IDT Entertainment has appointed Janet Healy to the newly created position of president of animation production. In her new post, Healy will oversee all budgets, staff and production schedules for all IDT Entertainment animation projects. In addition, she will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan that will maximize the production effectiveness of all the IDT Entertainment animation studios.
Healy served as head of digital production for DreamWorks Animation and was a producer on the animated film, SHARK TALE. She held the same post at Walt Disney Feature Animation before moving over to DreamWorks.
At DreamWorks Animation, Healy oversaw the digital and computer graphics process for SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON. Following the release of that film, she was instrumental in the transformation of DreamWorks' 2D animation facility in Glendale, California, into a state-of-the-art 3D animation studio.
Janet Healy is among the leaders of the animation revolution reshaping the entertainment industry, said Jim Courter IDTs ceo. She is the ideal person to organize and guide IDTs animation projects during an exciting period when we debut numerous television, film and DVD productions. Janet has high-level experience in both 2D and 3D animation and has worked closely with animations top innovators and best companies.
IDT Ent. (www.idtentertainment.com) is a vertically integrated entertainment concern focused on developing, acquiring, producing and distributing computer-generated and traditionally animated productions and other productions for the film, broadcast and direct-to-consumer markets. IDT owns Film Roman (now DPS Film Roman), DKP Effects, Manga Ent., Anchor Bay Ent. Group, a controlling interest in Mainframe Ent. Inc. plus a minority equity interest in Vanguard Animation Llc. and Stan Lees POW! Ent.
Prior to joining DreamWorks in 1999, Healy was Disneys head of digital production. She oversaw the computer graphics work on such major animated films as MULAN, TARZAN, FANTASIA 2000 and DINOSAUR. Additionally, she played a key role in setting up the Northside Digital Studio for Walt Disney Feature Animation.
Previously, Healy was a key executive at Industrial Light & Magic, first serving as co-head of production and later became ILM's senior visual effects producer. In that capacity, she oversaw the visual effects and animation on more than a dozen projects, including such digitally groundbreaking films as WILLOW, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, JURASSIC PARK and CASPER.
Prior to her tenure at ILM, Healy worked on live-action feature films with movie directors, including Sam Peckinpah, Stanley Kramer and Hal Ashby. She also worked with Steven Spielberg on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, and subsequently served as an associate producer on the film, 1941.
Recently, IDT Ent. entered into a multi-faceted development, production and distribution agreement with Todd McFarlane Productions (TMP) to produce animated programming and merchandise based on SPAWN and other TMP original intellectual properties. IDT has also entered into a joint venture with the Christian Broadcasting Network to develop and distribute family-friendly programming.
IDT Entertainment is a subsidiary of IDT Corp. (www.idt.com), an international telecom, entertainment and technology company.
