A Balanced Breakfast

Brenna Verner is a Cuban-American artist and animator born and raised in Miami, Florida. She was raised by her single mother Ileana and is the eldest to her two younger siblings Shannon and Tyler. She has been drawing characters and writing stories since she could first pick up a crayon, and her lifelong passion for animation lead her to become the first in her family to graduate from college and pursue a professional creative career.

She graduated with highest honors from Florida Atlantic University where she earned her B.F.A. in Film, Video, and New Media. She also earned her A.A degree in Computer Arts and Animation from Miami Dade College’s Honors Program, and soon, she will graduate with her third degree, an A.S. in Animation and Game Art, from the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex as well. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her studies.

She currently works as an animation instructor on behalf of Danimation Entertainment, an autistic talent development company based in Los Angeles, California. She teaches students of all ages and abilities how to design and animate their own cartoons using industry standard software such as Toon Boom Harmony. She also works as an animation instructor on behalf of Arts 4 Learning, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing arts education in her community; Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform which connects students with professional personalized instruction online; and After School All-Stars, where she is the lead instructor to 40 students from around the country who learn how to design and draw their own cartoon characters under her guidance. Through her four teaching positions, she has helped hundreds of students of all different backgrounds from across the world to produce their own original animated short films, comics, and cartoon series. She will soon begin work as an animator on behalf of Telemundo this summer.

She recently collaborated with MAGIC and Nickelodeon to produce her own original 2D animated short film called “A Balanced Breakfast” which aired in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. She lead a team of 30 students to produce the short film, acting as the writer and creative director, as well a storyboard artist, animator, and editor as well. She is currently working to develop the short cartoon into a fully-fledged animated series.

She has also won awards on the state and national level for her indie video game designs and outstanding volunteer community service. She prides herself on being creative and caring, and loves nothing more than having the opportunity to help her fellow artists and share her passion for animation with the world!