Thomas Thesen

Thomas Thesen

Animation, illustration, art, comic, film-obsessed world-tra

Senior Visual Development / 19 yrs

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Puss in Boots (2011)

Character Design

Puss in Boots (2011)

Ratatouille (2007)

Visual Development A

Bee Movie (2007)

Shrek 2 (2004)

From Pixar, to Dreamworks, then Sprite and then seven years of teaching at SCAD, NYU Tisch Asia and other Universities prepared me for life!
Work History

  • Assistant Professor of Animation

    Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong

    September 2013 - August 2015

    I am teaching classes in:
    2D Animation
    Screen Design
    Storyboard
    Animation History
    Character-design and layout

  • Assistant Professor of Animation

    NYU School of the Arts, Tisch Asia

    September 2010 - August 2013

    teaching courses in
    Phones and Themeparks
    Children's Animation for TV
    Animation Studio: Rhythm in Animation and Film
    Animation History
    Elements of Composition
    Animation Studio: Character Design
    Dynamic Environments for the day after tomorrow
    Interactive content for Children

  • Professor of Animation

    Savannah College of Art and Design

    2013 - 2013

  • Assistant Professor for Animation

    Hongik University Seoul, Korea

    January 2009 - August 2010

    Courses: Concept Design, Animation Layout, Introduction to Animation, Storyboard,

  • Visual Development Artist

    Sprite Animation Studios

    February 2007 - July 2009

    • Visual Development Artist for various projects:
    • GON, CG feature animation based on a japanese comic-
    book (character design)
    • Franklin BC; CG feature animation produced for Disney
    TV (character environment- and prop design)
    • Journey to the West; CG feature animation development
    based on the chinese story of the same name (character
    design)
    • Tikkis; character design for TV-show development

  • Visiting Professor for Animation

    Kyung Sung University, Busan, South Korea

    July 2008 - January 2009

    Courses
    Storyboarding, Character Design, Character Animation, Thesis workshop

  • Visual Development Artist

    DreamWorks Animation

    August 2003 - June 2005

    Assistant Character Animator on Shrek 2
    Visual Development Artist on Bee-Movie, Puss in Boots and short term assignments on other features

  • Visual Development Artist

    Pixar

    June 2002 - August 2002

    Inspirational character development for Ratatouille
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Education

  • CalArts

    2000 - 2003

  • University of Applied Sciences Hamburg

    1994 - 2000