“Fantastic professor that goes above and beyond to help students learn and expand their skill set. Brilliant mind!”
— Anonymous, Computer Animation Directed Projects
“Kris as always has a keen eye and incredible insight and knows how to deliver feedback in a thoughtful yet firm and effective way. Only in the last few weeks of the semester has he been more difficult to reach outside of class, but up until that recent point he has gone so far above and beyond in making himself available for feedback and troubleshooting, it feels like a gentle method for letting us all go off on our own. Kris has been at the heart of my experience at Sheridan and I’m really going to miss his unforgettable guidance. Thank you Kris!! You’ve been a huge part in setting us all up for success.”
Student Success and Support
My students' achievements and growth highlight their success. Over the years, they have produced impressive work featured in various projects and portfolios. Course surveys consistently reflect positive learning experiences, with students valuing the comprehensive and supportive environment. Many have become industry leaders, earning awards and contributing to high-profile projects. Further down this page are LinkedIn testimonials highlighting the skills and values they gained while studying at Sheridan.
Below are examples from the two programs I belong to. The first reel features work from courses like Design, Directed Projects, Modeling, Texturing, and Animation. These collections demonstrate their skills and creative development. By browsing the course section, you can see the detailed curriculum and how each class has been designed to shape these talented individuals. This approach, blending practical and theoretical learning, has prepared each student to excel in the animation industry.
The projects in these reels exhibit the student's technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Through rigorous coursework and practical assignments, they have learned to use complex software and tackle challenging design problems relatively quickly. The progression of their work from initial concepts to polished final projects demonstrates the thorough training they have received. This holistic method, focusing on artistic and technical skills, equips them to meet industry demands and contribute effectively to their future workplaces.
Providing Advanced Support
The road to success in animation is challenging, and I am committed to helping my students navigate it by addressing gaps from other classes and providing advanced support. This ensures they have a comprehensive understanding of intricate aspects of animation and are well-prepared for industry challenges. My focus includes specialized areas such as character-focused cloth simulations, rigging add-ons, and bespoke solutions tailored to individual projects. By offering personalized guidance and expertise, I help students tackle challenging areas and achieve their full potential in the animation industry.
Here are a few examples of the advanced assistance I provide:
Computer Animation compilation Reel of my direct student's work.
Cloth Simulations with Fur: I’ve assisted students in creating complex cloth simulations, such as making fur fly off a robot dog in a controlled manner. This involves intricate setups and precise timing to achieve a realistic effect.
A final image from Mina’s Bumper.
Lizard Walks: Helping students animate realistic lizard walks by focusing on reptiles' unique motion and weight distribution. This requires an in-depth understanding of animal locomotion and translating it into a believable animation.
A still from Ysannah Avient-Lario’s film, “The Scavenger”
Rig Enhancements: I regularly help students with rig enhancements like knee pins and space switchers, which are crucial for creating flexible and dynamic character rigs. These enhancements allow for more natural movements and improve the overall quality of the animation.
This is an add on I created in 2021 to help with one of the students projects who need more advanced bend controls for more exaggerated posing. moviement.
Another enhancement that was needed was elbow and knee locks. Without these controls, it can be a challenge or very limiting to do things like dangling from monkey bars or kneeling.
Quadruped Rigging: Guiding quadruped rigging ensures students can create lifelike animations for four-legged characters. This includes understanding the anatomy and movement patterns of various animals.
A still from Yihan Wangs film, “Where is my Mummy”.
Character Rigging Solutions: I offer solutions for complex character rigging challenges, ensuring students can overcome project obstacles. Quite often, students from other groups reach out to me for help. This example was particularly challenging. It required a rigged snake to adhere to a rigged character’s body.
A still from Mingrui Hu’s film, "Don’t Blink”.
AMC SIGGRAPH - Education Forum
For the past few years, I've been compiling examples of student work for the Faculty Submitted Student Work Exhibit at AMC SIGGRAPH. This is a juried selection process, and we've successfully had all our submissions featured. Notably, one of our 2020 submissions was used for promotional material for the event over the summer, highlighting the quality and impact of our students' work.
Summer 2020 - https://education.siggraph.org/conferences/annual-conference/siggraph-2020/fssw/exhibit
Summer 2021- https://education.siggraph.org/conferences/annual-conference/siggraph-2021/fssw/exhibit
Summer 2023 - https://education.siggraph.org/conferences/annual-conference/siggraph-2023/fssw/exhibit
The gallery below includes a sampling of these submissions, representing the high calibre of work our students produce yearly. It's important to note that all of this work was completed remotely for half of the 2019-20 school year and the entire 2020-21 school year, yet the quality continued to improve. This underscores the comprehensive nature of our programs and the resilience and dedication of our students. Submitting their work to SIGGRAPH not only highlights their talent but also effectively promotes our programs.
Digital Creature - Student Work
This 3-minute reel highlights students' work from the Digital Sculpting Tools and Digital Creature Methodology courses. It focuses on their completed models and showcases the texturing and animation skills they've developed over the term. The projects, including the Chimera and capstone creations, capture the students' progression from initial concepts to final animations. Each piece reflects the hands-on guidance provided throughout the courses, where students worked with tools like ZBrush, Maya, and Substance Painter.
This compilation demonstrates our approach, blending practical exercises with theoretical learning. I support students' growth and technical skill development through regular studio sessions and weekly reviews. This consistent support helps students create work that meets industry standards and prepares them for careers in animation.
Please check the course section for a detailed look at our curriculum and how each course contributes to student development.
Recent Student Success
It’s always a good feeling when past (and sometimes current) students go on to win various accolades. I’ve had students win Annies (Trevor Jimenez and John Lee) and recently been successful Ubisoft Toronto NEXT.
Yueran (Cassandra) - Zhou - 1st Place 3D Art 2024
Xiangyu Chen - 1st Place Animation 2023
Ning-Yu Chu - 3rd Place Animation 2022
Alice Hong, one of my Digital Creature students, also created an outstanding Chimera project that was selected for inclusion in ZbrushCentral's Top Shelf. I was immensely proud to see Alice's hard work and dedication recognized in such a prestigious curated site section (I recently had work selected as a Staff Pick, which was an honour). SideFX has also featured her capstone work in educational marketing and events.
Student Surveys
The end of the student journey at Sheridan always affirms my pedagogical approaches. I enjoy reflecting on the beginning of the school year and observing how far they've come in such a short time. Their newfound confidence, strong work ethic, quality of work, and positive outlook are the most crucial aspects of every year. It’s also worth noting that Computer Animation is the third highest-rated program in terms of student satisfaction at Sheridan. Below is a sampling of the student surveys that go out every year.
I’d also like to highlight a few additional comments on my LinkedIn page from students who have graduated and gone out to work in the industry.
