Matthew Goodmanson has been drawing since he could pick up a pencil. As the 2D/3D Animation and Digital Arts instructor, he knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in art.
“I had a real knack for it, and everybody assumed, including myself, that I was going to go into art,” he says.
After graduating from Cobequid Education Centre in 1996, he considered attending NSCAD University. However, after speaking to a friend who went there, he decided to attend a college instead, realizing that would help him earn a living using his artistic skills.
Goodmanson enrolled in McKenzie College, where he graduated in 1999 with a diploma in 3D Animation. During his studies, he gained a wide range of skills in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, concept art, and storyboarding.
Following graduation, he moved to Sydney to work for Virtual Media Productions, a company he still maintains contact with and occasionally does contract work for. While there, he worked on a Halloween original television show called Evil Schmevil, which aired on Teletoon, as a concept and storyboard artist.
“It was a really interesting stepping stone,” Goodmanson reflects. “I did all the concept art there, the character designs, and some of the storyboarding. To keep me on, they made me the production manager. Being new to the industry and taking on that role was a real trial by fire, but it was fun.”
He later moved to Halifax, securing a job at Mutable Realms, where he worked on a massive multiplayer online game as a monster concept artist, designing monsters, weapons, armor, and environments.
“Easily one of the coolest jobs I ever had,” he adds. “I worked there for years and even had the chance to attend E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles.”
Over the years, Goodmanson took on various contract work with different companies, creating ads and working on a trading/sketch card project for Marvel, DC, and Newline Cinema. He eventually landed a role at Silverback Productions, where he spent 12 years creating hidden object games, mobile games, and virtual reality experiences.
“That’s where I really expanded from a concept artist to a 3D Artist and digital sculptor,” Goodmanson explains. “That job taught me a lot about the industry.”
In January 2020, he left Silverback Productions and spent the pandemic year experimenting with art. Just as he was preparing to resume his job search, he received a message from Maritime Business College instructor Skyler Greencorn, whom he had worked with at Silverback Productions on a Sons of Anarchy game. Greencorn was looking for an instructor to assist with the 2D/3D Animation program.
“I thought, wow, what a coincidence,” Goodmanson says. “It was too much of one to ignore, so I had to reach out.”
Their collaboration as instructors has proven effective, as their strengths complement each other.
“We feel we can cover the curriculum more efficiently and comprehensively by bringing our different levels of experience and expertise together,” Goodmanson notes.
While Greencorn handles the technical aspects of the 3D portion of the program, Goodmanson focuses on 2D art, digital sculpting, and life drawing.
“It all came together perfectly,” he says.
Being an instructor has turned out to be not just about passing on knowledge, but so much more.
“The relationships you build with your students are incredibly valuable and important,” Goodmanson adds. “I ended up learning a lot myself—about how people learn and how to manage a classroom to reach everyone. That was a fun and unexpected part of the job. You don’t realize it until you’re in it.”
Drawing on his industry experience, Goodmanson recognizes the diversity in personalities and learning styles, which he finds to be an exciting challenge.
“It’s great to see students progress from not understanding to fully grasping concepts and even going beyond. Watching them anticipate what comes next and seeing that evolution is personally very rewarding.”
He enjoys reflecting on the success stories of his students, including MacKenzie Hepditch, now a 2D animator at Cartoon Conrad, and Emma Ingraham, a background painter at Cartoon Conrad, both excelling in their fields. He is also proud of Rachel Hartt, who has built a successful career as a tattoo artist in an industry-adjacent field.
