Career Paths & Industry Advice: Gnomon Alumni Panel
Gnomon alumni at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, and Pixomondo will share their unique career path stories on Saturday, May 20th, at 1:00 pm PDT. Casey McDermott, Senior Animator on Overwatch, Starcraft, and Warcraft, will discuss how he discovered his passion for the industry and will reveal the key to his success in the field so far. Daniel Edery, CG Generalist/Concept Artist on Netflix’s Stranger Things and AMC’s The Walking Dead, will talk about the benefits of being a generalist as well as offer advice on freelancing versus staff work in the industry. And Diana Zeng, Lighting Artist on Moana, Zootopia, Wreck-it-Ralph, and Frozen, will talk about her career change from theater to CG, and how she landed a role at Disney after graduating from Gnomon’s Certificate Program.
Meet these three leading artists from top LA studios spanning feature films, video games, and TV, and ask them the questions you’ve always wanted answered. RSVP to attend for free; seating is on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure to arrive in good time to secure your place in line. Alternatively, follow along on Livestream and ask questions during the live event using #gnomon on Twitter. Gnomon’s Admissions Advisors will also be answering questions on social media throughout the event. Ask them anything!
The Alumni Panel will take place following Open House at the Gnomon Stage. For those interested in learning about Gnomon’s educational options and taking a guided tour of the campus, be sure toRSVP for Open House, which begins promptly at 10:00 AM.
Schedule
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Career Paths & Industry Advice: Gnomon Alumni Panel
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Audience Questions
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Meet the Alumni
Looking to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Production? Gnomon is excited to announce the approval and launch of its first accredited baccalaureate degree program. Learn more about the full-time, four-year program.
Guest Speakers
Senior Animator, Blizzard Entertainment
Casey McDermott is a Senior Animator currently working at Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine, California. Before attending Gnomon – School of Visual Effects, Games and Animation he had rather limited experience in art and animation; however, finding a passion in the industry and building an amazing network of contacts, since graduating he has gone on to work at Rhythm & Hues, MPC, Brain Zoo Studios, and now at Blizzard Entertainment where he works on Overwatch cinematics.
CG Generalist/Concept Artist, Pixomondo
Daniel grew up in Los Angeles with an interest in science and art history. After growing increasingly dissatisfied with the fine art route, he chose to follow his passion for VFX and attended Gnomon in 2008. After graduation, he began his career freelancing on commercials, music videos, and indie games, before joining Aaron Sims Company to work between concept design and VFX production. Daniel is working at Pixomondo on such projects as Fate of the Furious and The Walking Dead.
Lighting Artist, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Diana Zeng earned a BFA in Theater Set Design from CalArts before embarking on a career in live action, working in various capacities within the Art Department. Later, wanting to transition into CG, she attended Gnomon — School of Visual Effects, Games and Animation. Following graduation, Diana was accepted into the apprenticeship program for lighting at Walt Disney Animation Studios where she went on to light for Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, and Moana. Diana served as Lighting Supervisor on Zootopia.
