Jon Schroth transferred to Ringling College of Art and Design from Middlesex Community College and has had a successful career. Jon has worked on movies such as Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Horton Hears a Who!, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur, Rio, Ice Age: Continental Drift, and Epic. For a more detailed look at his portfolio, visit www.jonschroth.com.

Where are you living now?
I’m back to Middletown now!

What was your major?
I was a non-degree seeking student at MxCC before transferring to Ringling College of Art and Design as a computer animation major.

What year did you graduate/transfer?
I transferred in 2000.

Where do you work?
I do work in a variety of visual arts,  but the majority of my work is with Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich on animated films.

What is your job title and duties?

For six years, I worked full time at Blue Sky Studios, most recently as a senior lighting technical director. I continue to freelance there on and off throughout the year. I work with the directors to design lighting setups for a series of shots in the movie with attention to mood, color and composition. This includes the compositing of the rendered elements.

What originally brought you to MxCC?
I was a teenager at the time, but not attending a high school. I pursued some of my education independently, but there were other things that seemed more appropriate to learn in a classroom, so I enrolled in a handful of courses at MxCC, mostly in the arts, but also in math and spanish.

How did MxCC prepare you for your job now?
MxCC was actually the first place I ever tried digital animation. I had a background in visual arts, but animation was something new and exciting, and it seemed to have potential as a career alternative to being a “starving artist.”  I really enjoyed the class, and on the final day asked the professor (Rick Erikson) where I could go further with it. He suggested Ringling, which I applied to shortly afterwards.

What was your favorite thing about MxCC?
MxCC provided me with an opportunity to experiment in the many things I was interested in, ultimately helping me narrow my focus to a field that I could major in at art school.