Exciting new speakers join us for DNEG Animation's INSPIRE Series!
Catch up on the latest presentations that have been inspiring our crews so far this summer!
Feeling inspired this summer?
Our DNEG Animation crew is, thanks to some very exciting INSPIRE Series sessions! Scroll for details on the latest guests we've been delighted to host as part of our DNEG INSPIRE series.
A Conversation with Sound Designer Randy Thom
We welcomed multiple Academy Award-winner Randy Thom via Zoom! With a number of beloved animated treasures in his filmography including The Incredibles (which won him an Oscar), How To Train Your Dragon and Ratatouille, Randy spoke to our teams about the importance of Sound Design in film. The conversation was hosted by Scot Stafford, a Composer and Sound Expert, and the duo explored the creative process of sound design, its importance in both animated and live-action films, and the collaboration between sound design and music!
Diving into specific projects, Randy touched on his work designing sound for The Wild Robot, sharing his creative process for designing the robot movement sounds and emphasizing the importance of approaching sound design in an open-minded, "dream-like" state to not limit one's ability to make creative connections.
A Conversation with Shannon Tindle and Jorge Gutierrez
Later in June, we were thrilled to welcome Writer-Directors Shannon Tindle and Jorge Gutierrez! Shannon's work includes the beloved Laika stop-motion feature Kubo and the Two Strings, the Netflix series Lost Ollie, Ultraman Rising and the upcoming anime feature film prequel to John Wick. His co-host, Jorge, is the creative genius behind The Book of Life, Maya and the Three, and Son of Jaguar.
The duo shared details about their illustrious careers, current projects, and insider insights into the animation industry. They also offered advice for aspiring filmmakers, discussed the evolution of animation and family entertainment, and spoke on the importance of audience feedback and the power of storytelling!
Spice Frontier with Aaron Gilman and Jalil Sadool
For our next event, we welcomed via Zoom the masterminds behind independent animation studio Steamroller Animation: Aaron Gilman (CEO) and Jalil Sadool (Co-Founder and CCO)! Hosted by DNEG Animation's Andrew Schlussel (Senior Director, Training & Development), they discussed Steamroller's strategy of running an independent studio, balancing the desire to tell their own original stories with the success of the business, and fostering an environment that promotes the studio's core values and prioritizes its team members.
They also spoke about recent the release of the pilot episode of Spice Frontier, their new original series! After a screening for our crew, they shared details about how they used Unreal Engine to create the series, including the process of developing their pipeline and overcoming challenges to achieve comparable results to traditional methods of animation.
Cardboard with Director J.P. Vine
Finally, we were delighted to host director J.P. Vine in our London studio for a closer look at his latest animated short Cardboard - which was animated by DNEG Animation! Following a screening of the film, J.P. shared insights into its development, visual style, and themes of childhood imagination and homelessness. In conversation with DNEG Animation's own Dara McGarry (Outreach Senior Manager), J.P. also explored the creative process, emphasizing the importance of embracing failure, trusting instincts, and balancing technical skill with personal vision in animation and storytelling.
Check out the trailer for Cardboard below!
Huge thank you all for taking the time to inspire our teams!
DNEG Animation’s INSPIRE Series invites inspiring speakers to share their knowledge and experience with our global animation crews. Launched in 2021, the series was created to encourage our team’s passion for animation through exciting learning opportunities and celebrations of innovative new work within the industry. Learn more about INSPIRE from the creators here!