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Schneider Is New Disney Prez.
Peter Schneider was named to the new position of president of The Walt Disney
Studios; the announcement coming just one day after Disney CEO Michael Eisner
said the company needed to perform better with Disney-branded live-action
movies. Schneider, who has been with the company since 1985, had previously
been president of Walt Disney Theatrical Productions and Walt Disney Feature
Animation, where his leadership resulted in such blockbuster films as Aladdin,
Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan, Toy Story
and A Bug's Life. Schneider will report directly to Joe Roth, chairman
of Disney's recently consolidated studio operation. Schneider will be responsible
for recreating the success with Walt Disney Pictures' live-action movies as
he achieved with Disney's blockbuster animated features.
Schumacher Heads Disney Feature And Theatrical. Thomas Schumacher has
been promoted to president of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney
Theatrical Productions replacing Peter Schneider, who was promoted from this
role to the president of The Walt Disney Studios. Joe Roth, Disney chairman,
stated, "Tom, who has long collaborated with Peter in running our animation
and theatrical units, is the perfect choice to replace Peter as president
of Feature Animation. We are fortunate to have someone so talented and creative
to assume Peter's former duties." Schumacher has been with the company
since 1988 when he came on board to produce The Rescuers Down Under
and executive produce The Lion King. Since then, he has been executive
vice president and has been in charge of supervising the development and production
of all animated features including Mulan, Hercules, Toy Story,
and Pocahontas. He will also share duties as co-president of Walt Disney
Theatrical Productions, the division responsible for Broadway's The Lion
King musical, with Peter Schneider. Schumacher was responsible for presenting
the American premiere of the popular Canadian stage show Cirque du Soleil
during the 1987 Los Angeles Festival.
Musical Chairs. Animator and director Julia Tortolani has joined
Wild Brain's creative roster of commercial directors. She joins the
company from Radical Media in New York City where she directed commercials
for Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Ford and Hardee's. Her longer format animation work
includes a 55-minute animated program installed with a synchronized light
show at Universal Studio's Marvel Mania Theme Restaurant in Hollywood. Regarding
her move to Wild Brain, Tortolani said, "I'm really excited about the
opportunities at Wild Brain. I've always tried to push the limits of animation
as far as a client will allow, which often leads to quite original-looking
designs and the invention of new techniques.". . . Columbia TrisStar
Television Children's Programming (CTTCP) has appointed Michael T.
Helfand to Vice President, Business Affairs where he will be responsible
for CTTCP's full range of business affairs negotiations for pilots and series.
Helfand joins Columbia TriStar from DIC Entertainment where he was Head of
the Legal and Business Affairs Department. . . . Technical animation specialist
Brandon Davis has joined the animation and visual effects team at Computer
Café. Davis, whose experience spans interactive games, corporate
media and television, has expertise in water, smoke, light and other particle
effects simulating physical processes, as well as authoring programs to perform
these functions. He first freelanced with Computer Café when the company
called on his assistance in creating visual effects for the motion picture
Armageddon.. . . Kris Greengrove has been named to head the
cel animation department at Curious Pictures. She has been freelancing
with the Curious team since February `97 producing commercials and short episodes
of Curious director Mo Willems' The Off-Beats, including an upcoming
half-hour special airing in February, An Off-Beats Valentine's Special.
Prior to Curious, Greengrove worked with The Ink Tank on sniz and fondue,
13 five-minute animated shorts for Kablam! and produced the video Victor
Borge Tells Hans Christian Anderson Stories. "We need a really experienced
producer to lead our cel animation efforts," stated Curious exec producer
David Starr. "We knew Kris was the best cel animation producer in New
York and we wanted to make sure she would be part of our production efforts."
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
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