Kate Bankson
2D Artist/Graphic Designer

Kate always had the idea of working in the entertainment industry, but forgot this dream somewhere between the prerequisite classes, papers, tests, and the general stress of undergraduate life. She rediscovered this interest when she took the Building Virtual Worlds class her junior year, and knew then that she wanted to apply to the ETC. Having always been stuck in the middle between the right brain and the left, she loves how the program strives to embrace both sides.

Shaun Budhram
Character Animator/Technical Artist

Shaun has been animating for the past two years, and hopes to expand his skill at the Animation Studio. He brings experience from both academic and professional projects, with strong background in both the artistic and technical sides of animation. He has worked previously on an animated short for the Give Kids the World Village, as well as the next title in the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series.

Javier Burgos
Technical Artist/Rigging R&D

Javier was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As an undergraduate, he studied at the University of Central Florida and received a B.A. in Digital Media. He also worked on several freelance projects creating graphics and promotional videos. Javier's passion for art, technology and entertainment has driven him to continue his education within the field at the best place to do so: the ETC!

Magnolia Caswell-Mackey
Technical Artist/Animateering Lead

Maggie is attracted to logic and structure along with painting, sculpting and movement. After completing a math major with concentrations in art, music, and physics as an undergrad, she went to work as an auditor while pursuing web design on the side. The spark of combining logic, graphic design, and interactivity led her to leave auditing to the auditors and come to the ETC.

John DeRiggi
Character Animator/Modeler

With a passion for character design, modeling, and animation, John became an Animation Studio member with hopes of bringing unique characters to life for various ETC projects. John is a firm believer that while constant feedback is such an important part of the design and animation process, uniting artists in a creative studio environment is a wonderful opportunity for stylistic growth.

Brian Evans
Character Animator/Media Interactivist

While a pre-law major at NYU, Brian snuck under the radar and weaseled his way into the animation department. He learned all about traditional animation there, and decided that there would be no better place than the ETC to learn about all the latest animation technology from the best people.

Brian Hagan
Character Animator/Mocap Technologist

Brian got his undergraduate degree in Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He's maintained an interest in animation while at the ETC and jumped at the chance to work at the Animation Studio. He believes that the ETC's future involvement in animation will help broaden the school's appeal to prospective students and employers alike, as well as open new venues of growth.

Nikita Pavlov
Producer/Lead Technical Artist

Nik's background is in programming, but he has developed a fascination for animation and computer graphics and has been seeking ways to combine the two since his early years. At the ETC, Nik has worked as a modeler, animator, special effects artist, and technical director, and is currently serving his time as the producer of the Animation Studio.