INFO
about Derek [Not DERRK]
First off, thanks again for visiting.
My name is Derek Elliott and I live in South Austin, TX with my dog and wife. Here is where I was.
1990-1996
California
1997-1998
Virginia
1999-2008
North Carolina
2008-2013
Appalachian State University
2012-2017
Big Boy Jobs™
2017-2019
Santa Barbara, CA
2019-last time site updated
Austin, TEXAS
I took some CAD classes in high school and after we were done playing Unreal Tournament we did some SolidWorks and that literally blew my mind. I was so hooked on 3D. In 2008 I was introduced to Blender and, amidst thousands of hours of World of Warcraft, I would practice my Blender skillz.
10 years later, I was freelancing full time and had started a Youtube channel to teach Blender the same way I learned. Between DOTA games I would put out dozens of boring, hour-long product-animation focused videos. This brought new attention to my work and I was able to grow into where I sit today, with gratitude.
Today I'm just doing the next cool thing that comes across my plate. Right now that's a mix of some outward-facing client work, internal design-development in startup-y worlds, social media, and two companies which I'm passionately pushing forward. I'll leave it there for now, can't spoil a good zoom call ya know.
Youtube
Don't hire me because I think you can do it yourself. Did I mentioned Blender is free? I have 250,000 subscribers taking a stab at it.. why don't you?
3D is so freaking cool and I when I realized just how much of a superpower I had, I started a YouTube channel to teach what I know about Blender, my ways of working, and more.
I KNOW I HAVEN'T MADE A YOUTUBE TUTORIAL I PROMISE I WILL SOON. ::: SIGNED -DEREK 6/27/2026
TWO COMPANIES
FattyPack
"A FANNY PACK FOR YOUR HAT +MORE"
I co-founded FattyPack with my longtime collaborator Kevin Thomas in late 2022. It's my testing ground for marketing and brand ideas. We've sold over 50,000 units so far and are pushing the business forward every day. I even got Kevin's face tattooed on my leg.
CharaChorder
"TYPE AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT"
I joined my college classmate Riley Keen and his team at Charachorder in 2023 to help with brand and marketing efforts for their intelligent chorded-entry hardware devices. Charachorder enables typing and input at speeds impossible with traditional keyboards.
I work on projects with rigid deadlines, high stakes, and plenty of room for fresh, goal-oriented design. Most animations I make are very short and punchy, designed to deliver a strong message, perfectly balanced between speed and clarity.
I can only take on a few client projects every year but if you think my experience might be a good fit for yours then please reach out. I would love to know what's on your mind at least have the pleasure of meeting you!
3d Design + Animation
Product Launch
TV Spots
Hero Ad Content
Retention-Focused
Features Exploration
Web Graphics
Hero Content
Looping Animations
Scroll-Based Animation
Interactive Models
BIG Announcements
Design Development
Investment Seeking
New Technologies
Product Concept Design
Product Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Experience.
I've opened all sorts of 3D file formats, met crazy deadlines, helped companies raise millions, worked for free, pulled all-nighters, spoken at conferences, mentored students, and talked to a LOT of people. Maybe we'll talk too?
19+
Years of Blender Experience
SOLO
Since 2017
70+
Clients Served
500M+
Cumulative Video Views
