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Damon O’Keefe is a Senior 2D Animation Director, animator, and educator with over 25 years of experience in games, animation, and interactive media. He has built and led animation teams at studios such as Jam City, Surprise, and Obsidian Entertainment, delivering high-quality animation across mobile, casual, and AAA projects. Known for combining strong animation fundamentals with hands-on leadership, Damon oversees projects from concept through final polish while maintaining technical and production standards. In addition to his studio work, Damon is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches 2D Animation and Motion Graphics. His work emphasizes storytelling, mentorship, and collaboration across creative and production teams.…Damon O’Keefe is a Senior 2D Animation Director, animator, and educator with over 25 years of experience in games, animation, and interactive media. He has built and led animation teams at studios such as Jam City, Surprise, and Obsidian Entertainment, delivering high-quality animation across mobile, casual, and AAA projects. Known for combining strong animation fundamentals with hands-on leadership, Damon oversees projects from concept through final polish while maintaining technical and production standards. In addition to his studio work, Damon is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches 2D Animation and Motion Graphics. His work emphasizes storytelling, mentorship, and collaboration across creative and production teams.

Damon O'Keeffe

Animation Director, Animator, Art Director, +5

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Damon O’Keefe is a Senior 2D Animation Director, animator, and educator with over 25 years of experience in games, animation, and interactive media. He has built and led animation teams at studios such as Jam City, Surprise, and Obsidian Entertainment, delivering high-quality animation across mobile, casual, and AAA projects. Known for combining strong animation fundamentals with hands-on leadership, Damon oversees projects from concept through final polish while maintaining technical and production standards. In addition to his studio work, Damon is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches 2D Animation and Motion Graphics. His work emphasizes storytelling, mentorship, and collaboration across creative and production teams.…Damon O’Keefe is a Senior 2D Animation Director, animator, and educator with over 25 years of experience in games, animation, and interactive media. He has built and led animation teams at studios such as Jam City, Surprise, and Obsidian Entertainment, delivering high-quality animation across mobile, casual, and AAA projects. Known for combining strong animation fundamentals with hands-on leadership, Damon oversees projects from concept through final polish while maintaining technical and production standards. In addition to his studio work, Damon is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches 2D Animation and Motion Graphics. His work emphasizes storytelling, mentorship, and collaboration across creative and production teams.

Available to hire

Damon O’Keefe is a Senior 2D Animation Director, animator, and educator with over 25 years of experience in games, animation, and interactive media. He has built and led animation teams at studios such as Jam City, Surprise, and Obsidian Entertainment, delivering high-quality animation across mobile, casual, and AAA projects. Known for combining strong animation fundamentals with hands-on leadership, Damon oversees projects from concept through final polish while maintaining technical and production standards.

In addition to his studio work, Damon is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he teaches 2D Animation and Motion Graphics. His work emphasizes storytelling, mentorship, and collaboration across creative and production teams.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Adjunct Faculty - 2D Animation/Motion Graphics at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

January 1, 2025 - Present

Taught college-level courses in 2D animation and motion graphics; emphasized body mechanics, storytelling, and character design; guided project-based learning and integrated industry-standard tools and workflows to prepare students for professional environments.

Animation Outsourcing Manager at Obsidian Entertainment

April 1, 2022 - November 1, 2024

Oversaw external animation production for AAA title Out Worlds 2, ensuring asset quality, delivery timelines, and vendor alignment. Prepared motion capture files and implemented animation in Unreal Engine 5. Negotiated contracts with international vendors, reducing costs while maintaining quality. Fostered relationships with external teams and maintained alignment with upper management.

Art Director at Hit Factor Inc

February 1, 2022 - April 1, 2022

Directed visual development for an unreleased sci-fi RPG PC game. Created concept art, mood boards, and reviewed 2D/3D assets for visual consistency. Reduced production turnaround by 20% through workflow optimization and strong team leadership. Led hiring for a multidisciplinary art team.

Animation Director at Surprise

May 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022

Built the animation and art departments from scratch. Developed production pipelines, style guides, and department workflows. Directed hiring, mentoring, and evaluation of animation staff. Coordinated cross-department requirements with creative and production teams.

Senior Animator at Flint & Steel

December 1, 2020 - March 1, 2021

Designed and rigged 2D models for animated Juicy Drop Candy commercials. Collaborated closely with creative directors to execute storyboard vision.

Creative Director at Consumer Acquisition

September 1, 2019 - August 1, 2020

Created narrative content and directed visual production for performance marketing campaigns. Developed 80+ monthly story outlines and creative briefs for advertising assets. Led visual direction for branded videos, animations, and motion graphics.

Animator Lead at AdaptiveMind

August 1, 2018 - September 1, 2019

Produced animated content for educational video series under tight deadlines. Composed final video assets using After Effects and Creative Cloud.

Animation Director at Jam City

April 1, 2011 - June 1, 2018

Built and led 2D/3D animation teams for mobile titles based on original and licensed IPs. Delivered thousands of animation assets across 11+ game titles. Partnered with producers, engineers, and designers to maintain visual quality. Supervised recruitment, training, and creative development of animation staff.