ABOUT
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I’m Roland Hartmann – Houdini Generalist & 3D Motion Designer based in Linz, Austria.
Growing up with Star Wars, Star Trek, and a skateboard under my feet, I’ve always been drawn to visual effects and creative cultures. With more than 20 years of experience in video production and motion design, I now bring that same curiosity and energy into my work as a freelancer under the name Node Connector – specializing in simulations, fx, and procedural workflows in Houdini.
My journey took me from camera work and editing, to motion graphics in After Effects – where I became an Elite Author on Videohive, publishing 80+ motion graphics templates used by creators worldwide – and finally into the world of complex 3D and FX. Along the way, I learned to bridge creativity and technology: structuring complex processes with clarity and turning them into strong, visually compelling results.
For studios, agencies, and brands, this means working with a remote freelancer who bridges creative ideas and technical precision – ensuring that concepts turn into reliable, visually striking results.
Alongside client work, I’ve published 125+ tutorials, built a YouTube channel with over 100k followers, and share in-depth Houdini training on Patreon – a commitment that keeps me sharp and connected to the community.
Facts & numbers
Years in Video & Motion Design
After Effects Templates published
Tutorials published
YouTube Followers
WORK EXPERIENCE
Founder / Freelance Motion Designer
Node Connector
2025—Today
Educator / Content Creator
Patreon
2022—TODAY
Educator / Content Creator
Youtube
2011—TODAY
Founder / Freelance Motion Designer
Graphicinmotion
2011—2025
Elite Author
Videohive
2011—2022
Founder / Producer
Red rabbit film
2004—2010
HOUDINI KNOW-HOW
PROCEDURAL & SIMULATION
Procedural Modeling & Animation
Audio-Reactive Animation (CHOPs)
Particle Simulation
Vellum (Soft Body, Grains, Cloth, Fluids)
FLIP (Fluids) & MPM (Snow, Sand, Granular Materials)
Pyro (Smoke, Fire, Explosions)
Environment Creation with Heightfields
PIPELINE & USD
USD Authoring, Layering & Asset Creation (with Variants)
Scene Layout & Instancing (SOPs & LOPs)
Procedural Workflows for scalability & efficiency
Solaris for Lighting, Shading & Rendering
SHADING, RENDERING & COMPOSITING
Lighting & Shading (SOPs & Solaris)
Rendering with Karma (CPU/XPU) & Redshift
Procedural Texturing (COPs)
Compositing (Houdini, After Effects)
Post FX & Look Development
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Rigging with KineFX
Houdini Expressions (VEX, VOPs)
Tool Building & Custom Setups (HDAs)
Optimization for efficiency & reuse
Get in touch