Wrapping up DNEG Animation’s INSPIRE Series 2022

THANKS TO ALL THE WONDERFUL SPEAKERS WHO JOINED US!

A look back at our DNEG Animation INSPIRE series in 2022!

Last year was a busy one at DNEG Animation! From the release of Netflix’s Entergalactic to film festival success for Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat, to the continued growth and expansion of the company and tons of new projects, we had a lot to be thankful for in 2022.

And that gratitude extends to the wonderful professionals who joined us for our DNEG Animation INSPIRE series! Launched in 2021 with a visit from the imitable creative duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller, our INSPIRE series consists of talks and panel discussions designed to… well, inspire our teams!

Following a visit from acclaimed auteur Guillermo Del Toro at our London studio, to talk about his stop-motion take on the classic tale of Pinocchio (now nominated for the ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ Academy Award®), our DNEG Animation team wrapped up 2022 with a jam-packed line-up of events featuring remarkable experts from all corners of the industry. Read more about these fantastic sessions below!

 

CAT ANATOMY AND MOTION WITH STUART SUMIDA

We were thrilled to be joined by Stuart Sumida for two sessions on cat anatomy and motion!

A biologist and palaeontologist with an expertise in animal structure, function and evolution, Stuart has worked as an animal and human anatomical consultant to animation and VFX studios for over 25 years — making him the purrrfect guest to lead this learning session for our DNEG Animation teams working on Garfield!

 

As part of the session, our crew created some pawsitively adorable cat portraits – something we couldn’t help but share!

 

A CONVERSATION WITH NORA TWOMEY DIRECTOR OF ‘MY FATHER’S DRAGON’

Our DNEG Animation team was super excited to welcome five-time Academy Award® nominated director Nora Twomey, who shared a glimpse into the world of My Father’s Dragon – an animated fantasy and adventure film based on the 1948 children’s novel of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett – only a few days after its official release on Netflix.

After presenting on her creative process and research on Ruth Stiles Gannett, Nora joined a conversation with DNEG Animation’s Ted Ty (Global Head of Character Animation) and Claire Mooney (Production Supervisor), who later said:

“Seeing Nora present the making of My Father’s Dragon was a real treat. The presentation delved into the mind of how natural her instincts were to create a nuanced story about a boy coming to terms with the world around him in an authentic way.”
 

 

A CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR CHRIS WILLIAMS AND HIS TEAM FROM ‘THE SEA BEAST’

We were also delighted to welcome Academy Award® winning director Chris Williams and his extraordinary team behind The Sea Beast: Jed Schlanger (Producer) Stirling Duguid (VFX Supervisor), Joshua Beveridge (Head of Character Animation), and Zach Parrish (Animation Director).

Diving into the details of their creative and technical journey on The Sea Beast (which has since received an Academy Award® nomination for the ‘Best Animated Feature Film’) the team led an inspiring and insightful presentation, followed by a Q&A. The event was moderated by DNEG Animation’s Kara Oropallo (VP, Training, Outreach and Artistic Development), who said:

“It’s just a dream come true to be able to connect these incredible filmmakers with our crew. Not only do they inspire and educate our folks, but it also gives us a chance to pause and celebrate that we are part of a global filmmaking community that loves this art form.”
 

 

MAKING THE CUT AT PIXAR: THE ART OF EDITING ANIMATION WITH CO-AUTHORS BILL KINDER AND BOBBIE O’STEEN

Our INSPIRE series continued with an enriching talk from Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen, co-authors of Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation. Bill, a founding director of Editorial and Post Production at Pixar from 1996 to 2014, joined us in-person at our London studio, while Bobby, a film historian and author of The Invisible Cut and Cut to the Chase tuned in for the event over zoom.

The event was moderated by Andrew Schlussel (Senior Director, Training & Development, Animation) and Edward Crompton (Animation Editor), who said:

“It is amazing to have industry veterans come to DNEG in person to meet and teach our whole team. We got the chance to ask in depth questions to the filmmakers whose films inspired many of us to choose this profession. The Making the Cut event was informative, intriguing and a wonderful glimpse into the inner workings of editorial at Pixar and animation as a whole.”
 

 

A CONVERSATION WITH HENRY SELICK, DIRECTOR OF ‘WENDELL & WILD’

Last but certainly not least, our DNEG Animation team was treated to a presentation and Q&A with Academy Award® nominated director Henry Selick, who joined us to speak about his new animated film, Wendell & Wild.

During the presentation, Selick shared details about his latest production, and talked candidly about his love for stop motion — the oldest form of animation and his chosen technique.

 

 

Whew! We’re so happy to have been joined by so many esteemed and inspiring guests for this important series. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Stuart Sumida, Nora Twomey, Henry Selick, Bill Kinder, Bobbie O’Steen and the Sea Beast team for joining us for these four special INSPIRE events.


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PS — Our DNEG INSPIRE series is just one of many great perks that comes with working at DNEG Animation. If you’re interested in joining our team, check out our open positions at here.

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