Former LAIKA development exec to produce stop-motion JJ Villard series, a children’s series based on the hit selling DIY toy Woolbuddy, and two untitled stopmo and 2D cel animation features.
Producer Trever Stewart has signed a two-year production deal with Bent Image Lab, bringing his slate of animated fare to the Portland, Oregon-based studio. First up is an original stop-motion series by JJ Villard (Adult Swim’s King Star King) and a children’s series based on the hit selling DIY toy Woolbuddy with Emmy-nominated writer Allan Neuwirth scripting. Director Rob Shaw will oversee both titles. Also in the works are two untitled animated features, one slated for stop-motion with Chel White attached to direct and the other using traditional cel animation. Slate funding is a mixture of traditional and private money from Stewart Group PDX, LLC.
Trever Stewart
Stewart most recently served as producer for Burbank-based animation studio Starburns Industries where he produced several animated projects for Universal Cable Productions, Disney, Sony, and served as the production executive on Charlie Kaufman’s feature animated film Anomalisa. Previously, Stewart spent three years as a development executive for LAIKA Entertainment.
"The Pacific Northwest is one of the best kept animation secrets in the world and Bent Image Lab’s long history of multi-technique animation keeps my Stop-Motion, Cel and CG projects under the same roof," says Stewart.
Bent Image Lab was established in 2002 by executive producer Ray DiCarlo and directors Chel While & David Daniels creating commercials, television specials and VFX for feature films. Over the years Bent has grown into a production powerhouse with multiple shooting stages, a full art and fabrication department, an award-winning CG and 2D department, and complete post-production services for editing and color correction.
Source: Bent Image Lab
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
