OUR TEAM
Director & Animator
Renders to his strummed guitar
Besotted Dog Dad!
2D Animator
You can see him swimming when he's not drawing
"Doug" Veteran!
Creative Producer & Educator
Office Tea Lady --"Earl Grey? Lemon Balm?"
Hedgerow enthusiast!
Creative 3D Artist by day...
...and snack connoisseur at night!
Unreal Engine Wizard!
Monocle Cat!
Constant Office Companion!
Totoro look-alike!
Creative 3D Artist by day...
...and snack connoisseur at night!
Unreal Engine Wizard!
Our instructors are award winning animators and master teachers whose professional credits include work for flagship shows at Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network; 2D, 3D and Virtual Reality animation for Pearson and The Museum of the Dog; and Best Animation awards at international festivals. They understand how to dynamically engage and instruct young animators and have developed and taught 2D and 3D animation curricula for high school and college students at institutions including The Rye Arts Center, Pratt, FIT and The School of Visual Arts in New York. This special combination of experience and skills allows them to support teen students in gaining animation artistry and technique.
Conor MacFinn
Hi! I’m Conor MacFinn - a professional animator and filmmaker. I’ve done a lot of different kinds of animation: films that have been nominated and won awards in LA, NYC and internationally; some cools apps distributed through Apple that were invited to show at the world’s largest computer animation conference; I even created a dog for an AR app in a New York City museum! I’ve also taught and mentored college animation students and professionals.
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I created Animation Atelier – a college-level animation course for teens - because, when I was homeschooling high school, I spent a lot of time studying art & film with professional artists. But I missed having a group of friends to share my work and interests with. Remembering that, I decided to combine my artistic and teaching know-how to bring teens the opportunity to learn and develop their animation and sequential art skills in a community of other teens, with the support of pros like me, who are also committed mentors.
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In Animation Atelier, students progress and collaborate through college level sequences of 3D Computer Animation; 2D Animation; or Storyboarding and Storytelling, which is used in film, animation, graphic novels, and comics.
Whether you want to enter animation / film / sequential media professionally or just enjoy using your new skills to express yourself with this unique art, Animation Atelier’s community is for you!
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If you’ve got questions, contact us through our website or email at info@animationatelier.com
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We look forward to seeing you in class!
Lee Corey
Lee was born in a small town in Minnesota, where his larger-than-life dreams landed him in the hustle of New York City working as an animation director, illustrator and educator.
Lee’s film career began animating children’s books for McGraw and he continued as a graphic designer and illustrator for major advertising agencies in New York City. Lee’s focus shifted to animation at Nickelodeon animating everything from bumper titles and network promos to directing the mini-series “Max and his Alphabet Adventures”. Lee’s success continued working on storyboards for “Doug” at Jumbo Pictures/ Disney TV and for “Courage the Cowardly Dog” / Cartoon Network at Stretch Films.
Lee embarked upon his teaching career at Pratt Institute as an Adobe Flash animation instructor. His career at Pratt included classes in Flash Character Animation and Motion Design and he also taught Flash classes at Fashion Institute of Technology.
Currently, Lee teaches art residency classes for the Center for Educational Innovation and Comic Book, Manga and Graphic Novels for TogetherHood in NYC while producing art, animation, and production at CoreyToons LLC.
Clare Kohavi
I’m Clare Kohavi, and I’m really pleased to be part of the team at Animation Atelier!
I’ve been a Creative Producer in animation for ten years, working on a variety of projects from commercials to award winning films and storybook games. It’s been exciting and I’ve really broadened my knowledge base about this amazing art form!
I’ve also worked as a theater producer, an actor, a dancer and choreographer, a writer, and a teacher - and as a learning specialist and educational consultant.
