Dear Colleagues,
Please find here an abridged portfolio of my recent work as an educator of animation. I feel very passionately that animation is a vital skill for our society to develop. As we look back on the past from far into the future, the work we do now will be remembered as the primordial genesis for the unimaginable depths we surely will have reached. It is my goal to foster a strong desire to animate in as many students as possible, and to give them the tools to explore the creation of motion in its fullest.
Thank you for taking the time to review my humble contribution.
Brief Teaching Statement
Animation is a self contained medium, completely separate from film-making, storytelling, design, or any other. In my animation courses, the primary objective is to foster students' ability to fully control the creation of movement. Newton's Laws of Mechanical Movement provide a foundation for these courses and the concepts are continually examined throughout. I teach in stop motion animation because it gives students the ability to start animating within minutes, rather than getting bogged down with complex CG applications or issues of design in 2D. Additionally, stop motion involves a direct, physical, tactile interaction with the subject of the animation and creates solid pathways and motor memory for the understanding of how to create movement. Once a student has mastered the techniques in these courses, they can be applied to the animation of any subject, in any style, and using any technique.
Animation should be about 'play,' especially in the beginning. Students who are totally new to the process of animation are encouraged to create as much as possible in order to gain the experience to 'see' their animation. Once a student achieves the ability to perceive and respond to their animation as they create it, they can then hone that perception to develop control. Once a student has control of their animation, they can use movement to augment story, gesture, expression, and emotional state.
Courses
Professional Studies For Animators - Laguna College of Art and Design F2018
This lecture course is designed to give the student a clear and honest picture of contemporary professional practices in the animation industry. A wide range of topics will be covered and examined, including self-promotion and job hunting, professional conduct, project management, corporate structures, and more.
Stop Motion Animation Intensive - Hampshire College Summer 2018
The animation intensive is designed as a one month (four week) course with the purpose of creating a short film from scratch. Each week is characterized by the various stages of production: writing, storyboarding and animatics; fabrication, foley, and voice records; Animation; and finally Post FX with carryover from animation. The structure of the class gives students direct experience with a high pressure, fast paced production not unlike a freelance or commercial job. Everything must be made collaboratively within the confines of the course, and all aspects are fully collaborative. Students have the freedom to engage with whatever part of the process they choose, as all efforts are simultaneous and constant, giving them the ability to experience unfamiliar processes and engage new skills.
Stop Motion from Scratch - Hampshire College 2017-2018
This course uses the framework of stop motion animation to build a fundamental skill set for creating any type of animation. Students begin by creating wire-armatured puppets using a technique called “foam buildup,” which is a common technique most famously utilized by Ray Harryhausen in King Kong. The puppets the students create in the first weeks of class will provide them with both a canvas and a brush to explore their personal style by animating specific movements and analyzing each other’s work. Students will be introduced to materials such as latex rubber, epoxy resins, animation clays, and silicone gel mediums. Class lectures will cover animation history and techniques as well as when, where, and why to choose them. Course work will progress from simple bouncing ball animation to fully realized character animation with lip sync.
Advanced Concepts of Animation - Hampshire College 2017-2018
Students explore the outer limits of what is possible with animation - particularly stop motion animation. Stop motion animation provides a direct access to the process of animating that can broaden and improve the skills in any other animated medium. Weekly experiments cover a range of concepts from performance to physics, animation technique to stylistic choices, and utilize design and photographic principles to elicit dynamic emotional states. In-class workshops will cover various techniques such as pixelation, object animation, and of course, puppet animation. Students will work independently, as well as collaboratively, both in and out of class. Together we will discover new methods of expression and a more fully developed personal style.
Preproducing Animated Short Films - Hampshire College 2017-2018
In this class, students conceptualize and prepare a short animated film, examining the process of creating animated shorts regarding conception, pitching, scripting, design, storyboarding, budgeting, and scheduling. Lectures look at previous examples at each stage of the process and the various approaches appropriate for different venues (independent shorts, web content, grant writing, television pitches, features), and we discuss the broad landscape of opportunities. Course work involves various experiments and exercises to develop and conceptualize a film. Ultimately, students will present a complete proposal for an animated film, show, or series. Narrative games and interactive installations are also welcome, though the course generally focuses solely on filmic storytelling. Live action concepts are acceptable if they have a significant, integral animation element. Students are encouraged to delve deeply and work at their own pace based on their intended medium and platform while still engaging with regular course work.