Shane Acker
Encyclopedia
Shane Acker is an American
film-maker known for directing 9, which is based on his 2005 Academy Award-nominated film, 9. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles
.
.
Acker originally set a goal of becoming an architect; he earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Florida
in 1994 as well as a masters degree from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
.
Upon graduating in 1999, he decided to become a film-maker and went to study at UCLA's Animation Workshop. There he created The Hangnail
, The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade
, and 9.
In 2005 he wrote, directed, and co-animated the award-winning animated short film 9, which won a student award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and was shown at SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater
. Tim Burton
saw Acker's short film, and together along with producer Timur Bekmambetov
(director of Wanted and the Night Watch
series), made the feature film with Attitude Studios in Luxembourg
and Starz Animation
in Toronto
.
He was also a visiting professor at Loyola Marymount University
.
Acker is currently “Artist in Residence” at Gnomon School of Visual Effects, a provider of online tutorials for visual effects artists. He has been working at Gnomon on a short film Plus Minus, due for release in late 2011.
Acker was recently chosen to direct a new live-action adaptation of the children's book and TV series, Thomas & Friends. He will be working from a script by Chris Viscardi
, Will McRobb
and Josh Klausner. Weta Digital
will design the film's visual effects. It is expected to be released in 2014.
, Don Hertzfeldt
, Jan Švankmajer
, and brothers Wolfgang
and Christoph Lauenstein
as inspirations. His other influences are John Kricfalusi
, Tex Avery
, Tim Burton
, John Lasseter
, and Brad Bird
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film-maker known for directing 9, which is based on his 2005 Academy Award-nominated film, 9. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Background
As a child Acker was hyperactive, so his parents encouraged him to draw and read. He often read books by Brian FroudBrian Froud
Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...
.
Acker originally set a goal of becoming an architect; he earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1994 as well as a masters degree from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture is a professional school at the University of California, Los Angeles. The school plays a vital role in the cultural and artistic life of the campus and the community. Through the six degree-granting departments, it provides a full range of course...
.
Upon graduating in 1999, he decided to become a film-maker and went to study at UCLA's Animation Workshop. There he created The Hangnail
The Hangnail
The Hangnail is a 1999 animated short film made by Shane Acker for Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. To date, it is Acker's only traditionally animated film. The short was distributed worldwide by AtomFilms.- Plot :...
, The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade
The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade
The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade is a 2003 computer animated short film by Shane Acker.- Plot :The film's protagonist is the star of a vaudeville style juggling act. During his performance, Mr. Grenade accidentally removes his pull-ring, but is unaware of this until he drops one of the actual...
, and 9.
In 2005 he wrote, directed, and co-animated the award-winning animated short film 9, which won a student award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and was shown at SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
. Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
saw Acker's short film, and together along with producer Timur Bekmambetov
Timur Bekmambetov
Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov is a Kazakh-born director, producer and screenwriter who has worked on films and commercials. He is mostly popular for the Russian film Night Watch and its sequel Day Watch , and the American film Wanted .-Early life:Bekmambetov was born on June 25, 1961 in the...
(director of Wanted and the Night Watch
Night Watch (2004 film)
Night Watch is a 2004 Russian supernatural thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It is loosely based on the novel The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Day Watch and ending supposedly with Twilight Watch .-Plot:In the prologue, which...
series), made the feature film with Attitude Studios in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and Starz Animation
Starz Animation
Arc Productions, formerly known as Starz Animation Toronto, is a Canadian animation and visual effects studio based in Toronto, Ontario. It is majority owned by a Canadian investor group, with former owner Starz Media as a minority stakeholder...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
He was also a visiting professor at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
.
Acker is currently “Artist in Residence” at Gnomon School of Visual Effects, a provider of online tutorials for visual effects artists. He has been working at Gnomon on a short film Plus Minus, due for release in late 2011.
Acker was recently chosen to direct a new live-action adaptation of the children's book and TV series, Thomas & Friends. He will be working from a script by Chris Viscardi
Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi
William McRobb and Chris Viscardi are American writers of television and film. They are perhaps best known for their television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which aired on Nickelodeon from 1993 to 1996.-Television:-Films:...
, Will McRobb
Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi
William McRobb and Chris Viscardi are American writers of television and film. They are perhaps best known for their television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which aired on Nickelodeon from 1993 to 1996.-Television:-Films:...
and Josh Klausner. Weta Digital
Weta Digital
Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was...
will design the film's visual effects. It is expected to be released in 2014.
Influences
Shane Acker has cited The Brothers QuayBrothers Quay
Stephen and Timothy Quay are American identical twin brothers better known as the Brothers Quay or Quay Brothers. They are influential stop-motion animators...
, Don Hertzfeldt
Don Hertzfeldt
Don Hertzfeldt is the creator of many short animated films, including the Academy-Award nominated Rejected and Everything Will Be OK. His animated films have received over 150 awards and have been presented around the world. Before the age of thirty, his films were already the subject of several...
, Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer
Jan Švankmajer is a Czech filmmaker and artist whose work spans several media. He is a self-labeled surrealist known for his surreal animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, the Brothers Quay, and many others.- Life and career :Jan...
, and brothers Wolfgang
Wolfgang Lauenstein
Wolfgang Lauenstein is a German film producer and animator.Lauenstein entered the School of Fine Arts in Hamburg, Germany in 1985. While enrolled at the school Lauenstein, together with his twin brother Christoph, created the animated short film Balance. It received an Academy Award in the...
and Christoph Lauenstein
Christoph Lauenstein
Christoph Lauenstein is a German Producer and animator.Lauenstein entered the School of Fine Arts in Kassel, Germany in 1985. While enrolled at the school Lauenstein, together with his twin brother Wolfgang, created the animated short film Balance. It received an Academy Award in the animated...
as inspirations. His other influences are John Kricfalusi
John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
, Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
, Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
, John Lasseter
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....
, and Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
.
Feature films
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings... |
|||
| 2009 | 9 | |||
| 2014 | Untitled Thomas and Friends Film Project |
Short films
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Hangnail The Hangnail The Hangnail is a 1999 animated short film made by Shane Acker for Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. To date, it is Acker's only traditionally animated film. The short was distributed worldwide by AtomFilms.- Plot :... |
|||
| 2003 | The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade The Astounding Talent of Mr. Grenade is a 2003 computer animated short film by Shane Acker.- Plot :The film's protagonist is the star of a vaudeville style juggling act. During his performance, Mr. Grenade accidentally removes his pull-ring, but is unaware of this until he drops one of the actual... |
|||
| 2005 | 9 | |||
| 2009 | A Jake and a Tom | |||
| TBA | Plus Minus |