Rigstore Limited · Est. 2016
Nick Hughes
Technical Director and Solutions Architect
I design the platform, then I build it.
See all my workThe work
24 of 47 projects, newest first
Platforms · Aug 2026 to presentBiostreamPrincipal EngineerI'm Principal Engineer at Biostream, building casualty monitoring and reporting, and an AI-native Trusted Research Environment, safety first.View project →
Platforms · 2025 to 2026Personalised children's booksPlatform design and buildAn automated book production pipeline on Google Cloud Run that turns a family's details into a personalised, print-ready children's book, built for hundreds of thousands of orders a day.View project →
Platforms · 2025 to 2026AI content moderationDesign and buildA Gemini-based multilingual moderation pipeline using RAG for You Are The Star Books, replacing a third-party tool and cutting monthly costs from over £8,000 to under £100.View project →
AdvertsReal Virtual BeautyCharacter, hair, clothing and armour rigsI led the rigging of three CG characters for Dove's Real Virtual Beauty campaign, with deformation for bodies, hair, clothing and armour.View project →
GamesConcordGameConcord, a PlayStation game. Cover art, character art and in-game screens from character select, customisation and a Trophy Hunt match.View project →
GamesLEGO Horizon AdventuresRigging systems for the game trailerRigging systems for the LEGO Horizon Adventures trailer at Passion Pictures, with Python tools that rebuilt brick-built machines of 2,000+ bricks.View project →
Platforms · 2024 to 2025Ordering portalDevelopment leadA Flutter and Python ordering portal on Google Cloud for Thorns Group, letting customers place and change large event hire orders with ease.View project →
AdvertsAirbnb charactersCharacter rigs and Python rig automationCharacter and prop rigs for an Airbnb advert, built with an upgraded Python rigging system that let me rig and rebuild up to two characters a day.View project →
Adverts · 2024Feel like a NeroBody rig, facial rig and clothing for CarlCompare the Market's 'Man, I feel like a Nero' advert: an updated body rig, a new facial rig and weighted clothing for Carl the dancing wombat.View project →
Film and TVSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryRigging contributionA small rigging contribution to Super/Man, the documentary about Christopher Reeve that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a standing ovation.View project →
Books and teachingPython for MayaAuthor and instructorMy online course on Python scripting for Maya, taking learners from basic Python syntax through to automated rig building.View project →
Adverts · 2022Mr PeanutBody rig, facial rig and clothingFull body rig, facial rig with a sliding 2D setup, and animatable clothing for Mr Peanut in the Planters Whittle Nut Bowl advert.View project →
Adverts · 2022Carl the wombatBody rig, facial rig and clothingBody rig, facial rig and animatable clothing for Carl the wombat, introduced alongside the meerkats in Compare the Market's 'Compare the Wombat' advert.View project →
GamesFree Fire 5th anniversaryAnimated filmPassion Pictures' film for Free Fire's 5th anniversary, 'Reunite the World', turning Justin Bieber into a playable CG character driven by motion capture.View project →
Platforms · 2020 to 2021ArthronicaCTO and co-founderAs CTO and co-founder of a digital health start-up, I led technology, product and compliance work for remote arthritis assessment using computer vision.View project →
Film and TVDolittleMuscle systems and corrective shapesAt MPC I built the giraffe's muscle system and corrective pose shapes for Dolittle, and muscle systems for Cassandra and Gus in Cats.View project →
Film and TVCatsMuscle systems and corrective shapesAt MPC I built the giraffe's muscle system and corrective pose shapes for Dolittle, and muscle systems for Cassandra and Gus in Cats.View project →
Platforms · 2019Midwifery best practice, shown at the UNTechnical DirectorOver three months at Touch Surgery I worked with a practising midwife to build an interactive 3D simulation of best-practice natural birth, presented at the United Nations.View project →
Platforms · 2017 to 2019Touch SurgeryRigging tools, real-time rigs and AI toolsAs Senior Technical Director at Touch Surgery I built rigging tools, real-time rigs and AI tools for surgical simulations used in medical education.View project →
Adverts · 2017Toilet DuckBody rig, facial setup and dynamic feathersThe character rig for the 2017 Toilet Duck adverts: a full body rig in a day, then the facial setup and dynamic feathers in Maya nCloth.View project →
Film and TVRigging showreelCharacters, creatures, vehicles and propsA breakdown of character, creature, vehicle and prop rigs for film, television and advertising.View project →
Books and teachingRude RhinoChildren's book with Ross BurtAn illustrated children's book by me and Ross Burt.View project →
Books and teachingBloated BearChildren's book with Ross BurtAn illustrated children's book by me and Ross Burt.View project →
Books and teachingTime Tablet: Museum MysteryChildren's bookAn illustrated children's book by Lauren Scott, Ross Burt and me.View project →
