Mack Ironside | Production Coordinator | Animator
Hello!
I'm a production-focused animation graduate who enjoys organizing creative teams and helping projects move from idea to delivery. At CU Denver I coordinated my senior thesis film, "Knit Wits," managing an 8-person team through a year and a half of production - building the schedule and tracking every shot and asset - and I animated roughly 20% of the finished film.
I bring a mix of coordination discipline and creative understanding, with training in both 3D and 2D animation, and I graduated Summa Cum Laude. I'm currently pursuing Production Coordinator opportunities in animation, VFX, and related creative pipelines.
Experience Highlights:
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Coordinated my senior thesis film "Knit Wits" from production through delivery - managing an 8-person team for a year and a half and keeping every deliverable on track.
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Animated roughly 20% of the finished thesis film.
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Built and maintained shot/task tracking documents for two commercial-length projects.
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Strong cross-functional communication in both school and workplace settings.
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BFA in 3D Graphics and Animation, minor in 2D and Traditional Animation - Summa Cum Laude, 3.9 GPA.
Education & Tools:
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University of Colorado Denver - BFA, 3D Graphics and Animation (Minor: 2D and Traditional Animation), May 2026. Summa Cum Laude, GPA 3.9.
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Tools: Autodesk Flow Production Tracking, Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Photoshop / Premiere / After Effects, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office.
My Story
I grew up in Broomfield, Colorado, and fell in love with animation early - starting with manga and anime, then expanding to films, indie shorts, and games from all over the world. In high school I discovered CU Denver's animation program and joined several of their summer camps, which made it an easy choice for my degree.
What surprised me was how much I love production coordination. Once our group projects began, I became the person who kept everyone organized - and I ended up managing my entire thesis group through a year and a half of production. That's the work I want to keep doing.
Beyond Production
A few things outside of work that shape how I show up on a team - discipline, creativity, resilience, and curiosity about other cultures. (Two are still going strong; the others I stuck with until circumstances ended them.)
Discipline - Black Belt in Karate
I trained in Wado-kai karate for years and earned my black belt, sticking with it until my dojo closed during the pandemic in 2020. It built the discipline and follow-through I bring to schedules and deadlines.
Craft + Initiative - Decorative Baking (still going)
I'm still an avid baker. I design and decorate cakes from scratch - and even ran my own booth, "Mack's Baked Goods," handling branding, menus, and pricing. It's where my eye for detail and end-to-end organization show up outside of work.
Resilience - Rock Climbing
I climbed all through middle school, until my gym ended its youth climbing program. Climbing taught me to stay calm and solve the next problem under pressure - a mindset that carries straight into production challenges.
Cross-Cultural Curiosity - Japanse & Japan (still going)
I've been learning Japanese for 8 years, and in 2024 I spent six weeks traveling through Japan. Studying the language and experiencing the culture firsthand stretched my communication and adaptability - an asset on any collaborative production.
Leadership - Teen Council & Advisory Board
All through high school I served on the Broomfield Teen City Council and the library's Teen Advisory Board - coordinating programs, managing grants, and working with community leaders. Early practice organizing people around shared goals.
