CLASSICAL ANIMATION
VFS Faculty consists of the most highly trained professionals in the creative industries. While our full-time instructors provide more one-on-one time with students than any other school, our part-time instructors are pulled right from the heart of the industry, equipped with the most current, relevant industry experience and credits.
We call this THE VFS ADVANTAGE.
Colin
Giles
Head of Department
Colin has over 23 years of experience in both traditional and 3D animation. He’s hosted workshops and keynotes for groups such as CBC Video Workshop and TEDx Vancouver. Most recently, Colin animated 2D sequences in Seth Rogen’s Sausage Party and was Associate Director for Hello My Love.
Mark
Pudleiner
Senior Instructor
Mark has been teaching animation and story since 2005, bringing with him over 35 years in the animation industry. His character animation film credits include An American Tail, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove, Shrek 2, and many more.
Jim
Inkster
Instructor
Jim began his career in animation as a cel painter on Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side II. He moved to Mercury Filmworks as Paint Supervisor and Composite Supervisor on a variety of children's series and feature films. He has been with VFS for over 15 years.
Keith
Blackmore
Instructor
Keith has been teaching at VFS since 1995. He prides himself on teaching entertaining, informative, and inspiring classes. As the Producer of the Academy Award accredited SPARK Animation Festival and SPARK FX, Keith connects VFS to the very best in animation and VFX from around the world.
Hannah
Ramos Orale
Teaching Assistant
Denisse
Jimenez
Classical Animation Instructor
Denisse is a 2D Character & FX Animator who enjoys bringing drawings to life. A VFS graduate, Denisse teaches 2D FX animation, encouraging students to push boundaries and embrace their unique styles. Denisse always strives to inspire through her work and teachings.
Patti
Munro
Patti began her animation career as an In-Between artist at Walt Disney Canada and Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver. At VFS, Patti has taught the art of In-Betweening and CleanUp for more than 20 years.
Andy Bartlett
Instructor
Andy is an animation industry veteran. He has designed for The Care Bear Movie and animated/storyboarded on Ren & Stimpy, Tank Girl, & My Little Pony. He directed on Woody Woodpecker and Being Ian, winning a Leo Award for the latter. He has over 30 years of teaching experience.
Dieter Mueller
Instructor
Dieter launched his career as a Freelance Animator at International Rocketship, and over his 20+ years there, he directed numerous commercials and won awards. His short film The Butterfly was nominated for a Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Marv Newland
Instructor
Marv first created Bambi Meets Godzilla in 1969 and has been making animated films and television ever since. Some of his many credits include Sing Beast Sing, Anijam, Beijing Flipbook, Tête à tête à tête and CMYK for the National Film Board of Canada, The PJs, and Being Ian.
Adam Rogers
Instructor
Adam has five solo and seven group exhibitions to his credit. His honours include the Society of Illustrators 43rd Annual Exhibition, Ozzie Awards for Magazine Design Excellence, and a Graphex Award for Editorial Illustration.
Kayla Ziegler
Instructor/Mentor
Kayla joined the animation industry in 2016, working as a character animator and animation revisionist at Atomic Cartoons and WildBrain Studios. They’re proud to have worked on shows such as Molly of Denali, Max and Ruby, and The Snoopy Show. Kayla’s excited to help students master ToonBoom Harmony.
Anne Kopriva
Teaching Assistant
Anne is a Canadian theatre artist and animator. After graduating from University of Victoria's Theatre program, they pursued their lifelong dream of becoming a classical animator at VFS. Anne wanders the halls of VFS like a friendly ghost, coming up with new ideas to make people laugh.