James Crossley

James Crossley is a Professor of Animation at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) since 2013. His career spans over two decades in animation, with key roles at Sony Pictures Imageworks and Disney. He has supervised major animated films such as Hotel Transylvania, The Smurfs, and Alice in Wonderland, focusing on 3D character animation, rigging, and animation tools development. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Computer Animation (Sheridan College, 1995) and a Diploma in Animation–Classical (Sheridan College, 1994).

Research Interests: Crossley specializes in integrating technical and creative aspects of animation, including character performance development, animation pipeline optimization, and collaboration between animators and technical teams. His work emphasizes storytelling through visual effects and dynamic character movements in feature films and video games.

Awards:

• Visual Effects Society (VES) Nomination for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture (Hotel Transylvania)
• VES Nomination for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture (Surf’s Up)

Advising/Grants: No formal advisees or grants mentioned in the provided materials. His contributions are primarily through industry projects and publications.

Labs/Teams: Led animation teams at Imageworks and Disney, overseeing crews of up to 97 animators. Key projects include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Prince Caspian, and Brother Bear.