Not many filmmakers kick off their careers with an Academy Award. Few animation Directors go on to breathe life into so many characters that become living icons of animation. And few have created so many milestones in 3D animation having launched the careers of the California Raisins, the Noid, Dinosaurs “Herb & Rex,” M&M’s “Red & Yellow” and The PJs’ Thurgood Stubbs. Will Vinton has done just that – all while founding and growing one of the most respected, creative, dimensional character animation studios in history, Will Vinton Studios.
Will grew up in the town of McMinnville, Oregon. In the early ‘70s, he enrolled at the University of California in Berkeley to pursue studies in physics, architecture and filmmaking. Fascinated by the fluid designs created in clay similar to the work of Spanish sculptural architect Antoni Gaudi, Will began experimenting with clay animation. After graduating with a degree in architecture, he entered the world of film production, working… read more
Not many filmmakers kick off their careers with an Academy Award. Few animation Directors go on to breathe life into so many characters that become living icons of animation. And few have created so many milestones in 3D animation having launched the careers of the California Raisins, the Noid, Dinosaurs “Herb & Rex,” M&M’s “Red & Yellow” and The PJs’ Thurgood Stubbs. Will Vinton has done just that – all while founding and growing one of the most respected, creative, dimensional character animation studios in history, Will Vinton Studios.
Will grew up in the town of McMinnville, Oregon. In the early ‘70s, he enrolled at the University of California in Berkeley to pursue studies in physics, architecture and filmmaking. Fascinated by the fluid designs created in clay similar to the work of Spanish sculptural architect Antoni Gaudi, Will began experimenting with clay animation. After graduating with a degree in architecture, he entered the world of film production, working primarily as a director but also as a writer, cinematographer and editor on a variety of personal and commercial entertainment projects. His experimental feature, GONE FOR A BETTER DEAL, captured the essence of the “counter-culture” and became a key source of footage for other productions including BERKELEY IN THE 60’s.
In 1975, Will won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film for CLOSED MONDAYS, a clay animated short he co-created with Bob Gardiner. After this auspicious beginning in animation he coined the term Claymation® to describe his unique process of animating with plasticene clay, and registered the word as a trademark. He founded Will Vinton Productions (which later became known as Will Vinton Studios) to explore the potential of Claymation and dimensional animation. He has also been a successful Creative Director nurturing other Directors in animation.
Will directed and produced the world’s first all Claymation feature film, the critically acclaimed ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN. Soon after, he directed the first three California Raisin commercials that launched a legendary series of hip commercials, entertainment, merchandising, and a CBS Saturday morning TV series, THE CALIFORNIA RAINSIN SHOW. And his theatrical feature, FESTIVAL OF CLAYMATION, a compilation of his early short films has been an enduring hit at college campuses everywhere.
As a Director and Producer of 3D animation, Will Vinton has won virtually every film and television award given a filmmaker – several hundred in total. In addition to his Oscar, he has received four additional Academy Award Nominations (THE GREAT COGNITO, THE CREATION, RIP VAN WINKLE, and RETURN TO OZ) – and numerous Emmys and Emmy nominations for Outstanding Primetime Animated programs (THE PJs, GARY AND MIKE, THE CALIFORNIA RAINSIN SHOW, WILL VINTON’S CLAYMATION EASTER, THE CLAYMATION COMEDY OF HORRORS, MEET THE RAISINS, WILL VINTON’S CLAYMATION CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, THE ONLINE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE THE ELF). Will has also received numerous Clios and international advertising awards for Directing animated commercials. —willvinaton.net
