about
Ever since Erica Penk saw the movie Toy Story she wanted to explore animation and voice her own characters. As a kid she competed in gymnastics and later as a pole-vaulter for Georgia Tech where she joined the Emergent Game Group. She told herself she was only there to learn about 3D animation for film, but little did she know that motion capture and realtime game technology would become so integral to the filmmaking industry.
She’s worked with clients such as: Trick 3D, CG Spectrum, and Warner Media and she’s been using Unreal Engine since 2015. In 2021, she became an Unreal Authorized Instructor to equip the next generation to tell their own inspiring stories with realtime technology.
acting
Natural Speaking Voice
- Age Range: 25 – 40
- Accent: Neutral American
Voice Qualities
- Energetic, Zany, Clear, Crisp
- Fresh, Bright, Warm, Smooth
Home Studio
- NT-1A Rode Mic
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Specialties
- Animation, Audiobooks, E-learning
- Children’s Literature, Young Adult
professional experience
SCRATCH voiceover, TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
- Pennsylvania Dutch accent
- Writing in Unreal program for Ellie Foumbi’s Zenith
Mocap Talent | Stand-In | Extra, Trick 3D
- Portrayed tech demo characters (Optitrack / Perception Neuron suits)
- Stand-in for virtual photography shoots
- Extra for Floorplan Revolution promotional videos
education
christian worldview film festival, Albany, GA
- The Director / Actor Relationship with Brett Varvel
- Acting: Self-Tape to Screen with Justin & Amber Sterner
- The Actor’s Journey with Micah Lynn Hanson
atlanta voiceover studio, Atlanta, GA
- Learn Adobe Audition with James Younger
- Intro to VO with Brian Bremer
Alliance Theater, Atlanta, GA
- Acting I with Allison Gardner
independent training
- Vocal coaching with Lisa Biggs
- Vocal coaching with Sharon Corpening
volunteer experience
singer | keys player | prayer leader, gatecity church
- 24 / 7 Worship and Prayer
Literature narrator, Learning Ally
- Narration, Character Voices
- Audio Editing
awards
Jury’s Choice Award, ASIFAC VO ANimation battle
- Voiced southern cowgirl, Sang parody theme song
Mary Alyce and John Merow Over Achiever Award, learning ally
- 50+ service hours narrating children’s audiobooks
3D work
professional experience
OWNER,ericana productions
- On-Set Unreal Operator for Eisley Creative Co.
- Mentor for CG Spectrum
UNREAL AUTHORIZED INSTRUCTOR,EPIC GAMES TRAINING PARTNER
- Teaching Assistant for Winter | Spring 2021 Unreal Fellowships
- Instructor (Animation, Maya) for Summer 2021 Unreal Fellowship
- Unreal Artist | Instructor for Tribeca Film Festival: Writing In Unreal
- Mentor for CG Spectrum | Mastered
- Guest Lecturer for CG Pro
- Instructor | Mentor for Unreal 2022 Spring Fellowship
freelancer
- Unreal, motion capture, previs, video editing, pipeline development, volumetric capture
- Clients: Trick 3D, Profile Studios, Interactive Advantage, MoTR, Arcturus, Method Studios (formerly Proxi VP)
Virtual Humans Animator (Blueprints), ETC@USC’s Fathead
- 2023 NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action)
- Scripted blueprint triggers to randomize virtual human animation
- 30 animated MetaHumans (500K triangles each) on the LED volume @ LOD 0
adjunct professor, GEORGIA TECH | gwinnett technical college
- Taught Maya, Unreal generalist skills with an emphasis on storytelling
- Taught WordPress for personal portfolio development
Technical Manager, Trick 3D
- Facilitated on-set virtual production shoots, motion capture, calibration, cleanup
- VR / AR tech demos for archvis / cinematic previs, developed previsualization tools
- R & D project pipelines, Shotgun, public speaking, documentation
Effects Technical Assistant, warner media Studios
- R & D pipeline and tools for Nuke, After Effects, and Maya workflows
- Color management for ARRI Alexa / Nuke workflow
- Rendering, 3d tracking, lens distortion, alembic, Javascript, Python
Lead Mocap Technician, Games That Work
- Ran Optitrack capture sessions, processed and distributed motion capture data
education
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
- Master of Science in Digital Media (May 2014), 3.92 GPA
- Bachelor of Science in Computational Media (May 2011), 3.91 GPA Highest Honors
- Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA (ANIM, VSFX, TECH Courses)
skills
software
Latest Posts
from my blog
UE4 Sequencer: Spawnables v. Possessables
Picking up from the previous Sequencer lesson, I add a new asset to the ongoing animation sequence: the spawnable. By the end of this lesson you’ll have a deeper understanding of good Sequencer practices and some new tools to add to your arsenal.
Intro to UE4 Sequencer
I start off by giving you a sneak peak of the finished animation from this lesson. After setting up the project, I go over Sequencer terminology, user interface, and basic concepts while forcing you to think about your project pipeline. Then I take you through the animation example, beginning with a review on basic viewport navigation and ending with a fully rendered animation sequence.
Space and Movement: Building Blocks of Visual Structure
Today, I will look at how director Tom Hooper uses movement and space to reflect Bertie’s emotional state while building tension to best serve the climax of the film.
Read more