"What techniques can you use to elevate your own storytelling?" asks Kwame Nyong'o, professor of animation. "How can you subvert traditional tropes, alter structure, and get deeper into your characters' personalities to make them more interesting and complex?"

Recognizable around Montgomery Hall for his radiant dashikis and quick smile, Professor Nyong'o joined SCAD faculty in Fall 2021, after two decades living and creating in Nairobi, Kenya. There, he worked on projects ranging from UNESCO's Africa Animated! Program to the beloved Disney Channel series Tinga Tinga Tales. Last year, he directed the UN Environment-sponsored film "The Wonderful Story of Aisha, Ali and Flipflopi the Multicoloured Dhow Boat"—the first-ever Kenyan short to be selected for Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

This acclaimed storyteller could have remained in East Africa's cosmopolitan capital, but as he says, "My wife and I thought it would be interesting for our children to live in the States if the opportunity arose." A message in early 2020 from SCAD senior faculty recruiter Nick Oji (who Nyong'o calls "an amazing dynamic fellow") led to Zoom conversations with SCAD chair of animation Chris Gallagher and associate chair John Webber.

"From those initial discussions, I felt the positive sense that everyone here is on the same team," Nyong'o says. "My colleagues went out of their way to talk to me, and as I heard and read about the philosophy and culture of SCAD, I understood the university as a place that embodies the values I believe in." Finally, Nyong'o says, "My wife, Wanzilu, who is open-minded and super intelligent, is the one who actually said, ‘Let's move to Savannah.'"

SCAD chair of animation Chris Gallagher is delighted by the department's new addition: "Kwame is an outstanding professor who adds a unique style and perspective to enrich our students' lives. He has worked extensively across almost every role in animation, which means he is equipped to push our students to create art to their highest potential—the level they need to reach to be truly successful."

In his inaugural SCAD academic year, Nyong'o is teaching a gamut of courses including Core Principles of Animated Storytelling and Concept Development (ANIM 275), Collaborative Experiences: 2D Production Pipeline (ANIM 372), and Animation Aesthetics and Practice (ANIM 705). "One of the things I emphasize is how to take something from your own experience, your own cultural background, and infuse that into your storytelling," he says.

An author of note, Nyong'o has written and illustrated an acclaimed series of children's books "showcasing the positive side of life in Kenya, with regular kids with normal challenges. My intention is for kids outside Kenya to see people in Kenya living their lives. It's nice that the books have been popular in Kenya too."

Should his surname seem familiar, it's not a coincidence. Professor Nyong'o is cousins with Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o. (Kwame: "I don't think my students at SCAD know we're related. Maybe I'll ask her pop up sometime via Zoom to say hello!") Kwame also mentions his brother Tavia ("a big-time professor at Yale") as nudging him towards the fruits of academic life.

"My teaching instinct goes back to my grandfather, Canon Hesbon Nyong'o," Kwame says. "Originally from the western Kenya, he was one of the first English-speaking people from his part of the country. His value was that education is important and teaching is the best thing you can do. I'm happy to be doing that here now at SCAD."

Visit Kwame Nyong'o.

"It was 1981, and I was a young kid sitting in a movie theatre in Bogota, Colombia watching Clash of the Titans," says professor of animation Jaime Castañeda. "That experience made me realize I wanted to tell stories that move people. I knew right then I was going to be an artist."

After Castañeda came to the U.S. to study as an engineer in the 1990s, he found himself increasingly drawn to rapidly evolving field of computer animation. "Technology, art, and mathematics were mixing together to make something brand new," Castañeda says. Combining his engineering skillset and his desire to create, he decided to become a 3D character animator.

Leap forward to January 2021, when Castañeda joined the esteemed SCAD animation faculty, bringing with him over 20 years of industry expertise. His film credits include Alien Resurrection (20th Century Fox, 1997), Fight Club (20th Century Fox, 1999), and Madagascar (DreamWorks, 2005), diverse projects that resonated for certain viewers the way Clash of the Titans once did for Jaime.

