Applications are Currently Open for All 2025 & 2026 Terms --- Intersession, Summer, Fall & Spring Application Fees Waived for Domestic and International Students Summer and Fall 2025 Apply Now
Catherine Tate Executive Director of 3D Animation & Visual Effects School of Animation & Visual Effects
Catherine Tate is an accomplished Visual Effects Artist and Compositor who has worked on some of the industry’s most recognizable films and video games. Catherine Tate is currently the Compositing Lead in the Animation & Visual Effects department at Academy of Art University where she has been teaching since 2004. She established a collaborative class in 2006 at ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY known as “”Studio400A”” which has produced visual effects on numerous independent films. Her objective is to connect visual effects students to filmmakers to create a more real world experience in the classroom. Some of Studio400A’s most recent work includes Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was nominated for four Academy Awards including best picture, 2013 Sundance and Festival de Cannes winner Fruitvale Station, and the feature Bluebird, which opened the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Studio400A also worked on the features Half-Life and Circumstance, along with the short Crazy Beats Strong Every Time, which were also official selections at the Sundance Film Festival.
Professional Background: Industrial Light + Magic (1991-1995 and 1997-2003), The Orphanage (2003-2004), ESC Entertainment (Contractor). Visual Effects Supervisor: “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Crazy Beats Strong Every Time”, “Exposure”, “Circumstance”, “Midnight Son”, “Dear Lemon Lima”. Partial list of feature films compositor: “Synedoche, New York”, “Hulk”, “Men in Black II”, “House of Wax”, “Wild Wild West”, “Perfect Storm”, “Minority Report”, and “AI”. Additional studio feature film credits include: “Contact”, “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “Galaxy Quest”, “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”, and “Hellboy”.
Academy Award nomination for VFX on The Mask, and BAFTA win in the same category. But really,
what I’m proud of in my life is doing work that takes people out of their troubles for a couple of
hours. That, and the knowledge that, as a teacher, I make a positive difference in somebody’s life
every day. That matters to me.
Speeches I’ve Given:
Far too many to count, all over the world – Siggraph, Annecy, Cannes,
various Animation and VFX festivals and conventions. I didn’t realize there’d be a quiz.
Introduction to Computer Graphics for Animation
Cinematics for Animation and VFX
Careers in Animation and VFX
Senior Portfolio for Animation and VFX
Final Portfolio Preparation
Position: Portfolio Specialist
Industry Credits:
Associates of Arts, Liberal Arts- Community College of Rhode Island
Bachelors, Film Studies- Rhode Island College
Certificate in Multimedia Production- Rhode Island College
Introduction to 3D Production A
Introduction to 3D Production B
3D Character Animation 1 for Animators, Riggers
3D Character Animation 2 for Animators, Riggers
3D Character Animation 3
3D Realistic Animation
Position: Adjunct Instructor
Industry Credits:
Values, Won Best of Show at SIGGRAPH 2000
Upstander, Won Best VR 360 XR must award
Premiere films at SXSW, SIGGRAPH, Tribeca Filma festival and Cannes
ACUE Certificate in the Effective Teaching Practice Framework
I will present a workshop at the Stanford Neurodiverse summit
Contributor to Stanford Neurodiversity Summit 2024
Jason Patnode has taught at the Academy of Art University since 2001 and he is currently Full-Time Faculty/ Maya Coordinator for the school’s Animation & Visual Effects department. He teaches graduate and undergraduate students in 3D modeling, visual effects, and animation for video games and film. Jason has written several books on the subject of Maya and Zbrush. Prior to joining ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY as full-time faculty, Jason was a Lead Technical Artist for LucasArts Entertainment where he worked on various games: Star Wars Episode 3, Full Throttle 2, and Star Wars: Jedi Fighter. Jason received his BA in Film Production from San Francisco State University.
