Shane Acker

Shane Acker is an Assistant Professor of Animation at the Loyola Marymount University (LMU), specifically within the nationally-ranked Animation program of the School of Film & Television. He combines academic instruction with industry expertise, teaching courses like VR Studio, Introduction to Storyboarding, and 3D Animation fundamentals.

Education:

• MFA in Animation & Directing from UCLA
• Master's in Architecture from UCLA

Research & Professional Achievements:

• Pioneer of immersive storytelling through VR projects (e.g., alien safari simulations).
• Creator of the Academy Award-nominated short film '9', later adapted into a Tim Burton-produced feature film.
• Contributed 3D animation and pre-visualization work to films like 'Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King', 'Oz the Great and Powerful', and 'Total Recall'.

Awards:

• Academy Award Nomination (2005) for Best Short Film for '9'.

Teaching Philosophy: Emphasizes fundamentals, iterative improvement, and collaborative creativity. Students are encouraged to 'destroy' early work to refine ideas. Courses focus on transitioning from hand-drawn techniques to digital tools while exploring animation history.