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About Chad Woelki
Digital Art & Animation
Chad Woelki is an adjunct faculty member in Digital Art and Animation at the University of Silicon Valley. With over 20 years of experience, Chad is an accomplished animator and visual effects artist whose career spans Hollywood, international studios, and higher education.
He has worked on major productions such as Avatar: The Way of Water, contributing to facial motion capture and post-visualization, and was part of the animation team for The Simpsons, Jerry Maguire, and As Good as It Gets. Chad spent over a decade in Asia teaching and producing animation in Thailand, China, Malaysia, and Singapore. His credits during that time include the animated series Munki and Trunk, the feature film The Journey: A Voyage, and collaborations with top studios like Ubisoft, Digital Domain, Imagimax, and Base FX.
Before joining USV, Chad also taught animation at the University of Utah. His teaching style blends studio-realism with cross-cultural production insight, encouraging students to develop specialized skills while appreciating the collaborative nature of animation and visual storytelling.
Chad holds an MFA in Visual Effects Animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a BA in Film, Television, and New Media from San Diego State University.
Formal Education
MFA in Visual Effects Animation, Savannah College of Art and Design
BA in Film, Television, and New Media, San Diego State University
Industry Experience
Animator/Visual Effects Artist, Avatar: The Way of Water
Animator, The Simpsons
Post-Visualization/Facial MoCap Artist, Digital Domain
Artist/Animator, Ubisoft
Animator, Imagimax
Artist/Animator, Base FX
Animator, Munki and Trunk
Animator, The Journey: A Voyage
Instructor, University of Utah