/Resumé
Nikki Rice Malki
/biography
Born and raised in Seattle, Nikki moved to California to attend college, receiving a BFA in Film Production in 2002 from Chapman University. For the next 6 years she worked various office jobs in the film industry while also earning a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. In 2006 Nikki decided to shift her career to Special Effects Make-Up working at Creature FX studios and from there segueing into the stop motion world, beginning in 2008 with Shadow Machine on the Adult Swim hit show, Robot Chicken: Season 3. Nikki has worked as a puppet fabricator, lead fabricator and department head on numbers stop motion television shows, commercials and films, helping create iconic stop motion characters for such shows/films as Happy Honda Days (Socal regional commercial campaign for the last 12 years), Ask the Story Bots, Buddy Thunderstruck, Anomolisa and Ted Lasso to name a few. In 2022, the next adventure brought Nikki back home to Seattle to be closer to family and to hang out her own shingle as Puppets Northwest, offering a one stop shop for puppets of all kinds, SFX, 3D modeling/printing and educational outreach of all of the above.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull (Los Angeles, CA) September 2023 - October 2023
"Happy Honda Days - Honda Commercial" - Network TV - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
- stage support
​
Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull (Los Angeles, CA) October 2022 - January 2023
"Meevil the Stunt Weevil" - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- digital character design
- 3D print
- armatures
- silicone casting
​
Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull (Los Angeles, CA) February 2022 - April 2022
"It's a Wonderful Binge" - Hulu - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- digital character design
- 3D print
- armatures
- detail painting
​
Open The Portal (Los Angeles, CA) January 2022 - February 2022
"Neptunes Music Video" - Unfinished by Client - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- digital character design
- 3D print
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) September 2021 - October 2021
"Happy Honda Days - Honda Commercial" - Network TV - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
- stage support
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) - March 2021 - May 2021
"Ted Lasso Christmas Special - Opening Credits" - Stop Motion
Head of Puppet Department/Lead 3D Modeler
- digital character design
- 3D print
- detail painting
​
Ancient Order of the Wooden Skull (Los Angeles, CA) - November 2020
"Fall of the House of Usher - Boston Lyric Opera"
-digital character design
​
Acho Studios (Los Angeles, CA) - November 2020
"Big Mouth - Christmas Special"
- digital modeler
​
Hot Wheels City Season 4 (Burbank, CA) - January 2020 - August 2020
Lead Puppet Fabricator/ 3D Modeler
- armature
- character foam build up
- detail painting
- xBrush sculpt and 3D print
​
Apartment D (Burbank, CA) - October 2019-November 2019
"American Girl Doll" - product commercial
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- armature design
- fabrication
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) September 2019 - October 2019
"Honda Commercial" - Network TV - Stop Motion
Puppet Supervisor/Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
- stage support
​
Chiodo Bros. (San Fernando, CA) - May 2019 - September 2019
"Alien Xmas"
Lead zBrush Modeler/Lead Puppet Fabricator
- 3D modeled main and background characters
- set up and ran RP department
- technical design of puppets
- foam build up
- detail painting
​
Hot Wheels City Season 3 (Burbank, CA) - March 2019
Puppet Fabricator
- armature
- character foam build up
- detail painting
​
JibJab Bros. Studios (Los Angeles, CA) - May - June 2018
"Ask The StoryBots" Season 3 - "Recycle" Episode
Puppet Fabricator
- character buildup - foam, fur
- molding and casting - Dragon Skin Silicone
- sculpting - clay, Magic Sculpt
​
Extra Credit Studios (Culver City, CA) - March-April 2018
"Dolor" - short film
Character Designer/Puppet Fabricator/zBrush Modeler
- character design/concept
- zBrush sculpt
- foam buildup
- paint and finishing
​
Mattel (El Segundo, CA) - March 2018
"WWE Entrance Spots"
Puppet Fabricator
- toy modifications
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2017
"Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Puppet Supervisor
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2017
"Robot Chicken: Season 9" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Puppet Supervisor - pre production, stage supervisor
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2016 - 2017
"Supermansion: Season 2" - Sony Crackle
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator/zBrush Modeler
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2016
"Buddy Thunderstruck" - Netflix
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- character concept/design
