Proven Techniques: Enoch Davis on Teaching Creatives of All Ages at Otis College
Davis has had the rare vantage point of teaching across Otis’s Summer Youth Programs, Extension, and BFA programs.
Enoch Davis, like many instructors at Otis College of Art and Design, fuels his own creativity by teaching the next generation of artists and designers. Davis is one of a handful of instructors who teach across the College’s BFA, Extension, and Summer Youth Programs, covering a wide swath of ages and experience levels.
As a Senior Lecturer in the BFA Animation program, Davis brings to the classroom his decades of experience as a lead animator specializing in live event visuals, often enlisting students to gain industry experience by assisting on his projects. He recently wrapped a custom concert visuals package that screened at the Garden Amphitheater and other local venues, hiring an Otis student to help run the show from a laptop connected to a Jumbotron. “She nailed every cue,” he adds. “I love hiring current and former students to join my live-visuals production team. Working on high-profile shows is an instant resume builder.”
Job preparedness underpins what and how Davis teaches. “I share proven techniques with my students on crafting a compelling visual story, shaping an audience’s emotional response, and landing the next gig—whether that’s a big studio job or designing a poster for the school play,” he says.
“Every class I’ve taught has been practical and applicable to industry needs,” he says. “Ron Bernard and Joffery Black, our fantastic chairs of Animation and Game and Entertainment Design, respectively, work tirelessly to ensure that’s the case.”
Davis says he runs his BFA and adult Extension classes like real design studios, emphasizing core principles in design, animation, and story, covering everything from animation techniques and software mastery to creating strong portfolios and demo reels.
“In both the BFA and Extension programs, students often have specific career goals, so we focus on fundamentals and industry readiness,” he says. “I favor this holistic approach because the career I love today in live visuals is something I didn’t know existed when I was a student. Why not prepare for a career as a versatile artist who understands the entire pipeline and where one’s chosen specialty fits within it?”
Teaching budding creatives also helps Davis keep his finger on the pulse of his industry, an added benefit for his own career. “Teaching keeps me sharp,” he says. “You can count on students to ask all manner of technical questions, which pushes me to know my tools inside and out. Clients appreciate how I won’t quit until I resolve a technical challenge or pinpoint a more efficient way to execute a project, and much of that creative problem-solving mindset starts with wanting to help my students.”
Over Three Decades Teaching Young Artists
Davis has a soft spot for the children he teaches in Otis Extension’s Summer Youth Camps program in such classes as Create Your Own Graphic Novel, The Art of Cartooning, and Character Design for Games and Stories. “This coming summer will mark 31 years since I began teaching young artists,” he says. “What keeps me so dialed in and stoked to come to work every day is the fact that these kids always inspire me. I get to witness the power of their imagination, their excitement about the projects we work on, and the pride they take in sharing their finished work at the end of each camp session.”
Since Summer Youth Camp pupils range in age from five to 14, Davis emphasizes individuality and expression. “The classes aren’t about making students draw like me,” he says. “We provide these young artists the tools to tell their own visual stories.”
Davis teaches one new technique per day through short demos, in-class work time, and abundant support and feedback, something made possible by the small class sizes. “A major strength of this program is our talented team of classroom assistants, who are full-time undergrads across various departments at Otis,” he says. “Young artists love getting specialized tips and techniques from our college students. Although there are often only a few years separating them in age, the amount of respect and admiration is clear.”
Davis has often had a hand in shaping a creative’s journey from a young age, a privilege he doesn’t take lightly. “Many Extension students take further classes and camps with me, and I give them more advanced projects the second or third time around,” he says. “Several Extension alums have enrolled in the BFA program at Otis, and ultimately enter the industry.”
He mentions two students in particular that he first met as high schoolers in Otis Extension’s Summer Youth Program: Beth Ghoulam (’25 BFA Animation), who was at the top of Davis’s Senior Project class and immediately landed a job upon graduation; and Zoe Asis, a current senior in the Animation program. “She is well on her way to a thriving storyboarding career,” he says.
A third former student, story artist Cooper Bucci (’25 BFA Animation) will return to Otis next month as an industry guest speaking to Animation and Game and Entertainment Design seniors for a Senior Project panel.
The common denominator of all the students Davis teaches is their creative courage. “Elementary- and middle school-age kids arrive eager and fearless—they’ve been waiting for the opportunity to make art all week, or all school year. College students are driven, too, but just a bit more overworked and sleep-deprived,” he adds with a laugh.
Explore adult classes at Otis Extension.
Review Summer Youth Program offerings at Otis College.
Learn more about the BFA in Animation program.
See the live concert visuals Davis created for the band Rootful (for which he also plays guitar).
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