Hello and welcome, 

My name is Mike and I’m a veteran of 15+ years in the animation industry, both working as an Animator and a Layout Artist. My educational background in Traditional Animation and Fine Arts is the primary force that has always informed my creative approach in all aspects of my career as a visual storyteller. 

As an animator with a passion for cinematography, I realized I have all the necessary skills to make a switch to Layout/Previz. Bringing my animation skills over to Layout has allowed me to not only deliver strong posing and clear ideas early for direction, but also permitted me to construct scenes in a way an animator would quickly and technically understand. I find this to be the most fulfilling part of working as a Layout Artist, knowing I can help multiple departments at the same time.

Outside of studio work, I have almost 10 years of college-level teaching experience. Having to manage multiple 20+ student classes has given me invaluable lessons in organization and communication. It has also fostered a deep love for working with new animation artists in the industry.