Caroline Duffy Is a Brooklyn based 2D Motion Designer who holds a BFA in Digital Arts from Pratt Institute. She aims to use her training to shed a light on social issues such as women’s and LGBTQ rights. Caroline has animated content for Parley for the Oceans, raising awareness to marine pollution. In addition, she has worked at studios such as Hornet, Houses in Motion, and has directed music videos for Indie songwriters. In her free time, she volunteers for the Women in Animation NYC Chapter.
Ashley Gerst, Professional Animator, New York Ashley Gerst is a 2D and 3D animator living in Brooklyn NY. She holds a BFA in Digital Arts from Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA in Computer Art from School of Visual Arts. In addition to her professorial work at William Paterson, Ashley is a freelance animator working for a variety of production companies and clients in the Greater New York City area. She has created animation and VFX for broadcast commercials, TV shows, and documentaries for AMC, VH1, and BET. Some of her clients include Fast Company, Behance, Credit Suisse, Nivea, Nissan, Afrin, Red Bull, Hudson Media, CBS, Nurturing Press, iNomadics, Redwood Living and more. Ashley Gerst was also responsible for animating the title sequence for the 2018 feature film 'The Con is On'. The film, distributed by Grindhouse/Lionsgate, is a heist comedy directed by James Haslam and stars Uma Thurman and Tim Roth. Her most recent film is titled The Spirit Seam. The film, taking place in 1952, follows a little girl named Pollywog and her PapPaw as they experience daily life in a small coal mining town in Appalachia. The final project combines a mixture of mediums: 3D animated character, 2D animated effects, and physically constructed sets. The sets were created with a combination of 3D printing, fiber arts, and carved sculpture. The Spirit Seam's concept art and set construction has been featured in the article “Explore the World of Fine-Art Animation” in Professional Artist Magazine's December/January 2017-2018 issue. The sets and embroidery for the film were also in a solo show at Misbits Gallery in 2018 in Oxford Mississippi. Other animated films created by Ashley Gerst have been screened nationally in several film festivals including Dam Short Film Festival, Tucson Slow Food and Film Festival, Standing Rock Film Festival (Third Place Award). Her films have also been exhibited in the Cleveland Museum of Art and featured in Cleveland's local newspaper: The Plain Dealer, LA Weekly and Makezine.
David Goldthorpe, Goldfish Creative, New Zealand
David Goldthorpe is a Producer and Location Manager based in Wellington, New Zealand. He cut his teeth producing and production managing theatre and events including New Zealand New Performance Festival in New York City and Chet Baker; Like Someone in Love which has toured over 30 venues around the world. He has been production manager and technical manager for LUX Light Festival and Light Nelson and has produced installation artworks with Storybox, Good Company Arts and with his own company Goldfish Creative. David is a sought after Locations Scout and Manager for film and television having location managed feature films Human Traces, Reunion and Coming Home in the Dark, countless television commercials as well as popular NZ TV series Wellington Paranormal with Jemaine Clement. In 2017, David was appointed by the New Zealand Film Commission to produce Jesse Taylor Smith’s debut short film Behold the Ghost which is about to play in the Official Selection at Oaxaca Film Festival this year.
Debbie Fish, Goldfish Creative, New Zealand
Debbie Fish is an installation artist and set designer for theatre and film, based in Wellington, New Zealand, and co-director of Goldfish Creative. Set design credits include working as Production Designer for Alex Galvin’s adaptation of The Turn of the Screw and as Art Director on short film Behind the Ghost, written and directed by Jesse Taylor Smith. Her art installations with GoldFish Creative, are inspired by environmental and social concerns and have been exhibited at festivals including Light Nelson Festival, Splore Festival, The Performance Arcade, Taupo Winter Festival, and Coastella Music Festival. She recently completed a month-long artist residency at Fish Factory – Creative Centre in Stoovarfjorour, Iceland. Debbie is also a voice actor and puppeteer, having toured around Australia, Japan, China and South Korea as a puppeteer for children’s theatre. She currently voices the character of Patches in the animated television series Kiddets, a co-production between New Zealand and China, and a sister series to the acclaimed The WotWots.
