Tom Gasek Headshot

Tom Gasek

Professor

School of Film and Animation
College of Art and Design

585-475-7219
Office Location

Tom Gasek

Professor

School of Film and Animation
College of Art and Design

Education

BFA, Rochester Institute of Technology; MFA, Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University

585-475-7219

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

Invited Keynote/Presentation
Gasek, Tom. "Frame by Frame Photographic Animation." Fulbright Specialist. University of Craiova. Craiova, Romania. 17-2 May 2022. Guest Lecture.
Gasek, Tom. "Stop Motion with Tom Gasek." Pixar University. Pixar Animation Studios. Emeryville, California. 15-25-27-29-2-4-6 Apr. 2022. Guest Lecture.
Gasek, Tom. "Stop Motion for Photographers and Filmmakers." Online workshop. Maine Media College and Workshops. Rockport, Maine. 10-14 Jan. 2022. Lecture.
Gasek, Tom. "Product/Object Stop Motion Animation." Summer (online) Workshops. Maine Media College and Workshops. Rockport, Maine. 1 Jul. 2020. Lecture.
Gasek, Tom, et al. "The Value of Photographic Reality in the World of Animated Imagination." UFVA annual conference. UFVA. Minneapolis, MN. 31 Jul. 2019. Conference Presentation.
Gasek, Tom. "Non-Puppet Photographic Animation." Fulbright Grantee. Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. Lima, Peru. 18- 4/3 Mar. 2016. Lecture.
Shows/Exhibits/Installations
Gasek, Tom. Ain't No Fish. 10 Jan. 2022. multiple school screenings, Chicago. Exhibit.
Gasek, Tom. TRAIN. 29 Oct. 2020. Big Teeth Small Shorts Film Festival, Chicago. Exhibit.
Gasek, Tom. TRAIN. 29 Oct. 2020. VIN312, Chicago. Exhibit.
Gasek, Tom. TRAIN. By Tom Gasek. 7 Sep. 2019. Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Haven. Exhibit.
Gasek, Tom. Ain't No Fish. By Miki Cash, Tom Gasek. Jan. 2017. Bridgetown Barbados, Bridgetown, Barbados. Exhibit.
Gasek, Tom. Ain't No Fish. Director. Tom Gasek & Miki Cash. 17 Apr. 2015. George Eastman House, Rochester, New York. Exhibit.
Invited Article/Publication
Gasek, Tom. "Animation at the Jilin Institute." ASIFA East. (2019). Web.
External Scholarly Fellowships/National Review Committee
5/9/2018 - 6/17/2018
     Fulbright Specialist Program - World Learning
     Amount: $10,000.
3/17/2016 - 4/3/2016
     Fulbright (US Government)
     Amount: Flight / Housing and $200 per day
Full Length Book
Gasek, Tom. Frame by Frame Stop Motion; The Guide to Non-Puppet Photographic Animation Techniques. second ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press / Taylor and Francis Group, 2017. Print.
Gasek, Tom. Frame by Frame Stop Motion;The Guide to Non-Traditional Animation Techniques. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Focal Press (Routledge Publishing), 2011. Print.
National/International Competition Award Winner
Gasek, Tom. San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival. Director's Award. San Francisco, CA, 2014.
Published Review
Beck, Jerry. "Books Books Books." Rev. of Frame by Frame Stop Motion, ed. Focal Press. Frame by Frame Stop Motion 1 Oct. 2011: 1. Web.
Published Article
Gasek, Thomas.“Flying the Flag at Se-ma-For.” ASIFAEast Exposure Sheet. Association Internationale du Film d’Animation East Chapter. 13 September 2010. Web. ^
Installation/Exhibit/Performance
Gasek, Thomas. “Off-Line,” 2010, a dozen film festivals including South by South West (SXSW), ASIFA East, Black Maria Film Festival, Savannah Film Festival, Imagine Science Film Festival, Animation Block Party, The Big Easy, and Stop Motion Montreal. Exhibition. É 