At Animation Atelier, I’ll be bringing all those experiences to work with me mentoring both our instructors and our students. I help our instructors create our unique internet curricula so that our classes are exciting, substantive, warm and personal. When requested by students, I bring the same detailed and supportive eye to their work that I use to give feedback to professional animators. I can help guide you in choosing the class that best matches your interest and current skill level. And along with our instructors, I can help you choose the post-high school program that’s right for you, if you want to pursue a professional career in the field. I’m also available to talk with students or parents to answer any questions you have.
Whether you’re considering a professional career in animation or sequential media, or just love the art and want to get better at it, I know you’ll have a wonderful experience as an Animation Atelier student!
I always enjoy communicating with our students and families. So, feel free to reach out to me – and I’ll see you in class!
Emily Compton
Pleased to meet you! I'm Emily Compton, a NYC-based artist and animator with a generalist skill set, who has loved both watching and working in the medium of animation since childhood.
Originally hailing from Western New York, with a couple sojourns in Japan, I moved to NYC in the early 2000s to attend University. After I graduated from NYU Tisch with a degree in Film & Television Production, I spent most of my career working in the game development industry as a 3D artist. I've contributed my skills to numerous indie projects, including "Guns of Icarus Online," "Colossal Cave Adventures," and "Hiveswap," and have worked as a storyboard artist and cinematic animator for Muse Games, What Pumpkin Studios, and Windy Games, among others. Although I primarily animate in Blender and Maya for my professional work, I am in the middle of wrapping production of a 2D short film, made in Adobe Animate.
In terms of my experience in education and mentorship, I have always enjoyed running workshops and panels about making games, and have spoken at numerous conventions about my experiences. I am also on the board of the ASIFA-East, a non-profit that organizes free film screenings and events to promote the artform, as well as acting as co-chair of the annual ASIFA-East Animated Film Festival.
This is the first long-term educational program I have gotten the opportunity to be involved with, and as such, I'm looking forward to it with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. I cannot wait to meet all of the new students and explore the wonderful world of animation together!
Nikko Griffin
Hi! I’m Nikko Griffin, and I’m thrilled to be a part of Animation Atelier, bringing my passion for Virtual Production and 3D animation to the team. Whether you’re here to create, explore, or learn, I’m excited to support you on your journey!
My art career began at Manhattan Youth, where I worked as a Comic Book Art Teacher. Now, as a Multimedia Lab Technician at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). I guide students through the process of conceptualizing and showcasing their projects, blending technical expertise with mentorship in CGI production for games and film. As a freelance 3D artist with over six years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of working on short films, interactive game design projects, and other creative multimedia endeavors.
I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling—whether through visually stunning animations or immersive 3D environments—and I’m passionate about helping others express their
creativity through the intersection of art and technology.
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If you’re interested in becoming a 3D artist professionally or simply want to create your own short films. I’m here to guide you on your journey in Unreal Engine alongside the talented team at Animation Atelier.
Whether you’re here to create, explore, or learn, I’m happy to be part of your CGI journey!
April
Ahoy! I’m April, The Pirate Queen!
Prior to my assuming the captaincy of Animation Atelier, my life was eventful and not always agreeable. I was forced to live by piracy until the granddaughter of a lonely widow realized that I was meant for better things and chose me as a companion. There I was suitably adored – but, alas, my life was indolent! So, although I left my elderly mistress with regret, I have enthusiastically embraced my new position.
My present circumstances are most salubrious and give full range to my talents. In addition to inspiring animators, producers, students, and film composers, I bully the dog, patrol the garden, and keep the humans on their toes with unpredictable demands for food, cheek rubs and an ever-changing assortment of boxes. Admittedly, I am frustrated by their refusal to allow me to lie on their keyboards and erase their day’s work, but I remain confident that with determination and skill I will someday achieve this goal.
As I oversee all aspects of our school, I look forward to making your acquaintance in that inevitable moment when I surprise your instructor by leaping onto the desk and walking across the screen.
I know you’ll love Animation Atelier as much as I do – and I look forward to seeing you in class!