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Sarmad Mohammed

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name Sarmad Mohammed & i am games designer .illustrator animator .artist & i currently a freelancing artist some of my project illustrated books & storyboards and character designs but i am usually designed games.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was sculptor artist & my previous job it is children web designer.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I had been in any project as serial animation and as storyboard artist in many films.  1.story board for pana film. 2.storyboard angel’s friends I’m not proud of anything yet but I hope i’ll get this feeling some day.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am originally from Iraq but i live in Turkey. I had worked 7 years in animation area as cleaner and later inbetweener then an animator but Continue reading

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Cartoon Saloon, Mercury Filmworks Partner for New Animation Studio

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The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Kilkenny, Ireland-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon — the studio behind Oscar-nominated animated features The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea — and Canada-based animation studio Mercury Filmworks are partnering to create a new 2D-focused, Kilkenny-based animation studio to develop children’s and family TV entertainment, for multiplatform global distribution.

Dubbed Lighthouse Studios, the joint venture will have its own not-yet-announced management team, reporting to a board of directors comprising executives from both Mercury Filmworks and Cartoon Saloon.

It plans to announce more information about its first development and production projects, as well as hiring details, in the coming weeks. The venture was revealed on Monday with support from Ireland’s Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland and intends to create at least 140 jobs in the next three years.

Both partners also continue their own TV and film operations. Mercury Filmworks’ projects have included Disney’s Tangled animated series, Mickey Mouse Shorts, Wander Over Yonder as well as the upcoming Netflix original series Hilda.

Read the entire article here.

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Temris Ridge

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Temris Ridge, independent animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Not many. I went from high school to university to animation school with a little burger flipping and file sorting in between.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
One of my earliest, coolest projects was working on Sam Niemann’s project called “Ruby Rocket.” One of my favorite commercial jobs of my career has to be animating Pop Tarts commercials for TV, which includes GPS, Stuck, and Tour Bus. I was also very excited to get to do some animation for the end credits for the Laika feature film, The Boxtrolls.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from Washington State, born and raised Pacific Northwesterner. I studied art, film, and writing in college and then Continue reading

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Tom Riffel

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Tom Riffel, and currently I am working freelance, in addition to being a co-founder / content creator of the Toonocracy collective.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
Most of my non-animation experience was either slinging coffee or slinging data. Well, entering data. Neither one super crazy, but I did have one data entry job where I was inputting the personal information of women prisoners into what was supposed to be a prison pen-pal website. Needless to say, some of this information was, ah… Highly inappropriate, despite their surveys specifically saying not to include anything R-rated. Also, at the coffee shop, people liked using the walls as toilet paper. Not really sure how that works.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I’m very fortunate to say that I have been pretty consistently happy with most of the projects I have been on, but my absolute favorite job was working on The Problem Solverz at Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network is my goal, and being able to work on a series produced entirely in-house and with really great people was a dream come true.  A close second would be the last non-freelance job I had, which was at Hot House Productions, working on a pilot. Like The Problem Solverz, it was all done in-house with a small crew of great people.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I grew up in South Florida, but didn’t do anything animation-related until I moved to Chicago. Initially I wanted to be a director, so I went to Florida Atlantic University for film studies and ended up with a useless BA in communication. After an aimless year, I went back to school for animation. Post graduation (Part 2), I was able to get a job doing animation for an internet startup company, and then moved on to doing some digital animation and traditional clean up for Calabash Animation. A few years later, I took the plunge and moved to Los Angeles.

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Currently, I wake up, make the long trek from the bedroom to my office, and get crackin’ on work in silence. When I’m working at a studio, Continue reading

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Kimberly M Zamlich

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Kimberly M Zamlich and I am an illustrator/artist.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
Nothing too crazy; actually kind of boring…working at McDonald’s, at a book store, the community college. My first professional art job was working at Stormfront Studios in Marin County which was a gaming company. I was a computer artist there and did a lot of production work in the beginning, then later on started to do some visual development. That’s where I learned Photoshop.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
One of the most memorable jobs was at MGA Entertainment. I was new and suddenly had this card game thrown on my lap. No one else was available to do it and because I was new, my Art Director was sweating bullets. Can you draw Chihuahuas and animals, he asked me? What? Does a bear poop in the woods? My response was “And I get paid to do this?” I had about 11 illustrations done in 2 weeks, from start to finish for a card game called Andale! Andale! I gave myself 2 days to come up with a solid look of these characters, one I’d feel great in doing, and never looked back. And still to this day, out of all the things that are in my portfolio; it’s the Chihuahuas that everyone loves.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 
I am from the Bay Area, (Northern California). I worked 4 years at Stormfront and then it got real political. I had heard Disney Feature Film had been hiring after it’s Lion King success and I put in a figure drawing portfolio after Pocohantas was out. I was lucky. The time was ripe when Disney had it’s phenomenal success and Continue reading

