Animation Technical Director · Stratford, ON

Adam
Victor
Klassen

Animation · Technical Direction · Rigging

I help studios build beautiful, complex animation — from first pipeline setup to final delivery. With 20+ years across Nickelodeon, Netflix, and award-winning films, I've led departments, directed animators, and built workflows that actually hold up under production pressure.

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20+

Years Experience

Major Productions

2×

Award-Winning Films

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🏆 Annie Award Winner & Academy Award Nominee

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Selected Work

Productions I've
been part of

From award-nominated features to beloved Nickelodeon series — here's a selection of the work I'm most proud of.

The Breadwinner — Cartoon Saloon / Guru Studio

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Feature Film Award Winner

The Breadwinner

Technical Director · Render Wrangler · Asset Supervisor — Guru Studio / Cartoon Saloon · 2016–17

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Nickelodeon Series

Shimmer and Shine

Animation Director · Technical Director — Guru Studio · 2014–15

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Nickelodeon Series

Pig Goat Banana Cricket

Layout & BG Paint Supervisor · Scene Setup Supervisor — Guru Studio · 2016

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Children's Series

Pik Wik Pack

Asset Supervisor — Guru Studio · 2019–21

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Netflix Series Kidscreen Award

Canticos

Animator — 2020

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Animated Series

Praise Petty

Lead Rigger — Jam Filled Studio · 2022–23

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Web Series

Ever After High

Render Supervisor — 2013–14

Wild Kratts — 9 Story Entertainment / PBS Kids

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PBS Kids Series

Wild Kratts

Animator — 9 Story Entertainment · 2012

About Me

The person
behind the pipeline

I'm a Stratford-based Animation Technical Director with over a decade of experience turning ambitious creative visions into polished, deliverable animation. I've worked in the trenches of some of the most demanding productions in the industry — from indie features to network series — and I genuinely love every part of it.

My work lives at the intersection of art and systems. I'm the person who builds the rig that lets animators do their best work, sets up the pipeline that keeps deadlines real, and stays on the floor making sure everything runs smoothly — technically and creatively.

Toon Boom Harmony Character Rigging Pipeline Development Technical Direction Scene Setup BG Paint Animation Direction Render Wrangling Asset Supervision 2D Animation

🏆 Annie Award – Best Animated Feature · The Breadwinner, Cartoon Saloon (2018)

🎬 Academy Award Nominee · The Breadwinner (2018)

⭐ Kidscreen Award – Best Digital Preschool Series · Canticos (2020)

Personal Work

Studio &
personal art

Beyond client work, I draw constantly — characters, environments, weird creatures, bold typography. This is where I get to push my style without constraints. More pieces coming soon.

Resume

📍 Stratford, Ontario
🔗 linkedin.com/in/adam-klassen-7457117

↓ Download PDF Resume

Experience

Lead Rigger 2022 – 2023

Praise Petty · Jam Filled Studio

Designed and built rigs for characters, props, and vehicles on this animated series, working closely with the animation team to deliver performance-ready assets on a tight production schedule.

Asset Supervisor 2019 – 2021

Pik Wik Pack · Guru Studio

Supervised the rigging, scene planning, and production design departments on Guru's original preschool series. Oversaw asset quality control and coordinated cross-department pipelines from design through to animation-ready delivery.

Animator 2020

Canticos · Netflix

Animated on this award-winning bilingual preschool series. Canticos won the 2020 Kidscreen Award for Best Digital Preschool Web/App Series.

Technical Director · Render Wrangler · Asset Supervisor 2016 – 2017

The Breadwinner · Guru Studio / Cartoon Saloon

Served as Technical Director and Render Wrangler on this internationally acclaimed Cartoon Saloon feature. The Breadwinner went on to win the 2018 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature and received an Academy Award nomination.

Layout & BG Paint Supervisor · Scene Setup Supervisor · Animator Apr – Jul 2016

Pig Goat Banana Cricket · Nickelodeon / Guru Studio

Led the layout, BG paint, and scene setup departments. Supervised asset vetting and pipeline integration, while also animating character transformation sequences. A genuine creative highlight — this show's look and humour are one of a kind.

Animation Director · Technical Director Feb 2015 – Dec 2015
Jun 2014 – Feb 2015

Shimmer and Shine · Nickelodeon / Guru Studio

Promoted from Technical Director to Animation Director mid-production. As Animation Director, reviewed boards, assigned and gave notes to the animation team, and personally ensured every episode was clean and ready for client delivery. Kept the team happy, healthy, and moving.

Render Supervisor · QA Artist · Animation Revision Artist Feb 2013 – Jun 2014

Ever After High · DHX / Guru Studio

Provided render passes for the composite department, handled post-production quality assurance across full episodes, and revised animation to client specifications — specialising in technical revisions in Toon Boom Harmony.

Animator Mar – Oct 2012

9 Story Entertainment

Animated on Wild Kratts and Arthur, as well as various in-house projects.

Software & Skills

Toon Boom Harmony Toon Boom Storyboard Pro Adobe Animate After Effects Character Rigging Pipeline Development Scene Setup Render Wrangling BG Paint Asset Supervision Animation Direction 2D Animation

Let's make
something great

Whether you're staffing a new production, looking for a lead rigger, or need someone to come in and build your pipeline from the ground up — I'd love to hear about it.

Adam Victor Klassen

Productions I'vebeen part of

The person behind the pipeline

See the work in motion

Studio &personal art