Hartford Art School, California Institute of the Arts
With over 35 years of experience in computer animation and visual effects, Allen's work has been an integral part of the entertainment industry. Starting with Digital Productions/Robert Abel & Associates as an art director for commercials, theme park attractions, music videos, and video games, he went on to art direct animation and effects for over 50 motion pictures. In 1996, Allen founded and oversaw the art department for Walt Disney’s Secret Lab until 2002. Since then, he has worked as an art director and CG character designer for such films as “Charlotte’s Web,” “The Smurfs,” and “Smurfs 2”, “Disney’s G-Force,” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.” Currently, he is designing for Nickelodeon’s “The Patrick Star Show” and an epic fantasy feature film based on a book series for Kerner Entertainment and Pressman Films.
Besides traditional media, Allen has remained at the forefront of emerging technologies and guided VR, AR, and evolving media projects in the theme park entertainment industry, most recently for the “Jurassic World” ride at Universal Studios, Hollywood.
Allen is a charter member of the Visual Effects Society, designed their logo, and served as a member of the VES awards committee for two years. In addition, he has been a Digital Media professor at Otis College of Art & Design for the last eight years.