The 40th Annual Annie Awards, which honor the highest achievements in the animation industry, recently announced this year’s nominees—with more than a dozen CalArtians on the short list.
Two animators, Tahnee Gehm (Film/Video BFA 12) and Jessica Poon (Film/Video BFA 13), were both nominated in the new category Best Student Film. Origin (posted above) is Poon’s second-year film, which was featured in the CalArts Producers’ Show 2011. Gehm’s Can We Be Happy Now (posted below) was the recent graduate’s final film at CalArts.
Out of the eight films nominated for the top film prize, Best Animated Feature, half were directed by CalArtians: Mark Andrews (Film/Video BFA 93), Brenda Chapman (Film/Video BFA 87) along with Steve Purcell directed Brave; Tim Burton (Film/Video 79) directed Frankenweenie; Genndy Tartakovsky (Film/Video 92) directed Hotel Transylvania and Rich Moore (Film/Video BFA 87) directed Wreck-It Ralph.
In the Best Animated Television Production For Children category, two shows were created by CalArts alumni: Adventure Time by Pendelton Ward (Film/Video BFA 05) and SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg (Film/Video MFA 92).
The ceremony takes place on Feb. 2, 2013, at 7 pm at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles. Tickets to the ceremony ($30-$300) are available for purchase through the UCLA Central Ticket Office or Ticketmaster.
The CalArtian nominees, by category:
Best Student Film
- Can We Be Happy Now – Tahnee Gehm (Film/Video BFA 12)
- Origin – Jessica Poon (Film/Video BFA 13)
Best Animated Feature
- Brave — Disney
- Frankenweenie – Disney
- Hotel Transylvania — Sony Animation
- Wreck-It Ralph — Disney
Best Animated Television Production For Children
- Adventure Time: Princess Cookie – Cartoon Network Studios
- SpongeBob SquarePants: It’s a SpongeBob Christmas! – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
- Andy Suriano (faculty), DC Nation-Plastic Man: The Many and the Fowl – Big Hair Productions, Inc.
- “C” Raggio IV (Film/Video BFA 04), Kick Buttowski: Petrified – Disney TV Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
- Lorelay Bove (Film/Video BFA 07), Minkyu Lee (Film/Video MFA 11, Film/Video BFA 09), along with Bill Schwab, Cory Loftis, Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Heidi Smith (Film/Video BFA 08), ParaNorman – Focus Features
- Yarrow Cheney (Film/Video 95), along with Eric Guillon, Colin Stimpson, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – Illumination Entertainment
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
- Genndy Tartakovsky (Film/Video 92), Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
- Rich Moore (Film/Video BFA 87), Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
- Ian Worrel (Film/Video BFA 08), Gravity Falls: Tourist Trapped – Disney TV Animation
Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
- Cole Sanchez (Film/Video BFA 09) along with Rebecca Sugar, Adventure Time: Lady & Peebles – Cartoon Network Studios
- Skyler Page (Film/Video 11) along with Tom Herpich, Adventure Time: Goliad – Cartoon Network Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
- Leo Matsuda (Film/Video BFA 08), Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Lissa Treiman (Film/Video BFA 07), Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
- Tom McGrath (Film/Video BFA 90) as Skipper, Penguins of Madagascar: The Otter Woman – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Writing in an Animated Feature Production
- Mark Andrews (Film/Video BFA 93), Brenda Chapman (Film/Video BFA 87) along with Steve Purcell, Irene Mecchi, Brave – Pixar Animation Studios