Currently Teaching

SOFA-407
4 Credits
Students work independently with their advisor towards completion of their capstone experience for their BFA degree. Students have a predetermined timeline and must complete all deadlines of that timeline to pass this thesis course including completion and public screening of finished work or final presentation of craft experience.
SOFA-411
4 Credits
The first of two classes designed to advance students toward the completion of a capstone. It will advance students from capstone proposal toward the completion of a project. Students will also take part in weekly critiques to present their work and discuss the work of their classmates. At the completion of this course, students should be at the halfway point of their set project.
SOFA-412
4 Credits
This course will lead students toward the completion of their capstone. Students will take part in weekly critiques to present their work and discuss the work of their classmates. At the completion of this course, students will complete their capstone and take part in a public screening of their finished work.
SOFA-501
1 Credits
This course will allow students the opportunity to receive feedback on their in-progress capstone project. Students will be required to submit their work by a determined deadline and then take constructive feedback. At the completion of this course, students will decide how to implement the criticism they received with their advisor to better their work. 20 hours of class over one weekend in fall semester.
SOFA-522
3 Credits
This is an introductory course that will give students a basic and solid understanding of stop-motion animation. The class covers all aspects of stop-motion in its various forms but will mainly concentrate on stop-motion puppet/character animation. There will be demonstrations on model fabrication, animation techniques and camera/grip techniques. More in-depth topics, like latex and silicon mold making and intensive post production techniques will be introduced. There will be opportunities for students to practice animation with specific goals and assignments.
SOFA-582
3 Credits
This course will give all students a chance to explore three different approaches to stop-motion animation. The class will study and experiment with pixilation, time-lapse and relief animation with a “down-shooter.” These techniques will expand the student’s knowledge of traditional and experimental animation and present an alternative means of expression. The class will study existing work with these techniques, analyze and discuss them with the instructor and then produce several examples of their own work after instruction for each approach. There will be a final project in the technique of the student’s choice.
SOFA-599
1 - 6 Credits
SOFA Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty adviser, should propose a course of study or project with clearly defined deliverables. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll. Student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply.
SOFA-617
3 Credits
This introductory course will give graduate students a basic and solid understanding of stop-motion animation. The class will cover aspects of stop-motion in its various forms but will mainly concentrate on stop-motion puppet / character animation. There will be demonstrations on model fabrication, animation techniques and camera / grip techniques. Topics, such as latex and silicon mold-making and intensive postproduction techniques will be introduced.
SOFA-652
3 Credits
This course will give all students a chance to explore three different approaches to stop-motion animation. The class will study and experiment with pixilation, time-lapse and relief animation with a “down-shooter.” These techniques will expand the student’s knowledge of traditional and experimental animation and present an alternative means of expression. The class will study existing work with these techniques, analyze and discuss them with the instructor and then produce several examples of their own after instruction for each approach. There will be a final project in the technique of the student’s choice.
SOFA-698
1 - 6 Credits
Provides the student with on-the-job experience in the field of film/video/animation. The student seeks and acquires a school approved internship position in a business or industry. The working environment provides the forum for learning more about the student's chosen career. A final interview with the internship coordinator assists the student in evaluating the experience. The coordinator should be the faculty member most familiar with the student's internship field.
SOFA-780
1 Credits
The focus of this course is to develop a written proposal for an MFA Film Thesis. The thesis will provide the backbone of a candidate's final film-making production leading to the completion of MFA creative work and the supporting written document. Students must identify a thesis chair and form a committee. The course will prepare students to present and defend their thesis before a faculty committee seeking approval of the proposal.
SOFA-790
4 Credits
This is the first of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester.
SOFA-799
1 - 4 Credits
Film and Animation Graduate Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty adviser, should propose a course of study or project with clearly defined deliverables. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll. Student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply.
SOFA-887
0 Credits
Cooperative Education will provide Film and Animation students with hands-on experience in their field, directly related to a student’s major with an established studio or related business. Students will need to apply for co-ops, and interview as part of the selection process, based on available positions posted by the Co-op and Career Services Office, or found through the students’ own research. In programs where co-op is a degree requirement, students must obtain permission of their program or graduate director prior to enrollment. Co-ops are typically paid work experience, and can be part-time (150-479 total hours within the term), or full-time (480+ hours within the term). Co-ops may be one or two consecutive terms - fall, spring, or summer – with department permission.
SOFA-890
4 Credits
This is the second of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester as well as present a final screening of their thesis.
SOFA-892
0 Credits
Continuation of thesis course provides MFA students’ additional semester(s) to complete their thesis research and supporting documents. Taking COT before a Thesis film is screened needs to have the approval of the Graduate Director.

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