Edward Morin, Professor Sam Houston State University, Texas
Edward Morin is a professor of computer animation at Sam Houston State University. Professor Morin has been working in digital and electronic formats since the late 90's, including animation, interactive multimedia, physical computing, rapid prototyping, sound and video. His films have been screened at festivals and galleries in over 70 events in 12 countries.
Jonathan Bryson, Professor Sam Houston State University, Texas
Jonathan Bryson is a professor at Sam Houston State University. He teaches advanced 3D animation, shading, lighting & rendering, and animation portfolio. Professor Bryson specializes in teaching advanced level animation.
Elissa Herrmann, Sam Houston State University, Texas
Elisa Herrmann is a filmmaker and video artist from Brazil, with a degree in Art Education from Federal University of Parana, a specialization in Audiovisual Communication from Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, and a Master of Fine Arts in Mass Communication and Media Arts from Southern Illinois University. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Sam Houston State University.
In the past years, Elisa produced and directed several short films, which were screened at festivals in the USA and abroad. Elisa’s awarded short documentary “Rodrigo Herrmann – Life and Works” premiered in Curitiba, Brazil, during the prestigious 34th Music Festival of Curitiba, and screened at several international film festivals, including the 2016 Cannes Film Festival – Short Film Corner. Elisa Herrmann is also an awarded screenwriter with her short film “Death Expectancy”, a dark comedy that deals with loneliness, the elderly, and technological advancements. Elisa's first feature screenplay “The Great Adventure of the Bentley Girls” was awarded first place at the Fan Fiction Film and Writing Festival, and is currently being submitted to other screenplays festivals. Elisa has just completed a feature documentary about the Brazilian religion Umbanda, which is currently in the festival circuit.
Elisa joined Sam Houston State University’s Department of Mass Communication as an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication in the fall of 2014, where she teaches film production and continues to produce her own films. In the fall of 2016, she was appointed as the Coordinator of the BA in Film at SHSU, where she works advising students and promoting the film program.
Wojciech Lorenc, Sam Houston State University, Texas
Wojciech Lorenc is an Associate Professor of Mass Communication at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. He graduated from Columbia College, Chicago with a BA in Film/Video in 2002. He earned his MFA in Digital Cinema from DePaul University in Chicago in 2011. In the last 18 years he has worked in the commercial, television and film industry as a producer, director, cinematographer, and editor. He was recognized with several industry awards such as Telly, Hugo, Hermes, Remi, Communicator, and AVA trophies. He was nominated for 2 Midwest Emmys, he has won festival awards internationally, and he has screened his films in over 150 festivals in 27 states and 30 countries. With his works, he has reached over 50 million viewers online.
Kristin Reiber, Professional Animator and Educator, Washington D.C.
Kristin Reiber Harris is an artist, animator and educator. Her creative career spans over 40 years with a focus on inspiring careful observation of the natural world. She specializes in producing and animating educational media for children specifically exploring science with art. Kristin has produced over 60 short form animations for kids. HBO Family/HBOL has broadcast forty of her interstitials. Her work has been included in the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, The Museum of Television and Radio's International Children's Television Festival in New York and Los Angeles, The Kalamazoo Animation Festival International and the East Lansing Children’s Film Festival, San Diego Children’s Film Festival and Spudfest. Her experience as an educator includes over 15 years of college level teaching, elementary, middle and high school workshops and family programs at museums and art centers. Kristin is a member of Women in Animation, NYWIFT and Women in Film & Video Washington DC. She many years she facilitated the WIFV Animator’s Roundtable. Kristin received a BA in Fine Arts from UCLA and an MFA from The George Washington University. KristinHarrisDesign.com
Anca Risca, Professional Animator and Educator, New York
Ever since Nathan Love’s founding in 2007, Anca has been a key player in the studio’s growth and culture. Having started out as a designer and CG artist, Anca was initially hired as Nathan Love’s Art Director, and quickly rose to directing many of the company’s projects. She continues to direct, while also heading the studio’s treatments, branding and internal designs, training new hires, helping with administrative work, and putting together killer creative presentations. In tandem with her NL endeavors, Anca is also a Computer Art Thesis Instructor at the School of Visual Arts and spends her free time creating art under the name Catdactyl. When not creating, working, or teaching, she can be found relaxing with her two adorable tabby cats Cookie and Sammich, tending to her indoor plants, or covered in glowsticks at your local rave.
