Inspiration: People learn in different ways. Some students respond to auditory, others to visual, and others respond better to kinesthetic learning styles. My varied delivery methods increase student’s ability to retain information. I also believe in an active learning space where my approach changes over time and engages the student instead of a passive lecture atmosphere. My favorite quote regarding the learning experience is, “Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Involve me, and I understand.” This Chinese proverb means you truly understand how to execute ideas by doing. I spend much time lecturing and explaining, then showing demos, and then finally, I have my students do it for themselves because only then will they truly understand. 

I held a tenure as a Professor at the University of Southern California within the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts Program, situated in the School of Cinematic Arts. My academic engagement spanned seven years, commencing with a two-year adjunct role, followed by five years in a full-time capacity. In this position, my primary focus was to share my work experience and mentor the students on their discoveries in animation production and their thesis films. As an educator, my overarching objective has been to perpetuate knowledge and ignite a sense of enduring curiosity within my students.

More specifically, as a mentor, I introduce students to a pool of inspirational works and ask them to articulate their reactions, guiding independent critical thought. I seek a balance in my courses between inspirational films, lecturing to students, hands-on applied uses of the exercise, and asking for exploration and discovery. Continuing with my instruction at iAnimate, I explore the best approaches to guiding intention with execution in my courses online. I love teaching online because I can access students worldwide, and sound art cannot happen in a vacuum. My goal is for my students to feel as inspired in my classes as they inspire me.

Experience: My professional background is in all forms of computer and traditional output, including film, games, and commercials. I have incorporated these techniques and research into my classes. I have a website and blog where I store additional learning resources for animation and internship information. Through my classes, I generate original syllabi and course assignments using my research and animation experience.

My curriculum supports innovative filmmaking, developing a personal voice, and a professional demo reel for my students to reach their goals. My experience working in the movie picture industry has afforded me extensive, practical, and theoretical knowledge of commercial animation development and production. My appreciation for animation includes character-driven work as a vehicle for storytelling outside of mainstream commercial venues. I continue my exploration of innovation in computer-generated images through my graduate studies degree in painting at Laguna College of Art + Design. Digital color space, 3D printing, and digital processing are the basis for composing my paintings. My personal projects originate in the mix that our minds make of the digital and the physical. Combining the digital and physical worlds is the same challenge I pose to my students. Critical thought and the unique expression of creativity at the highest level are my goals for my students.

Goals: My approach to instruction reflects two goals. First, the student must master core knowledge by demonstrating familiarity with the software, principles, and concepts studied. Second, students can reflect upon the material during class reviews and critiques and develop an eye for quality work. While my standards are high, I help the students to meet expectations through my accessibility and online supported documentation created just for them.

Artist First: I have taught at several institutions in the Los Angeles area, including Dhima, Gnomon School of VFX, and ianimate.net. One of the toughest obstacles for any artist or filmmaker is solving problems that are both creative and technical. In filmmaking and animation, the story and the art intertwine. Using my 20+ years of experience working in the movie picture industry, I bring problem-solving strategies that are conceptually sound and applicable. I have no desire to create a workforce. Instead, I mentor artists toward innovative thinking.

My student’s demo reels are different, and I encourage students to have a unique, creative voice. I value narrative, character, and empathy, even if the desire is experimental animation without linear storytelling. I view my instructor role as a signpost, steering my students towards original solutions. I also believe my part as the instructor is submissive to the student’s growth, and I am quick to change my tactics if an approach is not coming across as I hoped. We all learn in different ways, and art is a subjective topic to teach. It is rare to have all students operating at the same level. I like to switch things up to keep the students thinking and mold my instruction to work best for their needs.

Participation: I have worked with industry professionals, using these contacts to incorporate class visits and guest lectures. I use classroom discussion, open critiques, guest speakers, and Improv exercises to get the students interacting, sharing, and discussing the work. I encourage communication among the students and the sharing of ideas. Animation is a collaborative art form; I think students should get used to sharing it with their peers. I assist students in making contacts, internships, and finding employment upon graduation. I have worked for a majority of the animation studios in the Los Angeles area, and my contacts at the studios come in handy closer to graduation. I also offer a Career Strategies presentation every semester. Career Strategies has been one of my most popular classes. Whether you plan on working in one of the top five studios, working independently, or for a small boutique, you must have a plan of action.

