Annie Awards Program Book

24
Production design in an
Animated Feature Production
christopher Appelhaus – Coraline – laika
Chris Appelhans moved from a small town in Idaho to the metropolis of Los Angeles to
attend Art Center College of Design, where he majored in illustration. He has since helped
design for such films such as Monster House, City of Ember and three of this year’s Annienominated
films: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Princess and the Frog. He also does
gallery work and children’s book illustration. His favorite things are soccer and cheese.
ian gooding – The Princess and the Frog – walt disney Animation studios
Ian Gooding joined Disney Animation in 1990 as an Effects Animator on The Prince and
the Pauper. He went on to work in Visual Development and Background Keys on Aladdin,
Hercules, Mulan and Dinosaur before making his debut as Art Director on Chicken Little. Ian
was Art Director for The Princess and The Frog, which marks the studio’s much-anticipated
return to the warmth and richness of hand-drawn animation.
tadahiro uesugi – Coraline – laika
Tadahiro Uesugi is a world-renowned illustrator and animator. Based in his native Japan,
Mr. Uesugi creates intuitive drawings of landscapes, characters, and urban scenery with
innovative uses of color and texture. Mr. Uesugi is an active participant in the fundraising
exhibitions and auctions to support the national trust Totoro Forest Foundation
championed by filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The Totoro Forest Project features original
works from acclaimed artists in animation, comic books, and illustration.
christopher vacher – 9 – 9 l.l.c.
A native of France, Christophe Vacher has provided backgrounds, visual development, art
direction and production design art for such studios as Disney, DreamWorks, Universal
Studios and Focus Features since 1989. His credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Runaway Brain, Hercules, Tarzan, Dinosaur, the Stravinsky Firebird finale for Fantasia 2000,
Treasure Planet, Shark Tale, Enchanted and 9.
37th Annual Annie AwArds