John Wayne Stevenson
Encyclopedia
John Stevenson is an animation filmmaker and puppeteer best known for directing the 2008 animated feature film, Kung Fu Panda
with Mark Osborne
. Stevenson has over 30 years of experence with animation, a veteran of DreamWorks
PDI
who got his start in the entertainment industry via Jim Henson
's The Muppet Show
.
He worked as a story artist on the feature films "The Great Muppet Caper", "The Dark Crystal', "Labyrinth" and "Little Shop of Horrors" and as a character designer and story artist on shows like The Dreamstone
, Count Duckula
, and FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue
. He also worked as puppeteer
on James & the Giant Peach
and Motion Capture Performer on The Moxy Pirate Show. Stevenson worked for many years in the art department on many films at DreamWorks Animation
such as "Shrek", "Shrek 2", "Madagascar" and "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" before helming a number of episodes of their animated primetime show Father of the Pride
. He worked for four years bringing Kung Fu Panda
to the screen.
In 2009 Stevenson was nominated for an Academy Award with Mark Osborne for best Animated Feature for "Kung Fu Panda" and won the Annie with Osborne for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production.
He was originally set to work as director for an upcoming film based on the character created by Mattel
, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
.
He is currently working on projects like The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, We3
, "Alien Rock Band" and "Rotten Island".
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
with Mark Osborne
Mark Osborne
Mark Anatole Osborne is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. Osborne played in the NHL primarily as a checking winger between 1981 and 1995. Osborne played in 919 games, tallying 212 goals and 531 points....
. Stevenson has over 30 years of experence with animation, a veteran of DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
PDI
Pacific Data Images
Pacific Data Images is a computer animation production company that was bought by DreamWorks SKG. The company is now known as PDI/DreamWorks and is half of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., the public company formed by merging PDI and the feature animation division of DreamWorks.-History:PDI was...
who got his start in the entertainment industry via Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
He worked as a story artist on the feature films "The Great Muppet Caper", "The Dark Crystal', "Labyrinth" and "Little Shop of Horrors" and as a character designer and story artist on shows like The Dreamstone
The Dreamstone
The Dreamstone is a British animated television series that ran for 4 series of 13 episodes each between 1990 and 1995. The original concept and artwork were created by Michael Jupp. The series was animated by the FilmFair animation studio as a Central production for ITV...
, Count Duckula
Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
, and FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue
FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue
FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue is a 1998 animated film, a direct-to-video sequel to FernGully: The Last Rainforest . It was directed by Phil Robinson & Dave Marshall and written by Chris Fink and Richard Tulloch....
. He also worked as puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
on James & the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach (film)
James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation....
and Motion Capture Performer on The Moxy Pirate Show. Stevenson worked for many years in the art department on many films at DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
such as "Shrek", "Shrek 2", "Madagascar" and "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" before helming a number of episodes of their animated primetime show Father of the Pride
Father of the Pride
Father of the Pride is an American animated television series that began broadcasting on NBC on August 31, 2004 and was part of a short-lived trend of CGI series in prime-time network TV .-Overview:...
. He worked for four years bringing Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
to the screen.
In 2009 Stevenson was nominated for an Academy Award with Mark Osborne for best Animated Feature for "Kung Fu Panda" and won the Annie with Osborne for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production.
He was originally set to work as director for an upcoming film based on the character created by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
.
He is currently working on projects like The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, We3
We3
We3 is a three-issue American comic book mini-series by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, who describe its kinetic style as "Western Manga". It was published in 2004 by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, with a trade paperback released in 2005....
, "Alien Rock Band" and "Rotten Island".
External links
- John Stevenson at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...