Adventures in Computer Animation
Oct 12, 2021
Toby Rosen
Adventures in Computer Animation

Effects Animation is a broad category of artistry encompassing both naturalistic and other-worldy effects that appear in films and television.  These elements include fire, water, and magic which require computer simulation and other sophisticated techniques because of their visual complexity.  Instead of drawing or manipulating models, Effects Artists design networks of nodes similar to flowcharts that produce these stunning visuals.   Because this work requires knowledge of physics, mathematics, and computer programming as well as artistic fundamentals, Effects Animation is indeed a rare marriage of art and science.

Toby Rosen is an Effects Artist working at Dreamworks.  He specializes in computer simulations of natural phenomena and other complex effects for feature films at various studios including Disney, Sony, and Dreamworks.  He has worked on more than 25 features including Moana, Frozen 2, and Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, which won the Academy Award for best animated feature in 2018.  Toby is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Caltech.