Galen Fott is one of our celebrated graduates who has had a great deal of success in founding his own studio and keeping busy with a vast myriad of projects. As founder and director of Bigfott Studios, based at his home near Nashville, Tennessee, he has worked on several solo animation projects and even hired other graduates from VanArts to work on collaborative projects, including Kevin Yowell, Micah Baker, Ken Priebe, and several others.

Galen's pre-animation background consisted of 15 years experience in musical theater as a leading actor and singer, combined with writing books on digital imaging and working for the Jim Henson Company as a puppeteer.  Just prior to attending VanArts, he began experimenting with adapting children's books to video using a 2D computer "cut-out" process.  With the help of his friend Jerry Hunt, he began shopping around his animation tests.  Meanwhile, Galen attended VanArts' 3D Animation Program from 2002 to 2003, and upon graduation he signed an agreement with Scholastic/Weston Woods to co-direct, adapt and animate the book Roberto the Insect Architect into a short film.  Released in 2005, the film screened in over 40 film festivals worldwide and won several awards, including the honor of winning Best Short Animation alongside Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit winning Best Feature at the Showcomotion Young People's Film Festival in Sheffield, UK. 

His next film for Scholastic/Weston Woods was The Librarian from the Black Lagoon, his first time directing a team of classical animators scattered around the continent which included 5 other graduates from VanArts.  This film also had worldwide success in festivals and led Galen to the official founding of Bigfott Studios in 2007.  Many more projects have followed since then, including more short films, animated segments (for projects such as A Sesame Street Christmas Carol), PSAs, commercial spots and music videos.

Most recently, Galen's projects have included working with Magnetic Dreams Animation Studio on a motion comic for Marvel called Iron Man: Extremis (available on iTunes), 8 animations for an upcoming music education DVD series called Quaver's Marvelous World of Music, animation of a flying super hero for a car commercial, two more short films currently in production, and a video projection project for an event in Centennial Park combining live performers and shadow puppeteers interacting with animation.

About his experience at VanArts, Galen shares, "Although I had professional animation experience prior to attending VanArts, there is no way I would have been able to achieve what I've done without taking a year off to study there.  While I took the 3D Animation program, the inclusion of classical animation principles, life drawing and animation history has been just as important in my career.  This is absolutely essential for turning out animators who know where their art form comes from and where they might take it in the future."

Studio website:  www.bigfott.com

Personal website: www.grundoon.com