[1][2] The role of a character TD may vary from studio to studio in its scope, but is almost always centered around the discipline of rigging: the process of engineering anatomical or mechanical kinematic systems that move and deform digital models, and the design of higher-level interfaces used by computer graphics animators to control the movements of those models.
Notable newcomers to the field of rigging include the independent platform Fabric Engine, being used by Double Negative, MPC and Hybride.
A few of those artists include: Jason Osipa is an EA and LucasArts character TD known for pioneering and disseminating (through his book Stop Staring: Facial Animation Done Right)[3] a type of facial-rigging that did not rely on phonemes and pre-built expressions, but rather the blending of more generic poses using simplified controls often referred to as Osipa-Style controls.
[4] Jason Schleifer is a Weta and Dreamworks creature TD Known for his video series "Animator Friendly Rigging", in which he discusses techniques for building complex rigging control systems that are intuitive and easy to use (thus the term "animator friendly").
[5] Dick Walsh is a DreamWorks character TD who won a Technical Achievement Academy Award in 2003 for his development of the PDI/DreamWorks Facial Animation System.