Kris Pearn

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Kris Pearn, and I’m currently directing an Animated Feature… but mostly I’m still a happy storyboard artist/ scribble monkey.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I grew up on a hobby farm, so there was lots of lawn mowing, wood harvesting, hay bailing, corn detasseling, urine soaked hay shoveling and the occasional outbreak of goat castration. I wasn’t good at any of it. After that I got a gig pumping gas at Lambeth Olco. I didn’t mind that so much… got to learn about cars and read a lot of Stephen King. Also paid my way through college until I got my first Animation job. Never looked back.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I was very proud to be a part of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. It was a cartoon and I love cartoons. It’s rare in Feature Animation to get to work on a “cartoon”. Before that, I had fun on Surf’s Up (for the 8 people that saw it), and I still remember my first feature story gig on Open Season with fondness. I loved working for Aardman… couple of movies coming out soon, Arthur Christmas, and The Pirates!… can’t say too much about them until they’re released. I’ve enjoyed a lot of TV shows and Commercials too… I try Continue reading

Jay Shultz

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