About Me
Animation. Animation. Animation.
TARAN MATHARU SENIOR/LEAD CHARACTER ANIMATOR & SUPERVISOR
I have been doing Computer Animation now since 1999, where I studied at Bournemouth University and achieved a Ba(Hons) Degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation.
I’ve worked in the games industry for 8 years since 2002, for studios such as Team17 (UK - Worms, Lemmings), and for Behaviour (Montreal - WET, Indiana Jones, MonkeyQuest) and Trapdoor (Montreal - WARP).
Since 2010, I've moved into animation for VFX and Full Feature.
These places include Mokko Studio (Montreal - Riddick), NeoReel (Montreal - Smurfs 2 Previz), Mikros Image (Montreal - Mune, The Little Prince/Le Petit Prince, Captain Underpants, Sgt Stubby ), MPC (Montreal - Terminator Genesis) , Cinesite (Montreal - Charming) and ON Animation Studios (Pre production on Playmobil The movie), Framestore Montreal (Christopher Robin), and at ReelFX Montreal (Scoob!, Rumble)
In spring 2023 i finished working at MPC as a Animation Supervisor on Transformers : Rise of the Beasts, which released in June 2023 in theaters.
After that i worked at BeloFX as Animation Supervisor, where im working extensively in creating animation with Unreal Engine 5 for VFX.
Now i'm back in Games, working in the cinematics dept for Respawn, specializing in facial animation with Metahuman and Unreal Engine 5.
I also teach at Animschool as a General reviewer/consultant
Recommendations
Bill Haller - Animation Supervisor, ReelFX, Scoob!
It was a great pleasure to have Taran as a Lead animator on SCOOB!. He was actually the first person i pursued to hire in ReelFX’s Montreal animation division when it opened in 2018, and as i hoped, he quickly became a valuable lead and quality member of the team. During SCOOB!, he not only performed some great shots for the show, but also was a passionate character specialist for the the character, Blue Falcon, and a top notch lead that guided his team to the quality and stylistic direction for the show with his leadership. I would want to work with Taran again on any project I’m assigned to, because i know the commitment and dedication that he brings to the table
Mariano Mendiburu - Lead Animator, Framestore, Christopher Robin
Taran did a nice job while working at Framestore. He was very easy to work with, always welcomed feedback and was keen to keep improving his shots. He has a good sensibility for acting shots and would deliver solid pieces of animation. I would definitely work with him again. He is a kind, respectful person, and very passionate about what he does.
David Soren - Director, Dreamworks, Captain Underpants
Taran has been a joy to work with from start to finish on Captain Underpants. He has strong leadership skills as an animation supervisor and led his team on several challenging sequences making them look easy. He's a talented, versatile animator, equally able to handle broad physical comedy and subtle emotional moments. He's a good communicator and brings a fun, positive energy to the crew. Thanks for all the hard work, Taran!!!
Guilluame Arantes - Senior Animator, Captain Underpants
Taran was my lead on the feature film Captain Underpants and it was a pleasure to have him as lead, always good and strong advice, a huge animation knowledge, precise and really pleasant to share with him. He drives each other during the production to help the team reach a high standard of animation, being competitive and in the mood of the director's vision. Hope I will work with him again on other feature films! :)
Valerie Lim - Junior Animator, Captain Underpants
Taran is an incredibly talented lead. His critiques were always on point with Captain Underpants' tough style, and my shots and skill have flourished thanks to his guidance. He took the time to explain and teach when I needed extra help, and also kept a strong sense of unity within the team during times of high pressure and stress. I can always trust Taran when I needed help or needed to know if I was heading in the right direction. It was great being on such a fun team!
Boris Plateau - Lead Animator & Character Supervisor, Charming
Taran is a great animator. He's fast, efficient and does nice acting choices. He's also very open minded on ideas and always looking to deliver the best while staying realistic regarding deadlines. On Charming, he was a good lead, very dedicated to his team, helping the juniors to learn and grow and getting the most from the seniors. He's also very passionate and dedicated to his job. I would definitely like to work with him again in the future.
Micheal Beaulieu - Animation Supervisor, Terminator Genesis
Taran was an asset to the 'Terminator Genisys' production right from the start. He picked up the MPC pipeline very quickly and we relied on him for some key shots. Most notably the shot where Arnold arrives in LA in 1984 and walks up to view the LA skyline. It was a challenging shot, and Taran took it on with professionalism and enthusiasm. The result of Taran's efforts are apparent on screen, and I was happy to have him on our crew.
Stein Lotveit - Animation Lead, Terminator Genesis
I had the pleasure to work as lead animator for Taran Matharu on the project Terminator Genesys at MPC.
Taran is a very senior animator who from the beginning were trusted with the most complicated shots that demanded serious attention to details and performance. Taran delivered outstandingly and always on time. Taran is a hard worker but above all is a guy with a great deal of humor, is amiable and the perfect addition to the office dynamics. I can thoroughly recommend bringing Taran onto any animation-project.
Mark Osborne - Director, Le Petit Prince
Taran is an animator on The Little Prince, and since his arrival to our production when we were already mid-process, Taran has been amazing at picking up the style and tone of the film with ease. He really did an amazing job and even raised the bar in some respects. He has been a true asset to the production, he is a supremely talented animator that can do it all. And on top of that, he is fast, turning around subtle nuanced performances extremely quickly. He is very deft at responding to notes, always making the requested alterations his own. He makes it look easy, and I would work again with him in an instant.
Jason Boose - Animation Supervisor, Le Petit Prince
Taran is a very talented animator and a huge asset to any team. I’ve been Taran’s Animation Supervisor on The Little Prince feature film for the past 6 months and he continually surpasses my expectations. The Little Prince is a film that demands a strong sense of acting and physically believable performances from its animators and Taran always manages to pull it off with ease. I always look forward to reviewing his work because I know I’m going to see something well thought out and well executed. Also, he is very, very fast.
Ludovic Roz - Animation Lead, Le Petit Prince
Taran was in my team on "The Little Prince" feature film. Quickly, Taran showed his huge talent, he's very fast (one of the faster I ever met) with a good quality. He can animate easily both complex body mechanics shots and subtle acting shots. Taran was/is/will for sure a huge asset in any animation team. I would like to clone him to be sure to work with him again. Plus, Taran is a very nice guy, he helped a lot to have and keep a good mood in the team. I will miss him both as animator and as a friend.
Alexandre Heboyan - Director, Mune
Taran was an animator at mikros image on my feature Mune during the whole production. He started with a very small team of animo leads, and provided some of the best animation tests we did that time. During the production, he displayed great skills in animation. He has a solid knowledge in body mechanics, and pulled out some nice acting shots. And on top of that, he is a power house, delivering shots at a pacing that became legend in the studio. In dailies, he take notes, ask the right questions, and go back to his desk to nail the shot. And boom, next one. I hope I can work with him again in the future, or find a way to clone him... Taran has always a great attitude, and is easy to work with. He is a very positive person and knows how to lift up a group of animator. He has this rare thing of being gifted with a high potential, and being an inspiration for all the animators.
Emile Ghorayeb - Animation Supervisor, Riddick
Taran is great worker, who gives it 100% and delivers top work. He listens, shares his thoughts and loves to learn. Great team player and great fun to be with. In just a few months, he went from being just an animator to producing some of the most beautiful and realistic quadruped animation in our show. I HIGHLY recommend him to any animation team looking for exceptional quality.