My primary goal as a teacher is to foster critical thinking, facilitate creative thought, and prepare students to function efficiently as filmmakers and artists. I strive to create well-rounded artists who have mastered the technical and artistic aspects of filmmaking, storytelling, and animation. I do all this with an optimistic, positive atmosphere that is a nurturing place to share and grow. My classroom atmosphere allows students to feel safe, making mistakes. I believe more learning occurs from failures than successes. Nothing feels better than explaining a complex concept and seeing the light go off. It is a reward in itself. That light is the only reason to become a teacher in my mind. I am at a time in my life where I want to give back. I am genuinely interested in making solid artists who, one day, win awards for their films. My work and research are more vibrant because of my teaching experience and time with students. Connections with young artists keep me young and from going stale in my studio. It’s a great give-and-take. In summary, all of my pedagogical strategies commit to teaching the principles of animation and filmmaking in a dynamic, hands-on way that will remain with the student long after he or she leaves my classroom.

My teaching practice has developed over twenty years of experience in animation production, from my MFA research in painting and pedagogical studies in the Laguna College of Art + Design program to my skills as a USC adjunct instructor, moving into a full-time Assistant Professor position at USC. Before my post at USC, I had three years of experience as an instructor at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects and five years of experience teaching online for iAnimate.  In addition to my teaching experiences, I have twenty-four years working as an animator/supervisor/director in video games, features, and commercials, filled with mentoring opportunities in animation production. My course load at these various institutions has included fundamentals of animation, CG character performance, creature and game animation, professionalism and career strategies, animation theory and film criticism, animation history traditional and digital, senior film thesis development, as well as classes for MFA programs including critique seminars, production studio, and professional practices.

This experience has prepared me to teach future artists effectively by developing and implementing a curriculum by degree requirements and department and university goals. It has allowed me the toolbox necessary to create a specific CG Character Performance curriculum and coursework for a diverse student body. I have also developed and implemented a curriculum for new foundations and special topics courses, titled Advanced Computer Animation for master’s students, and reworked a BA course called Professionalism of Animation course from the ground up. I am committed to understanding the evolving needs of art students in the 21st century by creating and fostering balanced and challenging visual art and animation courses and building and maintaining current and well-equipped studios and digital resources while providing a positive community environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and asking questions.

I am committed to providing my students with a positive and productive work environment. Throughout my time at USC, I worked diligently with Creative Tech to improve our rendering resources, adding RedShift to the rendering solutions through research and committees. I actively participated in committee meetings with creative tech to enhance the resources and workflow for students in the labs. I handled a massive load of directed studios every Spring semester to accommodate the need for portfolio development and more character performance studies by graduating students. I have taught parallel tracks to make the curriculum happen sooner in response to student feedback. My experience working in and teaching character performance animation has influenced my emphasis on the importance of workflow, industry-facing techniques, and an eye for detail in every course I teach, from the undergrad CG performance courses to the professionalism course or the MFA seminar. I stress the vital relationship between the “how,” the “what,” and the “why,” leading students through the ideation process while simultaneously fostering their acquisition of skill and technique.

From foundations to the upper-level division courses, my classes are designed to build upon themselves and the content of other DADA curriculum courses. My classes focus on developing skills and technical mastery at the foundation level while introducing students to conceptual motivations. As skill-learning moves more in-depth into their content, the conceptual complexity of assignments becomes more challenging. I push students to hone their storytelling and creativity while developing unique voices as artists and understanding the importance of creative problem-solving. Students move from simple puppets like a ball or box with eyes to a series of shots with moving cameras and intricate cinematography, character animation, and audio through production, editing, and rendering output.

The classroom is a community where learning is co-created through interaction with content, process, peers, instructors, and visiting artists. I strive to get to know each student individually and present opportunities for students to get to know and support each other. Group activities, peer mentorship, and guest speakers allow students to interact outside of a passive classroom environment, allowing them to build support systems and experience collaborative environments. Class critiques allow for valuable group interaction in which students learn how to articulate their ideas and form constructive criticism. By asking students questions during reviews, rather than giving them answers, I strive to allow students to think critically about their artwork and that of their peers. Throughout my courses, students are introduced to theory as it pertains to the content they are investigating; written responses and class discussion allow students to comprehend the broader context of art in contemporary and historical culture, allowing them to view themselves as artists contributing to the same history. Through in-class assignments, research projects, reading and writing assignments, student presentations, visiting artist lectures and workshops, and group discussions, students begin to understand the more significant role of art and animation in our culture and to critically evaluate contemporary issues and concerns and develop their artistic vocabulary.

My experiences as an educator in diverse contexts have only reinforced my commitment to the practice and fostered my dedication to developing and implementing a balanced and challenging curriculum, providing a productive work environment, and promoting a supportive community. My students motivate me to challenge myself as a person, educator, and artist, and I look forward to the continued growth of my teaching practice.