shape the overall visual approach. While the team refined the character pipeline and handled motion-capture generation and cleanup, I focused on shot staging, camera animation, and timing—using Unreal Engine's time dilation in sequencer to spotlight the most impactful moments of Curry’s signature moves.
I set up the foundational toon-style materials and coordinated rendering from Unreal, ensuring a smooth handoff to the compositing team for final stylization. I also jumped in where needed, assisting with mocap cleanup on select shots and contributing to final character compositing and text animation in After Effects.
Credits
Client: Google Cloud
Agency: Portal A
Motion Design Studio: BIEN
Creative Director: Hung Le
Executive Producer: Ricardo Roberts
Producer: Alisha Kramer
Art Director: Hung Le
2D Designer: Andrea Gendusa
2D Animation: Andrea Gendusa, Deanna Reilly, Daniel Cordero
Character Modelling and Rigging: Logan Pinney
Lead 3D Designer and Animator: Deanna Reilly
3D Animation: Deanna Reilly, Jeremy Ross, Jerry Hsu, Dylan Gordon, Logan Pinney, Andrea Gendusa
Compositing: Andrea Gendusa, Deanna Reilly
Technical Advisor: Logan Pinney
Resource Manager: Vanessa Maldonado
Agency: Portal A
Motion Design Studio: BIEN
Creative Director: Hung Le
Executive Producer: Ricardo Roberts
Producer: Alisha Kramer
Art Director: Hung Le
2D Designer: Andrea Gendusa
2D Animation: Andrea Gendusa, Deanna Reilly, Daniel Cordero
Character Modelling and Rigging: Logan Pinney
Lead 3D Designer and Animator: Deanna Reilly
3D Animation: Deanna Reilly, Jeremy Ross, Jerry Hsu, Dylan Gordon, Logan Pinney, Andrea Gendusa
Compositing: Andrea Gendusa, Deanna Reilly
Technical Advisor: Logan Pinney
Resource Manager: Vanessa Maldonado
