John Perkins-Buzo

At SIGGRAPH 2015 (the premier Conference for Computer Animation and Graphics), my augmented reality app, Nomadic AR Cinemaworks, was curated into the VR Village exhibition. In 2021, I was awarded Epic Games’ prestigious UnReal Fellowship in Virtual Production. Chosen from an international cohort of professional artists and educators in the areas of animation and visual effects, the Fellowship is the most prestigious Fellowship in the Games Industry. The UnReal Fellowship funded my animated film, Sting like a … Butterfly? The film is an innovative mix of 2D and 3D animation, done inside UnReal Engine.

In 2017, my mixed reality app for the Microsoft HoloLens, Neuron Lab, was shown during the VR Brain Jam at the annual Games for Change Festival. The VR Brain Jam is part of the Games for Change Festival; it brings together developers and neuroscientists exploring the brain. Neuron Lab involved animation of brain activity which the user interacted with in the HoloLens mixed reality environment. In 2017, I also presented my 2D animation work, The Ted-Xer and Pano Panic!, in virtual reality at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Conference.

In 2021, I received certification in Toon Boom Harmony (foundations) for 2D digital animation. I am certified in Artificial Intelligence (Deep Learning) for Computer Vision by NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute (2018). My research paper on AI for Animation (Deep Learning Applications for the Production of Animation) was selected as one of only nine research papers at the Broadcast Education Association 2019 (BEA 2019, online and in Las Vegas). My work on diffusion techniques for image generation for animation was accepted into the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers technology conference in 2019 (SMPTE Tech 2019). I have taught classes on AI Art at SIU and continue to develop new technologies in the area.

Additionally, I am certified in Cinematography through Masters Classes at the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine (2006). In 2021, I was certified by the American Society of Cinematographers in the area of Virtual Production after completing their Master Class.

I have run my own production company since 1996, which has designed and produced award-winning commercial media for mobile devices, web, and optical discs. In 2024, I won a grant from Galway Animation Center to make an animated film, titled Raven (work-in-progress). In 2025, I won an additional grant for the completion of the animated film from Instituto de Arte da Animação.

Currently, I teach classes that involve 2D and 3D Animation (digital and traditional), Motion Graphics/Visual Effects, Game Design and Production, and Artificial Intelligence Art. Prior to that, I taught 2D and 3D Digital Animation, and Game Design/Production at the University of Florida (2013–2014). I have also taught Cinematography, 2D Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, and Game Design/Production at Ohio University (2012–2013).

Awards and Honors

• My animated short, "The Tortilla Moon," won the Jury Award for best short animation at the San Francisco Latino Film Festival in 2004.
• Sleights: An Interactive Discovery," a game for which I was technical director, was a finalist in the 1999 Independent Game Festival at the Game Developer's Conference.
• At SIGGRAPH 2015 (the premier Conference for Computer Animation and Graphics), my augmented reality app, "Nomadic AR Cinemaworks," was curated into the VR Village exhibition.
• In 2021, I was awarded Epic Games’ prestigious UnReal Fellowship in Virtual Production. Chosen from an international cohort of professional artists and educators in the areas of animation and visual effects, the Fellowship is the most prestigious Fellowship in the Games Industry. The UnReal Fellowship funded my animated film, "Sting like a … Butterfly?" The film is an innovative mix of 2D and 3D animation, done inside UnReal Engine.
• In 2017, my mixed reality app for the Microsoft HoloLens, Neuron Lab, was shown during the VR Brain Jam at the annual Games for Change Festival. The VR Brain Jam is part of the Games for Change Festival; it brings together developers and neuroscientists exploring the brain. Neuron Lab involved animation of brain activity which the user interacted with in the HoloLens mixed reality environment.
• In 2017, I presented my 2D animation work, "The Ted-Xer" and "Pano Panic!," in virtual reality at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Conference.
• In 2021, I received certification in Toon Boom Harmony (foundations) for 2D digital animation.
• I am certified in Artificial Intelligence (Deep Learning) for Computer Vision by NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute (2018).
• My research paper on AI for Animation (Deep Learning Applications for the Production of Animation) was selected as one of only nine research papers at the Broadcast Education Association 2019 (BEA 2019, online and in Las Vegas).
• My work on Diffusion techniques for image generation for animation was accepted into the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers technology conference in 2019 (SMPTE Tech 2019). I have taught classes on AI Art at SIU and continue to develop new technologies in the area.
• Additionally, I am certified in Cinematography through Masters Classes at the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine (2006).
• In 2021, I was certified by the American Society of Cinematographers in the area of Virtual Production after completing their Master Class.
• I have run my own production company since 1996 which has designed and produced award-winning commercial media for mobile devices, Web, and optical discs.
• In 2024 I won a grant from Galway Animation Center to make an animated film, titled "Raven" (work-in-progress). In 2025, I won an additional grant for the completion of the animated film from Instituto de Arte da Animação.
• Currently, I teach classes that involve 2D and 3D Animation (digital and traditional), Motion Graphics/Visual Effects, Game Design and Production, and Artificial Intelligence Art.
• Prior to that I taught 2D and 3D Digital Animation, and Game Design/Production at University of Florida (2013-2014). I have also taught Cinematography, 2D Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, and Game Design/Production at Ohio University (2012-2013).