faculty
Associate Faculty : Steffen Vala
svala@miracosta.edu
https://svala.com
Steffen Vala has been a pixel nomad for years, following his passion for painting street art and graffiti in Florida in the late 90s. He began working as a production artist after finishing undergraduate studies in New York City. He earned a BFA in traditional animation from School of Visual Arts, and later a Master of Arts in character animation from Central St. Martins in London and a Master of Science degree in interactive entertainment from University of Central Florida's game design program. Beyond education, Steffen has worked for 20 years on many commercial productions as a designer, animator, and illustrator, including animation for The Venture Bros and Powerpuff Girls for Cartoon Network, 3D design and interactive animation for Universal Studios Volcano Bay water theme park and as digital image technician and Phantom Flex camera operator on Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Steffen is passionate about teaching students on their journey in the creative world of media, arts, and technology. He is committed to amplifying shared ideas, collaboration, and respect for others.