Tim Probert, Professional Animator, New York
Tim Probert is an Art Director for Nathan Love in NYC and also works as an independent illustrator. Tim is currently wrapping up my first graphic novel 'Lightfall' for HarperAlley. It will be out in September 2020 and is available for preorder from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local bookstore and wherever books are sold.
Thomas Shek, Professional Animator, New York
Thomas Shek is a CG character animator for Nathan Love in NYC. Born and raised in NYC, Tom‘s adventures led him to stay local through his college education. As a good portion of the NL staff are, he is an SVA Computer Art Alumni! He has a background in Computer Animation, Computer Art, and Visual Effects but his love of animation quickly took the lead. He is a talented artist, and to this day he continues to hone his craft by regularly taking animation courses in his spare time. One may also find him waiting in line at the Supreme store, hitting the gym, and low-key flexing his impressive sneaker collection.
Jin Fang Jiang, Professional Animator, New York
Jin Fang Jiang works for Nathan Love in NYC as a CG artist. Jin Fang was born on a small island off the coast of China, and at a young age moved to the complete opposite environment, New York City. She started her creative journey at LaGuardia High School of the Arts, and continued her studies at the School of Visual Arts, earning a BFA in Computer Art. She is fluent in both English and Chinese, and as a lover of language, she is studying Japanese in her free time. Aside from being a humble wizard of all things CG, Jin Fang loves thriller, mystery, and fantasy novels. A couple favorites include anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Junji Ito. To relax, recharge and invigorate, Jin Fang practices yoga, travels, basks in nature, and visits museums. Oh, and we can’t forget hunting for good eats. Noodle lover for life!
Chrissy Felllmeth, Professional Animator, New York
Chrissy Fellmeth is a professional animator, director, storyboard artist and layout artist based in NYC. She is also an adjunct profession at the New York City School of Visual Arts and the Co-Lead of the NYC Chapter of Women in Animation Mentoring Program. http://www.chrissyfellmeth.com
Rob Chandler, Professional Animator, New York
Rob Chandler is the character design lead on Stephen Colbert’s SHOWTIME satirical animated series “Our Cartoon President”. Since graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design, he has worked all over the country as a freelance artist. His work experience includes an internship with LAIKA, building puppets and cardboard sets for a feature film in Louisiana, and art directing commercial projects in NYC, including an animated PSA he designed for Shared Hope International, which screened at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in 2016
Eric Cunha, Professional Animator, New York
Eric Cunha is a NYC based 3D artist. He graduated from the NYC School of Visual Arts in 2013 with a BFA in Computer Animation. Aardman Nathan Love hired him as their CG Director straight out of school. Mr. Cunha spent four years with Aardman leading teams, directing commercials, and serving as the company's CTO. In 2017 Mr. Cunha began working as an independent freelance animation artist and helps companies solve new sets of problems while making some super cool images
Elizabeth Ku-Herrero, NY School of Visual Arts, New York
Elizabeth Ku-Herrero is a NYC based CG Look Development Artist and Director and a faculty member of the NYC School of Visual Arts. Ms. Ku-Herrero received an Academy Award and Emmy for her work. She specializes in 3D modeling, texturing/shading, and light.
Ellen Su, Professional Animator and Educator, New York
Ellen Su is a director and designer at Aardman Nathan Love as well as a professor at the NYC School of Visual Arts. Her illustrative style, thoughtful storytelling, and refined aesthetic bring fresh new perspective to her projects. She has worked with award-winning studios such as Pixar Animation Studios, Facebook, TED-Ed, The Mill, R/GA, and Psyop. Her animated short film, Spacebound, has been screened around the world and featured in publications such as 3D World Magazine and Animation Magazine.