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SECOND YEAR OF LAIKA ANIMATION FELLOWSHIP FOR PROJECT INVOLVE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Alia Quart Khan, Film Independent
Tel: 310.432.1287 or aqkhan@filmindependent.org

John Smith, Focus Features
Tel: 818.777.6556 or john.smith@focusfeatures.com

FILM INDEPENDENT AND LAIKA ANNOUNCE SECOND YEAR OF

LAIKA ANIMATION FELLOWSHIP FOR PROJECT INVOLVE

Fellowship provides $10,000 grant to an animation filmmaker from

diversity mentorship program Project Involve

LOS ANGELES (February 3, 2017) — Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival, and acclaimed animation studio LAIKA (whose most recent film is Kubo and the Two Strings, nominated for two Academy Awards), have announced a second year of the LAIKA Animation Fellowship in Project Involve.

The LAIKA Animation Fellowship provides a $10,000 grant to an animator in Project Involve, Film Independent’s signature diversity mentorship program which fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. Project Involve alumni include Effie T. Brown (Dear White People), Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Step Up 2: The Streets); Cherien Dabis (Amreeka, Empire), Kahlil Joseph (Lemonade), Tina Mabry (Queen Sugar) and Justin Simien (Dear White People).

The LAIKA Animation Fellowship was created in 2016 and was awarded to animator Brandon Omari Lake. The Fellowship underwrote Lake’s participation in Project Involve and includes a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant for the filmmaker. Inspired at an early age by Caribbean folktales and the works of Disney and Rankin-Bass, Lake graduated in 2013 with an MFA in Animation and the Digital Arts from the University of Southern California. Since then his professional portfolio of work has grown and diversified, including Robot Chicken, Bratz, Buddy Thunderstruck, Verizon, and most recently two Honda Spots (“Paper”, “The Power of Ridgeline”) with animation director, PES. Additionally Lake has produced several short films, two of which have been accepted into festivals including KLIK Animation and the Philadelphia Film Festival.

“We’re living in a golden age of animation right now, and the work done at LAIKA is jaw-droppingly original and unique,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “We’re so happy to continue this partnership with them, and to be able to provide critical support to talented animators from under-represented backgrounds.”

“Film is at its best when it meaningfully reflects, connects with, and fosters insight into the world around us,” said Travis Knight, President & CEO of LAIKA, who made his directorial debut in 2016 with the acclaimed animated film Kubo and the Two Strings, recently nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Animated Feature Film. “And the world around us is a rich tapestry of voices and experiences. Encouraging and mentoring a new generation of bold, diverse voices and visions benefits us all. Which is why LAIKA is thrilled to continue our support of Film Independent’s Project Involve program. We look forward seeing how these inspiring artists enrich and expand the art and scope of cinema in the years to come.”
Project Involve is a free nine-month program for writers, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers and entertainment executives from diverse backgrounds. During the program, participants meet one-on-one with film industry mentors, create short films, attend master-workshops taught by top film professionals and industry networking events. Project Involve Fellows receive passes to the Film Independent Forum, Directors Close-Up and LA Film Festival. The 2017 Project Involve participants were selected based on the quality of their projects, their passion, vision, talent, and commitment to pursuing a career in the film industry.

For information on all past Film Independent Fellows, please visit our online Film Independent Talent Guide.

 

Film Independent’s Project Involve is supported by Artist Development Lead Funder Time Warner Foundation and Project Involve Shorts Lead Funder Kiehl’s Since 1851.  Principal Sponsors include EFILM | Company 3, HBO, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, National Endowment for the Arts and Sony Pictures Entertainment.  The program is also supported by AbelCine, Amazon Studios, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Focus Features, FOX HBCU Media Alliance, LAIKA, Participant Media and The Camera House.

 

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions independent visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year- round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

 

ABOUT LAIKA

Fueled by the vision of President & CEO Travis Knight, feature film animation studio LAIKA celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2015. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Science and Technology Oscar plaque in recognition of its innovation in 3D printing in 2016.  Its three films, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and The Boxtrolls (2014) were all nominated for Oscars® and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. Coraline earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations, and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nominations and won two Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent) and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics groups. The Boxtrolls also earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year. Kubo and the Two Strings, which marks the directorial debut of Travis Knight, was released by Focus Features on August 19, 2016. The critically acclaimed film has been nominated for two Academy Awards in the categories of Best Animated Feature and Best Visual Effects. It was named Best Animated Feature of 2016 by the National Board of Review as well as 18 critics groups. Additionally, it garnered Golden Globe, BAFTA, PGA and Critics’ Choice nominations, as well as 10 Annie Award nominations and 6 VES Award nominations.