Elanna allen
Encyclopedia
Elanna Nicole Allen is a creator and director of animated content for television, and an author/illustrator. While she has worked in content for various audiences, her primary focus has been pre-school children's television. In 2011, she released her first children's book, Itsy Mitsy Runs Away.
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before going on to Cambridge School of Weston and studying fine arts at Brown University
. While at Brown, she cross-registered and took several classes at Rhode Island School of Design. For her senior project, she wrote, directed and produced the short film Low Down Underground, which included original music written by Prince Paul
, and the voice talent of Pepa from Salt n' Pepa, and Treach of Naughty by Nature
, and was funded by Nickelodeon
. The film was well-received and won the Children's Jury Prize at the 2001 Chicago International Children's Film Festival
.
as a character animator on the popular claymation show Celebrity Deathmatch
. She subsequently animated on Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!
and worked as a character designer on a variety of projects, including co-creating the Nickelodeon host character Piper O'Possum in 2004.
In 2006, Nickelodeon's Nick Jr.
group greenlit Bing Can Sing, a short film created and directed by Allen. The short was well-received and won a prize at San Francisco Film Festival ; Allen was represented by Curious Pictures
to follow up with Pass the Pinha, featuring the same blue chick. Nick Jr. ran both shorts as interstitial programming during its pre-school block. Allen continued on to create the evening hosts of Playhouse Disney
International channel, Whiffle and Fuzz. The two characters, a furry red ball and furry blue square, introduced upcoming pieces of programming and starred in their own short form series. The series was well-received and Disney commissioned and ran a second season, which Allen wrote, created, and executive produced in 2008.
In 2009 Allen moved to London, England. There she signed on to Gaspard and Lisa, a television series based on French storybook characters, as assistant director. The series wrapped production in late 2010.
. The book, about a little girl who announces her intention to run away rather than go to bed, received highly favorable advance reviews from the trade.
Childhood and Education
Born in Chicago, Elanna was raised in Newton, Massachusetts. She attended Shady Hill SchoolShady Hill School
Shady Hill School is an independent, co-educational day school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1915, Shady Hill serves students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. The school has an enrollment of approximately 500 students.Current Shady Hill Head of School Mark Stanek became the...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before going on to Cambridge School of Weston and studying fine arts at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. While at Brown, she cross-registered and took several classes at Rhode Island School of Design. For her senior project, she wrote, directed and produced the short film Low Down Underground, which included original music written by Prince Paul
Prince Paul
Paul Huston, better known by the stage name Prince Paul, is an American disc jockey and hip-hop record producer. He was also a founding member of the Gravediggaz where he used the name The Undertaker.- Biography :...
, and the voice talent of Pepa from Salt n' Pepa, and Treach of Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
, and was funded by Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. The film was well-received and won the Children's Jury Prize at the 2001 Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Founded in 1975, Facets Multi-Media, located at 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, 60614 Facets Multi-Media is the largest conservator dedicated to the exhibition, distribution & education of foreign, independent & classic cinema...
.
Television career
After college, Allen worked at MTV AnimationMTV Animation
MTV Animation is the animation department of the television network MTV. It was created in the late 1980s were it made several of the animated shorts that aired as bumpers for the network. It is often grouped with its Nickelodeon Animation Studios but they are completely separate departments...
as a character animator on the popular claymation show Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries...
. She subsequently animated on Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends...
and worked as a character designer on a variety of projects, including co-creating the Nickelodeon host character Piper O'Possum in 2004.
In 2006, Nickelodeon's Nick Jr.
Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. was a programming block on the Nickelodeon television channel, seen on Nickelodeon weekday mornings. It was aimed at a preschool-age audience ages 6 and under. On September 28, 2009, Nick Jr. became its own official channel, replacing Noggin...
group greenlit Bing Can Sing, a short film created and directed by Allen. The short was well-received and won a prize at San Francisco Film Festival ; Allen was represented by Curious Pictures
Curious Pictures
Curious Pictures is an American animation studio and multi-media company set in New York City and Santa Monica that creates and produces television programs, commercials, animation and videogames for audiences worldwide....
to follow up with Pass the Pinha, featuring the same blue chick. Nick Jr. ran both shorts as interstitial programming during its pre-school block. Allen continued on to create the evening hosts of Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
International channel, Whiffle and Fuzz. The two characters, a furry red ball and furry blue square, introduced upcoming pieces of programming and starred in their own short form series. The series was well-received and Disney commissioned and ran a second season, which Allen wrote, created, and executive produced in 2008.
In 2009 Allen moved to London, England. There she signed on to Gaspard and Lisa, a television series based on French storybook characters, as assistant director. The series wrapped production in late 2010.
First Book
In spring 2011 Allen released her first children's book, Itsy Mitsy Runs Away, through Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. The book, about a little girl who announces her intention to run away rather than go to bed, received highly favorable advance reviews from the trade.