Jason Matthews has been a visual storyteller for as long as he can remember. He grew up on the animated nourishment of Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks, and it was after seeing “Toy Story” at age 9 that he knew he wanted to be an animator. He studied animation on his own for over 20 years before pursuing a formal education.
Discovering that his love for animation was shared by many in his local community, Jason took initiative and created an animation branch within the Cabrillo Film Club. He also co-founded the Monterey Bay Animation group (MBAG), which would serve animation professionals and enthusiasts from the Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
In 2021, he graduated from Cabrillo College with degrees in Studio Art, Engineering Technology, and Interdisciplinary Studies. He also earned skill certificates in Computer Animation, Computer Aided Design and Architectural Design.
In 2023, Jason finally pursued his lifelong dream and completed an 18-month program at Animation Mentor, where he was trained by industry legends at Dreamworks, Disney, ILM and Blizzard.
While preparing for the next chapter of his animation career, Jason currently teaches illustration at The Art Factory, where he imparts his knowledge with new generations of aspiring artists.
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