USC Cinematic Arts

Kris is a Director and Animation Story Artist with over 18 years’ experience in film and television.  Born and raised on a goat farm in Southern Ontario Canada, Kris was lucky enough to graduate from Sheridan College’s Classical Animation Program.  He started his career working for Fox Animation Studios in Phoenix Arizona, where he apprenticed as a 2d artist on such films as Anastasia, Bartok the Magnificent and Titan AE.  When the hand drawn animation business waned, Kris got into Storyboarding, primarily for TV production based out of Canada.  His credits include:  Rescue Heroes, Jacob Two Two and the Hooded Fang, Braceface, Max and Ruby, Seven Little Monsters, Franklin, Hoze Houndz, Handy Manny, 6 Teen, and Total Drama Island to name a few.  In 2003 Kris relocated his family from Canada to Los Angeles to work for Sony Pictures Animation.  Since then he has worked on such features as: Open Season, Surf’s Up and Hotel Transylvania.  Kris was Head of Story on Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and co-directed Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2.  Kris also worked at Aardman Animation Studio as a Story Artist on Pirates: Band of Misfits and as Story Supervisor on Arthur Christmas.  In 2012, he developed a holiday special for the CBC called The Magic Hockey Skates. Kris has also published numerous comics and children’s books such as Edward The Tree Climbing Dog, and the upcoming Project Superhero for ECW press.  He enjoys speaking on animation and training young talent, having taught at Sheridan College.  His Ted Talk, titled “The Optimistic Opportunities of Failure” can be found on line.  Kris currently lives on a different goat farm out in the wilds of Southern Ontario Canada.