San Francisco-based animation studio Wild Brain has hired Dan Rounds as producer/head of development. He will lead the feature development efforts in acquiring and developing the companys first 3D-animated feature. (OPUS, the proposed BLOOM COUNTY 3D-animated spinoff about the wisecracking penguin, was not given the green light once Miramax split from Disney.)
Rounds was a former producer and creative exec of Lucasfilm Animation. Prior to that he was a production exec and producer at Walt Disney Pictures, Features and Television Animation for 11 years. His responsibilities and achievements included scheduling, budgeting, staffing and casting a number of international crews for the production of numerous animated projects, including many theme park related projects. MICKEY 3D, PRINCE & THE PAUPER, THE GOOFY MOVIE and RETURN TO NEVER LAND.
Were thrilled to have someone of Dans stature to lead us into the next phase of our CG film endeavors, said Jeff Fino, co-founder/exec producer, Wild Brain. Hes a perfect fit for Wild Brain.
I wanted to be a part of a creative group that made entertaining animated films that have an edge and a directors point of view, said Rounds. The quality and innovation of work is what attracted me to Wild Brain.
A native of Minnesota, Rounds studied at the University of Minnesota, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Instituto Allende and Belles Artes Plasticas in Guanajuato, Mexico. Dans career began in Minneapolis where he founded Reelworks Inc. and acted as exec producer, director and principal of the company. In addition, he functioned in a number of various creative roles, including director, animator, art director and editor on more than 300+ cel, computer and vfx productions.
Wild Brain Inc. (www.wildbrain.com) is an award-winning animation studio that develops and produces content for the global film, TV and commercials markets. Founded in 1994 by senior business and creative leaders Jeff Fino, John Hays and Phil Robinson, Wild Brain's client list includes Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Oxygen. Wild Brain is also a top U.S. producer in the animated commercials sector, with a client list that includes Nike, Coca-Cola, Ford, Nabisco, Sony, McDonald's, Target, Nestle, The Wall Street Journal, Chevrolet, Mattel and Levi Strauss.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