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2015
"Robot Chicken: Season 8" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator/zBrush Modeler
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2015
"Robot Chicken: DC Special 3: Magical Friendship" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) - 2015
"Supermansion: Season 1" - Sony Crackle
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator/zBrush Modeler
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) October 2014
"Honda Commercial" - Network TV - Stop Motion
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- hair design and application
- armature build
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) Aug 2014-Sept 2014
"Denny's: Slammies Promos"
Stop Motion Puppet Fabrication
- molding and casting
- puppet fabrication
​
Screen Novelties (Echo Park, CA) April 2014 - June 2014
"Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas" - NBC
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- molding and casting
- puppet fabrication
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) July 2013 - April 2014
"Robot Chicken: Season 7" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator/zBrush Modeler
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
- replacement robot wing design and sculpt
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) July 2013 - April 2014
"Robot Chicken: DC Special 2: VIP" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Lead Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- teaching and training
- armature design
​
Starburns (Burbank, CA) March 2013 - June 2013
"Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa" - Feature Film - Stop Motion
zBrush Modeler and 3D Print Tech
- character sculpts
- mouth shapes
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) October 2012
"Honda Commercial" - Network TV - Stop Motion
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- hair design and application
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) Feb 2012 - Sept 2012
"Robot Chicken: Season 6" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Senior Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- armature design
​
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Burbank, CA) Feb 2012 - Sept 2012
"Robot Chicken: DC Special" - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Senior Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
- armature design
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) April 2011 – Present
“Hell and Back” – Feature Film - Stop Motion
zBrush Modeler
- character sculpts
- mouth shapes
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, seaming, painting, fabrication
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) March 2010 - December 2010
“Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode 3” - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- sculpting, painting, costuming
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) March 2010 – December 2010
“Robot Chicken: Season 5” - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- sculpting, painting, costuming
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) June 2009 – Nov. 2009
“Mary Shelly’s Frankenhole” – Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator - Hair stylist
- wig sizing and construction
- paper hat designing and construction
​
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) Jan. 2009 – June 2009
“Titan Maximum: Season 1” - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- mold making, matrix, silicone, stone
- armature building
- sculpting, casting, painting
Shadow Animation (Los Angeles, CA) Oct. 2008 – Jan. 2009
“Robot Chicken: Season 4” - Cartoon Network Adult Swim
Stop Motion Puppet Fabricator
- sculpting, painting, costuming
SKILLS
Computer: zBrush - Photoshop - Magics - Maya - Rhino
Puppet Fabrication: molding - casting - painting - build up - design - armature design and construction
Special Effects: Creature design - Sculpture - Life casting - Molding and casting - Painting and fabrication - Hair punching and tying
Character Make-Up: Prosthetic ap. - Aging techniques - Bald cap ap. - Hair laying - Injury
Beauty Make-Up: Corrective - Natural - Fashion/Fantasy - Make-up design
Hair Styling: Temp Color - Blow dry - Curls and wave - Shampoo and set - Up styles - Period Style
Graduated
Make-Up Designory; October 2007
Master Make-Up Artistry; A 760-hr program in all aspects of Make-up Artistry
University of Phoenix, November 2005
Masters Degree: Secondary Education
GPA: 3.7
Chapman University; May 2002
B.F.A., Major Film/TV Production; Minor in Public Relations
GPA: 3.65
SPECIAL SKILLS / INTERESTS
photography - acting - improvisation - directing and producing - arts - crafts - baking - science - astronomy - sports both watching and playing - classic Hollywood - classic cars - crocheting - knitting - camping - horse back riding - juggling - bike riding - hiking