 In 1925 he entered the State College of Cinema to study for a set decorator.From 1926 to 1928 he worked at Mezhrabpom-Rus as a scene painter assistant under Abram Room, Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin.In 1928 he graduated from college and joined the Gosvoenkino studio as animator along with Yuri Merkulov and Lev Atamanov.