John Rig by Theo Murat

John Rig for Maya: Stylised Male Character for Acting and Body Mechanics

John is the male half of the Abyss Animation duo by Theo Murat. On his own he holds up beautifully, but the moment you put him in a scene with Emma the storytelling possibilities open right up. The kind of character that already has a story going on inside him before you’ve animated a frame.

What I appreciate about John is the same thing I appreciate about Emma. The proportions are stylised but grounded, the controls just work the way an animator expects them to, and the silhouette reads clearly from any angle. Whether you’re animating a quiet exchange or pushing into something physical and dynamic, the rig supports the performance instead of fighting it.

The facial rig is properly built. You get the controls you need for lip sync, brow shapes, eye darts, and full expression range. Dreamwall Picker is included for fast control selection, and real-time playback in Maya 2026 makes timing iteration much faster.

John is great for

• Character-driven acting shots and dialogue scenes
• Body mechanics, weight shifts, and physical performance
• Pair animation alongside Emma from the same project
• Showreel pieces with a grounded, characterful male performer
• Studying stylised character design for animation

Key features

• Complex facial rig with full expression range
• Dreamwall Picker setup on the full body and face
• Real-time playback in Maya 2026
• Body and clothing textures included
• Compatible with Maya 2022 and above
• Clean control hierarchy that gets out of your way

License

Personal and non-commercial use. For educational or professional licensing, contact Abyss Animation at contact@abyss-animation.com.

John rig by Theo Murat for the Abyss Animation project.