After graduating USC with an MFA, Van has worked as a director, animator, pre-vis artist, technical director, and designer for films and games produced by Dreamworks, Sony Imageworks, Paramount, Digital Domain, Activision, 2K, Naughty Dog ILM, and Blue Sky Studios. His credits include working on such franchises as Aqua Man 2, Harry Potter, Shrek, Madagascar, Ice Age, Uncharted, How to Train Your Dragon, Captain America, NBA2K, and Thor. In addition, he has also worked as a director or animator on award-winning XR projects screened at the Tribeca, Cannes, and Venice Film Festivals.
His interest in teaching comes from his love for storytelling, animation, and learning. His multidisciplinary background and breadth of experiences have given him a unique perspective that he incorporates into his classes. It enjoys creating Aha moments for these students that can have a transformative impact in their future.