Tag Archives: Disney

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News: DisneyToon Studios Hit By More Layoffs

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disneytoon-logo-grid A sad day at Disney Toons as Deadline Hollywood reports that as many as 17  artists were given pink slips.

From the site:

 Things are getting leaner at the House of Mouse once again. This time it’sDisneyToon Studios that is handing out pink slips. About 17 of the 60 full-time employees at the primarily direct-to-video animation group have been laid off, with some occurring last week and the rest to leave during the next month. A unit of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the John Lasseter- and Ed Catmull-run DisneyToon called a meeting August 6 to make the layoffs announcement to staff. The quickly called gathering came a day after big Disney released its ahead-of-expectations Q3 results.“There is not a lot left to cut here now, the next round of cuts could be closing us down,” one DTS employee told me.

 

You can read the full story here.

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Sascha Ciezata

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http://vimeo.com/36878241

What is your name and your current occupation?
Sascha Ciezata and I am an independent animator/producer who shoots my animation with my iPhone.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a PA on the show Grey’s Anatomy for a season.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
 I just finished doing animation for a controversial documentary called The Sheik and I that premiered at SXSW this year. It’s the first time I’ve contributed my animation to a feature film. I’m also proud of the work I’ve done with Funny or Die.

 How did you become interested in animation?
As a kid my father used to take me to Continue reading

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Cliff Parrott

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http://vimeo.com/5028526

What is your name and your current occupation?
Cliff Parrott and I am the founder of Magpie 6 Media located in Dublin, Ireland.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I could write an entire blog on the insane jobs I had before animation. It’s hard to believe that I was an attorney practising criminal defence, bankruptcy and other aspects of law. Technically I am still an attorney, I’m just not practising any more. I didn’t enjoy being one, it was high stress. Unlike seeing a film or finished piece of artwork in an animation project, there was nothing tangible to look back on after you’ve finished with a client’s case, just paperwork. Being an attorney did give me experience with preparing for the unexpected and negotiations.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
There are a lot of great projects but the ones that I had the most enjoyment from were the projects where the crew was a blast to work with. I was fortunate enough (or misfortunate, depending on one’s point of view), to be one of the animators on Hollywood’s first Flash feature “Lil’ Pimp.” It was produced at Revolution Studios with the idea of capitalising on the success of the relatively new animated feature hit at that time “South Park.” In fact, a lot of the South Park crew migrated to Lil’ Pimp productions. There were so many talented and very funny people. It’s unfortunate that the script was rehashed so many times. The final outcome of the movie was a watered down version that didn’t pack the punch of South Park’s movie. It came out to less than unenthusiastic reviews and went straight to DVD. I am still in touch with a lot of the people I met there.

How did you become interested in animation?
It started at a very young age, maybe 4 or 5 years old. My first love was anything from Tex Avery or Bob Clampett. The energy and timing on their films wasn’t Continue reading

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Kurt Weldon

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWECXOfFu90

What is your name and your current occupation?
Kurt Weldon. Line Producer. In the past, I’ve been a Producer, Director, Story Editor, Writer and even once in a while a Voice Actor.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Stand up comic. Short order cook. Silk screen printer.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Kim Possible. Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
Canton, Ohio. It’s the town Hank Williams was on his way to when he died. I’ve always thought that was a pretty good call on Hank’s part.  I got into the business more or less by accident. After about six years as a standup comic, I decided to

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Jay Shultz

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jay Shultz  Background designer and layout artist for Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well I got into animation pretty early, when I was 21 so there’s not to much craziness that went down. I grew up in a pretty small town in Ohio and there wasn’t that much art to do. I painted lots of murals for the local high school, restaurants, football t-shirts, band logos, jacket patch designs, backdrops for theatres and photo studios, signage for businesses, basically anything that involved some form of art I tried it. I took it all very professional and I knew when to say no to a job that would later turn out to be a pain.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
It would have to be my first job at Fox Feature animation doing storyboards for Anastasia. It was an amazing learning experience both professionally and personally. It was scary that everything was so new and everyone was better than me but man did I learn quick and I got to work with one of my favorite animators/directors Don Blueth.  My other favorite project would have to be my own Doodle A Day project. Where I am still to this day drawing and painting my own ideas and stories and posting on lines through blogs, and art site. I love the absolute freedom that it gives me.

How did you become interested in animation? 
I started drawing around seven years old before that I scribbled a lot but I was always interested in art. As a kid I watched a lot of cartoons. I watched anything I could that was animated but mostly the classic Warner Brothers cartoons of the 1950’s. Still my favorite toons to this day. So I could say I was always Continue reading

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Kaukab Basheer

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What is your name and your current occupation?
KAUKAB BASHEER,Freelance artist: Character Designer, Character Layout Artist and Traditional Animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Selling door-to-door magazines, distributing fliers, and labor work in garment construction factories.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
“Tom & Jerry” shows for Warner Bros Animation in the US. And “Chhota Bheem” and four-part movie series “Krishna” for Green Gold Animation (GGA) back in India.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m originally from the city of Hyderabad in India. I grew up in Dubai (UAE) and went to high school in Canada. I got in to animation at the age of 22, without a college degree of any kind (some ten years ago), after randomly Continue reading