Film and TV · 2016Prehistoric MegabeastsSnake and crocodile hero rigsTwo hero rigs for a Channel 4 documentary at Jellyfish Pictures: a path-driven Titanoboa and a giant crocodile with a full muscle system.View project →
Adverts · 2016EvolutionChimp facial mocap and animation rigThe chimpanzee's facial motion capture rig and animatable rig for Lottoland's 2016 Evolution TV advert, built at Jellyfish Pictures in a day.View project →
Film and TV · 2016Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed30+ character and creature rigsOver 30 body and facial rigs for CBBC's Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed, with over 90% of them built by my automated Python rigging system.View project →
AdvertsBigger FishFacial blendshapes and fin setupsThree's full CG Bigger Fish advert, made by Framestore in three and a half weeks. I made facial blendshapes and fin setups for the small fish.View project →
Film and TV · 2016MoominCharacter rigs for a series pitch trailerCharacter rigs for a Jellyfish Pictures trailer made to help bid for the new Moomin TV series, with new bendy, IK tweaker and belly wobble controls.View project →
Film and TVWing riggingPython wing rig build scriptA Maya film rig for a robin, with a Python wing build script that adapts to any number of feathers. It became the wing rig plugin I still use.View project →
Film and TVThe Dumping GroundAutomated 2D rig build systemA Python system that turned layered Photoshop files into 2D Maya rigs for series 5 of CBBC's The Dumping Ground, with 40+ character and 40+ prop rigs.View project →
Film and TV · 2015Ant-ManShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Film and TV · 2015Batman v SupermanShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Film and TV · 2015GeostormShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Film and TV · 2015Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Film and TV · 2015Mission: Impossible Rogue NationShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Film and TV · 2015The Huntsman: Winter's WarShotgun pipeline developmentTechnical Lead at DNEG in 2015, leading development of the Shotgun asset management system and automating pipeline work in Python.View project →
Adverts · 2013Master of CoutureRigging for a projected 3D roseA rig for a 3D rose of around 60 petals that could bend, twist, fold, open and close, projected onto a sculpture at Somerset House in 2013.View project →
AdvertsA380 new fleetPlane rigA plane rig for the British Airways new fleet A380 advert, with automated engines, one-control landing gear and wing bend, ready for any shot.View project →
AdvertsThe PillsFacial setup supportFacial setup support on Framestore's Beats Pill characters for Beats by Dre, made for the MTV Video Music Awards in under three weeks.View project →
Film and TV · 2013The Caravan TrilogyMechanical rig for the shipA mechanical rig for the flying ship in The Caravan Trilogy, three short films by director Andrew Gunn, built at Framestore in about a day.View project →
Adverts · 2013Oil: An OdysseyTony Stewart and Sergio Perez rigsCharacter, horse and chariot rigs for Oil: An Odyssey, Framestore's six-part Tooned mini-series for Mobil 1 with Jenson Button and Tony Stewart.View project →
Film and TV · 2013Tooned series 1 and 240+ character and 200+ prop rigsCharacter, facial and prop rigs for Tooned, McLaren's animated series made with Framestore, plus scripts that turned the rigs into game avatars.View project →
AdvertsFurry 4Animation and rigging leadA furry number four with the traits of a cat and a dog, rigged and animated for Best Friends Animal Society's campaign with Saddington Baynes.View project →
Film and TV · 2011Skyfall opening titlesStag rig for the title sequenceA flexible stag rig for Daniel Kleinman's Skyfall opening title sequence, built at Framestore in about a day, with proxy levels and preset poses.View project →
Film and TVVehicle riggingAutomated vehicle rigging systemMy automated vehicle rigging system, with dynamic suspension, path systems and wheels that stay on the ground, plus car rigs for Tooned at Framestore.View project →
AdvertsNext HomeFurniture rigs with build scriptsRigs for every moving furniture item in a Next Home advert at Framestore, each with its own build script, plus light proxy models for animators.View project →
At a glance
I'm a technical director and solutions architect, working through my company, Rigstore Limited, which is based in London with its registered office in Hertford, Hertfordshire. I have 20+ years experience and 60+ completed projects. I design technical platforms and then build them, mostly in Python but always scalable in the cloud, usually on Google Cloud, with Flutter and FlutterFlow front ends and machine learning pipelines. I work on regulated healthcare and MedTech software, including NHS-facing products, and I'm Principal Engineer at Biostream. Clients include You Are The Star Books and Thorns Group. My visual effects work spans Framestore, DNEG, Jellyfish Pictures and Passion Pictures, for clients including Channel 4, CBBC, McLaren and British Airways.
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