Dave Merson Hess

L.A.-based animation filmmaker and art director.

Dave believes strongly in animated storytelling as a vital space for visual experimentation. His style includes heavy use of straight-ahead, and extremely pushed poses, in depicting character performances, along with forced perspective, multiplane, and other midcentury layout techniques. He's most excited about working in ink and airbrush on paper (in combination with TV Paint). His current major project is a satirical, post-apocalyptic sci-fi short called "Zone 17".

Available for:
• Animation Direction
• Series or Feature Development Support (Art Direction, VisDev)

SELECT CREDITS/ROLES
Hot Topic, Inc
in-house animator/motion graphic artist (2021- )

Bento Box Entertainment
short filmmaker for A Studio Digital (2022)

California Institute of the Arts
special faculty, Collage Under The Camera (2022)
Course on visual development + animation techniques for multiplane projects

NETFLIX Animation
animator on Storybots: Answer Time (2021)

Velvet Two Stripes:
"This House Is Build On Sand"
music video director (2021)

Los Mundos: "Frutos Rojos"
music video director (2020)

NETFLIX
animator for quarterly company films (2019-2020)

Howler Bros
animator / bumper director (2018; 2020)

Steve Madden
animated social content creator (2018)

TIFF x Instagram
two-time finalist (2016, 2017)

Dead Oceans/Secretly Group
music video director (2015, 2018)

Night Heron
animator/art director (2015-2018)

Aurora Picture Show
animation educator (2014-2018)