"Jaime is a fantastic animator and educator," says SCAD chair of animation Chris Gallagher. "Jaime joining our faculty means we've gained a rock star animator whose work speaks for itself. In terms of providing students with hands-on experience in how animation is getting done right now in the industry, Jaime is the very best."

The SCAD animation department has been named a top program in the U.S. by Animation Career Review and is known for preparing students for high-level careers. Through the use of high-performance digital workstations and state-of-the-art motion capture systems, SCAD offers animation students the same resources they'll use professionally. Recent SCAD graduates now work at Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Castañeda emphasizes the importance of the artist in the animation process. "Computer animation is an amazing medium, but you cannot rely on the software to share your message," he says. "The story and the message are what matter most, that's what moves people. That is at the core of what I teach my students."

Early in his career, Castañeda declined an offer from DreamWorks to become a lighter in the pursuit of more robust storytelling opportunities. He credits that decision with his success today and his ability to adapt to new teams and projects. "When you work with different companies you become a better animator," he says. "You avoid specialization and you embrace new challenges. You also get to make connections that will benefit you down the road."

This year, he will be teaching Core Principals of 3D Character Animation (ANIM 253), 3D Character Animation: Performance Through Dialogue (ANIM 383), and 3D Naturalistic Character Animation (ANIM 724).

In addition to the technical aspects of teaching, Castañeda is looking forward to once again connecting with his students. "I love teaching at SCAD," he says. "I encourage my students to learn every aspect of their craft, and not be afraid to take on new challenges. I love the reward of seeing them succeed."

Learn more about animation at SCAD, and get ready for SCAD AnimationFest, Sept-23-25!

What happens when a bear full of FOMO refuses to hibernate? Bearly, the new animated musical film and the first production of SCAD Animation Studios, tells the story of an adorable mammal who denies natural instincts to discover the beauty of the changing seasons. The project was written, developed, and realized by students in the university's top-ranked animation, dramatic writing, and sound design degree programs. Bearly will premiere during SCAD AnimationFest, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25-26.

Producer Cameron Brown (B.F.A., animation) and director Cherry Zhou (M.F.A., animation) Zoom'd into SCADworks to discuss the film.

Cameron Brown: The initial processes began in summer 2019, when Colin Rhoades (B.F.A., dramatic writing) came up with the story of a bear who tries to see what winter is like and fight the urge to hibernate. Colin began writing the music, and once Fall 2019 quarter began, the project went into pre-production, which is when Cherry and I came aboard.

Cherry Zhou: During pre-production, we began storyboarding the film based on Colin's idea. The entire pre-production team met and discussed possible minor changes that could enhance the storyline. Because the song was the first thing we had, it finalized the timing of every single shot, whereas usually a production creates all the animation first, and then the music. All those story beats are very cohesive and quick in Bearly, and you can always read it very clearly.

Cameron Brown: Once we went into production, we started automation lighting tests and brought on a team of student animators. We already had the storyboards done, so it was simply a matter of communicating to the animators how to follow the follow the storyboard and interpret the story into the 3D space. On our art team, Natalya Gaida (M.F.A., animation) and Nicholas Piña (M.F.A., animation) worked to create the look in the style of a children's book. Their work was then handed over to our lighting team, who were working in Katana.

Cherry Zhou: I want to explain Katana a little bit more. In the animation department, most students have been using Autodesk Maya. We got the note to use a newer software called Katana that runs faster on lighting and rendering. It was a big plus, but in March 2020 we went into quarantine and the university was shut down for the spring quarter. Fortunately, SCAD got a system called Virtual Lab that allowed students remote access to our render farm.

Cameron Brown: One of the best things about an animation production is that everyone's got to work with everybody else. Bearly was an incredible team effort that involved the work of over 60 students. At AnimationFest, we're going to have a Bearly panel, including SCAD chair of animation Chris Gallagher, our executive producer Professor Bernardo Warman, along with myself, Cherry, our 3D animation lead Peter Kerkvliet (B.F.A., animation), and our lighting and compositing lead Taylor Saunders (B.F.A., animation). We're going to walk through our steps during production, and we're going to show the film. It's going to be awesome.

For a full list of students who worked on Bearly, and to watch the trailer, visit the designated page.

Register for SCAD Animation Fest here.