I am primarily a character and creature animator for film, games, VR / AR, music videos and commercials, but... I am also a capable character and creature designer, illustrator, CG modeler, sculptor, mold maker, wood carver, and even do a little rigging for animation.

Throughout my 20+ years in the entertainment industry I have worked for many types of studios as both a Specialist and Generalist. Often smaller studios have asked me to contribute to Animation, Modeling, Rigging, Character Design, Texturing, and Game Design. At the larger studios I focused on specializing in Character and Creature Animation.

“What’s great about Dave is that he’s great at a lot of things. He can wear many hats and wears them well. If you have a question about sculpting, animating, editing, or even story then Dave’s your man. People like Dave are hard to come by at work. Someone that can inspire and elevate your own work.”
— Kelsey Mann, Story Supervisor, Pixar

I'm also an educator...

AnimSchool (2023 - Current)
Animation Instructor and Curriculum Development 

  • Creature Animation

  • Game Pipeline

The Gnomon School of VFX ( 2011 - 2021 )
Animation Instructor and Curriculum Development 

  • 2011 Master Class:
    Realistic Creature Animation

  • Character 1: Fundamentals

  • Character 2: Body Mechanics

  • Character 3: Acting & Performance

  • Character 4: Facial animation & Dialogue

  • Creature 1: Real Animals

  • Creature 2: Fantasy Animals

  • Portfolio Reviews

John Hughes Institute ( 2020 )
Arizona State University Virtual Workshop
FMP 494 - Previsualization & Virtual Filmmaking

 Lecture/Demo/Activity (Show->Tell->Do)

  • Basics of 3D & Realtime Software

  • Unreal Engine as used in Previsualization

Animation Mentor ( 2006 - 2008 )
Mentor

  • Basic Foundations

  • Psychology of Body Mechanics

  • Body Mechanics

  • Introduction to Acting

  • Advanced Acting

  • Polishing & Portfolio