Hans Westman      119 Valley Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15215, USA (412) 782-2205 hans.westman@gte.net
past projects and digital images
Date: February 1, 2012
Current position: Academic Department Chair, Media Arts & Animation Department | Game Art & Design
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Duties include:
  • Renewing and implementing program curriculum
  • Acting as liaison between the institution, industry and community (project) involvement
  • Advising and supporting both students and faculty in program and department matters
  • Developing marketing, PR and recruitment strategies for the growth and positioning of the program
  • Maintaining regular communication with administration and performing daily department duties, including scheduling and making classroom reviews
  • Teaching one class a quarter
  • Ensuring overall quality outcomes of MAA/GAD students and the success of the programs.
Sweden
1982-1988: full-time art teacher in the Swedish school system
1988-1993: freelance 2D/3D artist and animator.

1993-1995: full-time position as a digital artist and interface designer at AVM Dialog, AB, Gothenburg (part of a team developing cd-i titles for retailers)
Main client: The Volvo Car Corporation

Duties included pre-viz. design work, as well as the production work itself.
Projects included (93-95), interactive kiosk product presentations for the dealerships around the globe and an interactive ergonomics training course for the employees (at all levels) in the corporation.
United States
Freelance and permanent positions since 1995:

Walt Disney Pictures and Television Information Services (FIS)

  • Original (digital) art work for the PR CD-ROM for animated feature film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
  • FIS Intranet web directory "Studio 411" (interface design work, May 96 - June 97)
  • Story boarding for the pilot of "Teen Angel"(ABC)

7th Level: 3D animation and 3D environment modeling, research and development stages for game titles in development.

Creative Capers: 2D compositing of sprite files for the Disney Interactive video game, "101 Dalmatians - Escape From DeVil Manor".

June, 1998 to December 1999, instructor: 3D modeling and animation at Mt. San Antonio College for the Applied Technology division, under the supervision of Dean John Heneise

July 1998 to March 1999: Animation Program Coordinator, Mt San Antonio College
Duties included:

  • Recruiting appropriate instructors from industry 
  • Implementing and renewing logistics of program classes 
  • Acting as liaison between the institution and industry 
  • Giving advice to students, when asked, pertaining participation in the program

Fall semester, 1999:
Instructor, general computer classes at Otis College of Art and Design
Consultant, curriculum development at Los Angeles Southwest College

February-July, 2000: Web site development, Karrass Seminars

August- December, 2000: Digital Media Instructor, Maui Community College

Hans Westman      119 Valley Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15215, USA (412) 782-2205 hans.westman@gte.net

Overview:

USA: Since August, 1995:

  • 2001, Jan. - Present: Art Institute of Pittsburgh- Pittsburgh, PA: Academic Department Director, Media Arts & Animation
    • 2000, Aug. - Dec.: Maui Community College - Kahului, HI: Digital Media Instructor
  • 2000, Feb. - Aug.: Karrass Seminars - Beverly Hills: Web development and Sales
  • 1999, Sept. - 1999, Dec: Otis College of Art and Design - Westchester: Instructor; "Artists' introduction to computer operating systems"
  • 1998, June - 1999, Dec: Mt. San Antonio College – Walnut: Maya, Composer and 3D Studio Max instructor, Animation Program Coordinator
  • 1997, Aug. - Sept: Optimax Disc/StoryHouse - Pomona: print ads for trade magazine; graphic design and production
  • 1997, June to 1999, Dec: Rightway Computer Training Centers, Inc - Covina: Photoshop, Ilustrator and web site development intructor, course development and sales
  • 1997, Jan. - Feb: Creative Capers - Glendale: Gaming, "101 Dalmatians Escape from DeVil Manor" Autodesk Anipro compositing, 2D sprites
  • 1996, Aug. - Oct.: 7TH Level - Glendale: Gaming; 3D character animation, 3D environment design and modeling
  • 1996, April - June: The Walt Disney Pictures & Television Information Services, Multimedia Lab - Burbank: Original digital art work for PR CD-ROM "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"; concept design and finished art work for "Studio 411" corporate directory web pages; sketch artist-story boarding, "Teen Angel"(ABC)
  • 1995, Oct. - Dec: Amstar Finance Corp. - LA: Structural development for production methods, routines and character design for (3D character) animated educational series. 

Europe: 1988 to 1995:

CD-I production, AVM Dialog, Gothenburg, Sweden 1993-95
Design and production of CD-I titles for industrial product sales and training; Client base included Volvo, Pharmacia/Astra, Pergo and Seco.

Information consultant_-_Video graphics and computer animation, Promotion International, Varberg, Sweden 1992-93: Concept development for using desktop digital and video graphics presentations; Client base included Swedish Golf Association, Nutek (state department for technical and industrial development).

Broadcast video graphics, Graphic Insights, Gothenburg, Sweden 1988-92
Design and production of 2D/3D illustrations and animation for television and independent (video) production companies; Client base included Nordisk Television (TV 4), Swedish (national) television, Volvo, Pharmacia/Astra. 

Experimental animation, Filmverkstan, Stockholm, Sweden, 1984
"Unitism", 16 mm - Length, 10 minutes

Print Publications:

I was the cover editor for the SIGGRAPH organization membership quarterly, "Computer Graphics" between February, 2002 and June, 2005.

As of January, 2006, I am the editor for the "e-quarterly" (online version).

DESIGN WITH DIGITAL TOOLS, Using New Media Creatively, Mark Von Wodtke,McGraw-Hill,2000 Contributing imagery and animation case studies; instructor and student work

Animation Tips & Tricks for Windows and Mac, Don and Melora Foley, Peachpit Press, 1997
Contributing illustrator

Research Grants, 1990:
Received from Film & TV Samarbetscommitte' to research the use of PC based vector (3D) graphics combined with traditional cel animation techniques to optimize the production of and increase the visual quality of television animation. Collaborating cel animation artist - Gilbert Elfstrom, Kungs Backa, Sweden

Technical Skills:

SGI/UNIX : 3.5 years production,  multimedia design & instruction - Liberty (Aurora Systems),
A/W Maya 1.0 - 2.5, A/W Composer

PC/DOS,Windows (NT/2000/XP): 6 years production in television, video and multimedia - Crystal 3D Animator 32bit, Topaz Animator Pro32bit (3D), Autodesk 3D Studio , Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Animator Pro, Photoshop,  Corel Photopaint 6.0, Lumina/Vista, Dream Weaver, Premiere, Cold Fusion

MAC: 2.5 years design and production - Photoshop, Sound Designer, Premier

More than 10 years experience combined in computer graphics art direction, design and production on 2D/3D illustration and animation systems, video editing, CD-I, CD-ROM and television systems.

Education:

Bachelor of Arts, Art Education, University of Umea, Sweden (US equivalent).
MFA, Computer Arts, Florida Atlantic Universty, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

More than eleven years combined of full-time teaching and in academic administration in the areas of art and computer graphics/digital animation at junior high, high school, community college and college levels in both Sweden and the United States.

Hobbies:
Investigative walks in the foothills, woods and along beaches - likewise biking.
Residential landskaping
Music project: Conceptual band, The Happy Cowboys; instrument - guitar. Home recordings

Fluent in both English and Swedish