Prof. Michael Klein is one of the pioneers of digital animation in Düsseldorf. In the Digital Film Design – Animation & VFX program, he combines decades of experience in CGI and visual effects with the latest developments in artificial intelligence and real-time production.

Digital animation was still a niche specialty when Prof. Michael Klein began his career in 1991. After early experience in 3D computer graphics and earning his diploma in graphic design from Fachhochschule Niederrhein, he worked as an animation designer before founding Motion GmbH in 1998.

In 2002, he went on to found Virtual Republic animation and visual effects in Düsseldorf. The award-winning studio grew into a trusted partner for advertising agencies, film and post-production companies, brands, and industrial clients. Today, Prof. Klein brings this decades-long, hands-on experience directly into the Digital Film Design – Animation & VFX program at Campus Düsseldorf.

In his teaching, he goes far beyond the classical fundamentals of CGI, animation, and visual effects. Alongside his students, he dives deep into new production methods and one key question: how can artificial intelligence meaningfully support the creative process?

AI can be used, for example, in idea development, visual development, previsualization, generating variations, and image and video production. But human creative judgment remains essential — students learn to evaluate results, refine them, and combine them with traditional 3D, animation, and VFX techniques.

The result: projects at Campus Düsseldorf where creative design, technical know-how, and new technology come together. The goal isn't just preparing students for today's tools — it's preparing them for the evolving, hybrid production methods of tomorrow.

"Artificial intelligence opens up new creative possibilities for us. What matters most is that students learn to use these tools consciously, critically, and with their own visual signature."