Ciao, my name is Umberto and I am a character animator. Born and raised in Italy in Busto Arsizio, a town close to Milan, I grew up drawing, listening to music, watching Disney movies and anime alike. Even before finishing the High School of Art I knew I wanted to become an animator. Thirsty for knowledge I travelled to Canada to join Sheridan College’s classical animation program. There I had the chance to meet some incredibly talented people coming from all corners of the world and truly expand my horizons both artistically and as an individual. I graduated in 1999 and since then I have been working in California in the entertainment industry where I keep meeting amazing people, find out that there is always more to learn and get stopped by custom every darn time I go back to Italy to visit my family and friends (well, not so much since I got my Green Card :-).

This web-site was designed to share my love and my knowledge of this incredible art form with others and favor the mutual exchange of ideas that can allow us to learn from one another and grow as artists. I hope you will enjoy my site, feel free to send me an e-mail with your comments.

Please let me know if there is any trouble with the navigation, no “spekko” HTML very well , I am no web designer, and this is the first time I design one.

July 2010 BIG CHANGES! Demo reel splits up into 2. WHOA! WHAT!!!??!!

Check out the animation page where you can now find an ACTING REEL as well as an ACTION REEL. I personally thought there was no distinction between the two but apparently the world out there claims there is! Well, they might be right but for me animation is animation and I LOVE IT, no matter what form it takes. Whether it is acting and drama, a cool, spectacular move or a simple but immensely interesting ballet of shapes. . . .I hope you will enjoy.

April 2010 News: The years at EA were great but sadly they are over. I had the chance to work with incredible, talented, veterans of the industry who also happen to be amazing, down-to-earth individuals. These folks have always delivered with great quality and professionalism despite dire circumstances and unreasonable time constraints. I learned a lot and my efforts culminated leading the animation efforts for C&C 4. Animation direction, outsourcing asset management and reviews, Motion capture talent screening and Motion Capture shoot direction and so much more. My team mates are the ones who turned a great experience into an amazing one and I will miss the incredible camaraderie we shared. It's however time to go, new challenges await us, new experiences and adventures. I only hope that I'll be able to cross path with at least some of these people in the future. God speed to all. EA has lost an incredible team

 

Tough times for everyone Biggest economic crisis in 100 years. It's not clear whether we should consider ourselves privileged or not.I am an optimistic guy and I hope we will be the generation that will learn a valuable lesson out of this; about greed, about get-rich-quick schemes (that never work) and will understand that if we want to stand and survive, we have to come up with long-term, sustainable solutions, hand in hand, helping each other, not by trying to screw over the other guy taking advantage of his moment of weakness.

It's disheartening, however. Good friends are going thorough hell and gasping for air. Companies are downsizing everywhere and good people are left home. I have hope, I believe we will see the end of this, and once we learn our lessons and admit our faults, we'll come out the other side stronger, more responsible, more "adult" people.

As for an "art" update . . . Although I cannot put up the animation works I have been doing for the latest game (it's not shipped yet :) I got some pretty interesting concept art. My first digital concept painting (WOHOO) thanks to my good friend and concept artist Jake Kazdal who taught me a few very cool techniques. I'll miss working with him.