
“Bring Your Tools… Crafted Toolset to get the Creative done.”




3D Animation
3d Animation and design is one of my biggest creative passions. The ability to design something on paper then bring it to life in 3d is a great creative journey I really enjoy. My primary 3d application is Autodesk Maya which I use for Modelling, Animation, Dynamic simulations, lighting and rendering. Also I have had experience in simple motion capture, Fluid simulation in Realflow and camera tracking and match moving and digital sculpting in Zbrush. The tools are forever evolving so I keep up to date with new techniques and approaches to create fresh innovative work.
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2D Animation / Visual Fx
Many times in a project pipeline you need some Visual Effects and 2d animation to really polish out the project. I often use Adobe After Effects to Key, composite, animated, and add VFX to a a project to get it to the finished result. Also Doing 2D animation is sometimes better for the project’s style and timeline.
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Graphic Design / Branding
Through out my creative career I have had the opportunity to work on so many diverse projects ranging from logo design all the way through to the creation of Album & Book covers, Posters, t-shirts to Branding a complete Documentary series and re-branding of companies. I really enjoy the challenge of working with a client to get an end result that stands out from the pack as I carve my own style into the creative world. My main tool set for this is the Adobe suite including Photoshop and Illustrator.
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Website / Mobile Design
While working as a designer I have had the chance to branch out into the field of Website and Mobile design. Although to date my work with mobile development has been working closely with a coding team to create a great phone app I have built up my skills with websites building them on many different platforms but to date my favorite and strongest is WordPress. So if you are looking for a responsive website but created from a designer’s point of view you are in the right place.
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Editing / Post Production
During my years working in a well respected production house in New Zealand I was able to hone my editing skills in cutting music videos, tvcs, product promos and other creative projects. Since moving to the US I have continued to build on these skills adding interviews and short animations to the tool set and have had the opportunity to be hands on with some filming projects shooting the footage, Color grading all the way through to the final output.
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Photography / Color Grading
Photography is a great creative outlet to capture moments in time and convey certain moods/messages. I always enjoy getting behind the lens and capturing some magic. I have shot so many different subject matters ranging from Album Artists through to Cars, Jewelry, models and what ever else is required to get the project shining. After the shots are taken I use Adobe Photoshop to take them to the next level and push them through to the stunning final output and apply my own unique style to them.
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Music / Sound Production
Being a musician for many years I really enjoy sinking my musical teeth into the creation of sound design and audio production. I have produced my own songs, had songs I’ve written on radio, toured internationally with my band, written a theme song for short film that was shown at the Chinese theater in Hollywood, added sound design and music to many short animated pieces all the way to recording some pick ups for an Audio book. Music is such a big part of my life so I relish the opportunity to create and collaborate on audio projects.
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Black Rooster Creative
Aden Mackness - Animator, Designer, Editor, Musician
While continually refining his skill set and constantly searching for new inspiration, Aden thrives on the creative process and aims to always think outside the pen in all of his artistic endeavors. After re-locating to the States he has further refined and has grown his skill set