Two Decades in Motion: From The Polar Express to Spider-Verse
For the past 20 years, he has focused on digital art and animation. David has worked for The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Dreamworks on films such as The Polar Express, The Chronicles of Narnia, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. During David’s time at Disney Feature Animation, he worked on two Academy Award winning production teams –Frozen and the animated short film Feast.
The Highlights!
What an incredible experience it was to work on these projects—to walk the halls that Disney built and collaborate with some of the most talented and creative minds in the industry. I’m honored and proud of the work I’ve done and the milestones I’ve achieved along the way.
From 2003 to 2009 and again from 2021 to 2023, I worked with Sony Pictures Imageworks. Most recently, I served as the Hair Lead on the acclaimed film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, where our team was responsible for the creation, rigging, and motion of all hair and fur characters. My career actually began at Sony, and my first major film was The Polar Express—with my very first assignment being Tom Hanks’ mustache.
Between 2009 and 2015, I worked at Disney Feature Animation as a look development and simulation artist. The “Look” team was responsible for crafting textures and materials that gave film elements their distinctive appearances—from skin and hair to fabric and stone. During my time at Disney, I contributed to two Academy Award-winning production teams: Frozen and the animated short film Feast. I also worked with the simulation team on Tangled, where I played a key role in designing the movement of Rapunzel’s hair. In addition, I developed a variety of hairstyles and materials for both characters and environments. Throughout my time at Disney, I had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most talented artists in the industry on a range of incredible animated features.
In 2023, I joined the DreamWorks Character FX team to support the completion of Trolls Band Together and Kung Fu Panda 4. My work focused on hair and cloth simulation, contributing to the final look and motion of key characters. Collaborating closely with artists and technical directors, I helped ensure a polished, high-quality finish in the final stages of production.