Towards Independent Animation
Computer animation is infinitely flexible, but feature film audiences rarely see anything but hundred million dollar cartoons. Does it have to be that way? This presentation will explore the factors that have led to almost two decades of computer animated feature film homogeneity and will highlight some recent technological innovations that will hopefully break the tradition.
Chris Perry is an associate professor of Media Arts and Sciences at Hampshire College and an award-winning writer, director, and producer with over 20 years of experience in animation. Perry is also the founder of Bit Films, an animation studio in western Massachusetts that for over a decade has nurtured independent animators seeking to expand the range of stories told with computer animation. Before coming to the east coast, Perry worked as a programmer and generalist technical director at both Rhythm & Hues Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. Perry holds an M.S. degree from the MIT Media Laboratory and an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014.