USC Graduation Day, May 2017, with Tuo Kan and Franklin Okike.
So proud of these two wonderful MFA graduates!

I have served as an on-site professor at USC and lead in video games, features, and commercials. My teaching experience includes Gnomon School of Visual Effects, over a decade of online instruction with iAnimate, and curriculum development and mentoring roles with international programs such as BRASSARTS/France and CG Spectrum. To date, I have taught and mentored thousands of students across studio, academic, and professional training contexts.

PEDAGOGY

My teaching expertise has evolved over three decades of animation production, MFA research in painting, and pedagogical studies at Laguna College of Art + Design. I have taught continuously since 2003 across higher education, professional training programs, and studio environments.

My USC DADA BFA Animation and Professionalism class of 2017 with special guest LeSean Thomas!

My teaching spans a wide range, including:

  • Fundamentals of Animation

  • CG character performance

  • Creature and game Animation

  • Artist development

  • Professional practice and career strategy

  • Animation theory and history (traditional and digital)

  • Film criticism

  • Senior film thesis development

  • MFA-level critique seminars, production, studio, and professional practice courses

In Florence with my USC BA students during their 2019 study abroad program!

My approach emphasizes clarity of thinking as much as technical execution. Students are taught to understand the how, what, and why behind every creative and technical decision. I encourage learning beyond isolated assignments by incorporating peer dialogue, group critique, mentorship, and industry-facing expectations.

I maintain high standards while supporting different learning styles and experience levels. Clear expectations, direct feedback, and revision opportunities are central to my process, reinforcing ownership, accountability, and creative confidence. Drawing from both studio leadership and academic experience, my goal is to develop artists who think critically, communicate clearly, and are prepared to operate at a professional level within Animation and filmmaking.