Andy Knight
Encyclopedia
Andrew D. Knight was a Canadian animator
, film and television director
, and creator of Ned's Newt
and the Jetix series Get Ed
.
, the son of Geoffrey and Betty Knight, and has two older siblings, Fiona Knight-Gagné and Peter Knight.
Knight's entry into the animation industry was with the Gaumont Film Company
in Paris
. During his time in France he worked on a number of film and television projects, including the Inspector Gadget
series. In 1989 he moved to London
, as Creative Director of the Passion Pictures
studio. In 1992 he and his wife, Linzi, struck out on their own, founding Red Rover Studios in London. In 1996 they were persuaded to open the Disney Canada studio in Toronto
, to which they agreed on condition that The Walt Disney Company
finance the move of Red Rover to Toronto, as well.
Over the years, among a large body of work, he contributed to three Asterix
films as a storyboard
artist and supervisor, was animation director for the 2000 DreamWorks
production Joseph: King of Dreams
, directed the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
, and was the writer and director of the BAFTA
- and Annie Award
-nominated 2003 short Plumber. In addition, he created, wrote, animated and directed many award-winning commercial and television projects, including the Ned's Newt
and Get Ed
series.
He died of a stroke on April 11, 2008.
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
, film and television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, and creator of Ned's Newt
Ned's Newt
Ned's Newt is a Canadian/German cartoon series produced by Nelvana and TMO Film GmbH. The program aired from 1993 to 1996 in Germany, and on Teletoon from 1997 to 1998 in Canada. In the United States, the program aired on Fox Kids from 1998 to 1999, and was later rerun on Fox Family Channel...
and the Jetix series Get Ed
Get Ed
Get Ed is an American computer-animated television series which debuted in 2005 that aired as a part of the Jetix programming block on the United States cable television network Toon Disney until the channel closed in 2009, and also used to run on the ABC Family channel before they switched over to...
.
Life and career
Andy Knight was born in Pembroke, OntarioPembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
, the son of Geoffrey and Betty Knight, and has two older siblings, Fiona Knight-Gagné and Peter Knight.
Knight's entry into the animation industry was with the Gaumont Film Company
Gaumont Film Company
Gaumont Film Company is a French film production company founded in 1895 by the engineer-turned-inventor, Léon Gaumont . Gaumont is the oldest continously operating film company in the world....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. During his time in France he worked on a number of film and television projects, including the Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
series. In 1989 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, as Creative Director of the Passion Pictures
Passion Pictures
Passion Pictures is a film and animation production company based in Rathbone Place, off Oxford Street in London's West End. They have been responsible for much of the production of the visual element of the animated rock band Gorillaz....
studio. In 1992 he and his wife, Linzi, struck out on their own, founding Red Rover Studios in London. In 1996 they were persuaded to open the Disney Canada studio in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, to which they agreed on condition that The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
finance the move of Red Rover to Toronto, as well.
Over the years, among a large body of work, he contributed to three Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
films as a storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
artist and supervisor, was animation director for the 2000 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...
production Joseph: King of Dreams
Joseph: King of Dreams
Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 American animated musical film and the first direct-to-video release from DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt.- Plot :Joseph is...
, directed the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Beauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a 1997 animated holiday special produced by The Walt Disney Company. It is a midquel that takes place within the timeline of the original Beauty and the Beast...
, and was the writer and director of the BAFTA
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
- and Annie Award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
-nominated 2003 short Plumber. In addition, he created, wrote, animated and directed many award-winning commercial and television projects, including the Ned's Newt
Ned's Newt
Ned's Newt is a Canadian/German cartoon series produced by Nelvana and TMO Film GmbH. The program aired from 1993 to 1996 in Germany, and on Teletoon from 1997 to 1998 in Canada. In the United States, the program aired on Fox Kids from 1998 to 1999, and was later rerun on Fox Family Channel...
and Get Ed
Get Ed
Get Ed is an American computer-animated television series which debuted in 2005 that aired as a part of the Jetix programming block on the United States cable television network Toon Disney until the channel closed in 2009, and also used to run on the ABC Family channel before they switched over to...
series.
He died of a stroke on April 11, 2008.