Dakota State University students walking around campus

Preparation + opportunity = success

That's the DSU equation. We're a four-year university with nationally recognized programs, cutting-edge facilities, and the brightest thinkers. But we're also a tight-knit, inclusive community. Small class sizes mean hands-on training and individualized attention. All this with an affordable, public school price that's among the best values in the region.

Majors & Degrees

Alumnus finds success in animation industry

May 22, 2025

Despite graduating into an unsteady job market during the height of COVID, Gareth Brewer (Production animation ’20) has found success working in animation, both in indie games and for a global company.

A positive experience speaking to the program director at the time and affordable tuition drew Brewer from the West Coast to Madison to study production animation.

Gareth Brewer

During his time at DSU, he enjoyed making short films, participating in production classes, and writing his honors thesis. These experiences taught him “Efficiency, communication, and the ability to stand out.”

He also developed his skills as a designer/animator of creature-type characters, which led him to find his preferred style of animation, fantastical realism, a genre that blends realistic depictions with fantastical or supernatural elements.

“There’s a living nature to it that isn’t present in anything else,” Brewer explained. This talent has landed him several jobs. “Creature design is in every medium.”

After graduating, Brewer went on to earn his MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

“Instead of being a general digital art style program, it was heavily focused on visual development and fine arts, which builds stronger artistic skills and makes or breaks an artist.”

Since graduating from DSU, Brewer has worked on various indie games, putting his creature creation. He also completed 3D work for a short film, leading a portion of the animation team that worked on “Submersed.”

Today, he works at Seasonal Visions Int. (SVI), a global company that does many things. Brewer designs consumer-grade animatronics and holiday items like the ones you see at Home Depot.

In the future he hopes to work on some personal projects, but up to this point, his animation has been for school and work.

His advice for animation students entering a competitive industry is “You don’t need to be the best, just tell good, honest stories, and tell them well visually and emotionally, and you’ll get somewhere.”

Brewer also suggests not becoming hyper-focused on industry or studio jobs, but instead focusing on making what you love and collaborating with others who have stories they want to share.

Tags: College of Arts and Sciences All News Alumni

Contact Us

Jennifer Burris
Strategic Communications Coordinator
(605) 270-3816

Email Us