Based in Mainz, Germany

Ciarán Ryan

Head of Product · Visual Storyteller

Product manager and creative with 20+ years delivering across broadcast television, 3D production, licensed product development, and digital platforms. I bring structured thinking to creative problems — and creative thinking to structured ones.

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What I do

Three disciplines.
One joined-up approach.

Whether I'm managing a product roadmap, building a 3D asset pipeline, or directing a documentary shoot — the underlying discipline is the same: clear thinking, structured delivery, and an eye for detail.

Product Management

Roadmap ownership, cross-functional alignment, stakeholder management, and delivery accountability — from concept through to market. Proven track record cutting time-to-market and growing platform revenue across licensed IP brands.

Roadmapping Stakeholder mgmt E-commerce Python

3D & Technical Production

Advanced generalist across Blender, ZBrush, and Substance Painter. Custom photogrammetry pipeline, procedural workflows, and multi experience for broadcast and online platforms.

Blender Photogrammetry Substance Painter ZBrush Proceduralism

Film, TV & Photography

20+ broadcast documentary credits across ZDF, SWR, Arte, and more. Standout includes multiple TerraX titles. Technical lead across the full production lifecycle, from brief and scoping through to delivery and sign-off.

ZDF / SWR / Arte Documentary Motion GFX Photography Post-production
Selected work

Recent projects

Adidas Samba
3D

Adidas Samba

Reality Capture · Blender · Substance Painter
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Product

Games Workshop Apparel Range

Burgschneider GmbH · Licensed IP development
▶
Film

TerraX Expedition

ZDF · 3D & Motion Graphics
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3D

Hasbro Previz Hair Systems

Blender Geometry Nodes · Character previz
GFX Showreel
3D

Motion Graphics/VFX

VFX Showreel
⬡
Product

Platform Migration & Revenue Growth

Burgschneider · Non-NA revenue 10% → 40%
About

Who I am

Ciarán Ryan
20+ years across three disciplines

I'm a product manager and creative based in Mainz, Germany. I started as a QA tester in Belfast, ditched it to tour with my band, then landed in Germany doing photo touch-ups for a startup. That was 20+ years ago.

Since then: VFX and broadcast production, 3D artist for ZDF, SWR, and Arte across 20+ documentaries, and eventually Head of Product at Burgschneider GmbH. There I've the honour of working with Games Workshop, Hasbro/D&D, Middle Earth Enterprises, and Tomb Raider.

"An eye for detail isn't just a tagline — it's the through-line of everything I've built."

So, who am I?

Someone with a childlike enthusiasm to know how it all works.
Someone who loves to get his hands dirty and be part of the process.
Someone who takes pride in seeing the final result of a job well done.

Outside of work, you'll find me deep in Blender Geometry Nodes, homebrewing something experimental, or getting lost in yet another Roman history book.

Experience

Career timeline

Oct 2025 – Present
Head of Product Development
Burgschneider GmbH · Frankfurt am Main
Jan 2022 – Sept 2025
Visual Asset Production Lead — Photography & 3D
Burgschneider GmbH · Frankfurt am Main
Apr 2011 – Dec 2020
Freelance Television Production (Photography, Post-production, 3D & Motion GFX)
Miadox · Mainz, Germany
Jan 2008 – Apr 2010
VFX Generalist
3DMaximal GmbH · Ingelheim, Germany
Skills & tools

What I work with

Product & Delivery
Roadmap planning Cross-functional teams Stakeholder management Requirements definition Time-to-market Brand compliance
Digital & Platforms
E-commerce platforms Print-on-demand Digital asset management CMS workflows Data pipelines
Creative & Technical
Blender Geometry Nodes ZBrush Substance Painter Photogrammetry Adobe CC Photography
Dev & Tooling
Python GitHub VS Code Claude Code Google Workspace MS Office
Contact

Let's talk

Want to know more? Happy to have an informal conversation. Feel free to reach out.

ciaranpmryan@gmail.com Mainz, Germany
LinkedIn