Shawn Kelly
Encyclopedia
Shawn Kelly is an animator of movies and was a co-founder of the company Animation Mentor
, an online animation school with student/mentor relationships at its core.
, Calif., and raised in Petaluma, Kelly set his sights on working at Industrial Light and Magic
(ILM) at age five when the movie Star Wars hit the big screen. Under the tutelage of animators Bill Hennes and John Root, he studied drawing
and computer software
throughout high school, attended community college, and Academy of Art University
in San Francisco.
A summer internship at ILM introduced Kelly to another influential mentor, animation director Wayne Gilbert. It was through Gilbert that Kelly realized that he wasn’t learning what he needed at school. Kelly left the academy in 1996 for a job as a character animator at former video game and educational company Presage Software, but continued his studies with Gilbert twice a week.
In 1998, Kelly fulfilled his lifelong dream and landed a job at ILM
. Since that time, he has worked on numerous films including The Day After Tomorrow
, where he was on the team that animated the wolves; War of the Worlds
, for which he animated tripods and probes; and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
, where he helped develop and animate the vulture droids and animated Yoda
in a pivotal sword fight. Kelly worked as a lead animator on Transformers, and his additional credits include Hulk
, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
.
Because Kelly realized his dream to animate films with the help of three mentors who took a personal interest in his career, he became convinced that animation lovers everywhere should have the same opportunity, and he co-founded Animation Mentor
, an online animation school with student/mentor relationships at its core. Kelly works with Bobby Beck, Animation Mentor
’s CEO and President, and cofounder Carlos Baena to help define and shape the school’s overall direction. Kelly balances his Animation Mentor role with his work as a senior animator at Industrial Light & Magic.
Kelly lives in San Anselmo, California
, and writes short films.
Transformers, in which Bonecrusher skates through traffic, destroys a bus, and fights Optimus Prime.
Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a for-profit university online animation school that teaches students character animation skills. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the school offers an 18-month program in which students are taught by “mentors,” experienced animators who are professionals working in the...
, an online animation school with student/mentor relationships at its core.
Life and career
Born in Santa RosaSanta Rosa
Santa Rosa is the Spanish and Portuguese name for Saint Rose. It may also refer to:-Places: Argentina:*Santa Rosa, La Pampa*Santa Rosa de Calamuchita *Santa Rosa de Calchines *Santa Rosa de Río Primero...
, Calif., and raised in Petaluma, Kelly set his sights on working at Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
(ILM) at age five when the movie Star Wars hit the big screen. Under the tutelage of animators Bill Hennes and John Root, he studied drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
throughout high school, attended community college, and Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University
The Academy of Art University , a for-profit university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens...
in San Francisco.
A summer internship at ILM introduced Kelly to another influential mentor, animation director Wayne Gilbert. It was through Gilbert that Kelly realized that he wasn’t learning what he needed at school. Kelly left the academy in 1996 for a job as a character animator at former video game and educational company Presage Software, but continued his studies with Gilbert twice a week.
In 1998, Kelly fulfilled his lifelong dream and landed a job at ILM
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
. Since that time, he has worked on numerous films including The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
, where he was on the team that animated the wolves; War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
, for which he animated tripods and probes; and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
, where he helped develop and animate the vulture droids and animated Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
in a pivotal sword fight. Kelly worked as a lead animator on Transformers, and his additional credits include Hulk
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
.
Because Kelly realized his dream to animate films with the help of three mentors who took a personal interest in his career, he became convinced that animation lovers everywhere should have the same opportunity, and he co-founded Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a for-profit university online animation school that teaches students character animation skills. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the school offers an 18-month program in which students are taught by “mentors,” experienced animators who are professionals working in the...
, an online animation school with student/mentor relationships at its core. Kelly works with Bobby Beck, Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a for-profit university online animation school that teaches students character animation skills. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the school offers an 18-month program in which students are taught by “mentors,” experienced animators who are professionals working in the...
’s CEO and President, and cofounder Carlos Baena to help define and shape the school’s overall direction. Kelly balances his Animation Mentor role with his work as a senior animator at Industrial Light & Magic.
Kelly lives in San Anselmo, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and writes short films.
Awards
- Kelly received the 2007 award for the ‘Best Single Visual Effect of the YearVisual Effects Society Awards 2007The 6th Visual Effects Society Awards, given in Los Angeles on 10 February 2008, honored the best visual effects in film and television. The awards were later broadcast on HDNet on April 2, 2008.-Film:...
’ by the Visual Effects SocietyVisual Effects SocietyThe Visual Effects Society is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of...
(VES), an organization dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and the application of visual effectsVisual effectsVisual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
. Kelly’s winning effect was for the desert highway sequence of Transformers, in which BonecrusherBonecrusher (Transformers)Bonecrusher is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Bonecrusher is a member of the Constructicons. He is a brawler by nature and specialises in demolitions work...
skates through traffic, destroys a bus, and fights Optimus PrimeOptimus PrimeOptimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
. - Kelly has developed curriculum and taught at the Academy of Art UniversityAcademy of Art UniversityThe Academy of Art University , a for-profit university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens...
and was on the team that earned the 2000 CLIOCLIOCLIO is the Cryogenic Laser Interferometer Observatory, a prototype detector for gravitational waves. It is testing cryogenic mirror technologies for the future Large Cryogenic Gravity Telescope ....
award for Best Computer Animation for a Pepsi/Star Wars “Alien” campaign. - Kelly received the 2007 award for the ‘Best Single Visual Effect of the Year’ by the Visual Effects Society (VES), an organization dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and the application of visual effects. Kelly’s winning effect was for the desert highway sequence of
Transformers, in which Bonecrusher skates through traffic, destroys a bus, and fights Optimus Prime.
Filmography
- Jack FrostJack Frost (1998 film)Jack Frost is a 1998 Christmas film, starring Michael Keaton and Kelly Preston. Keaton stars as the title character, a man who dies in a car accident and comes back to life as a snowman...
(1998) (CG character animator: ILM) - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
(1999) (character animator: ILM) - The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) (character animator)
- Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) (animator: ILM)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
(2002) (animator: ILM) - HulkHulk (film)Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
(2003) (CG character animator) - The Day After TomorrowThe Day After TomorrowThe Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
(2004) (animator) - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
(2005) (animator) - War of the Worlds (2005 film)War of the Worlds (2005 film)War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
(2005) (animator) - EragonEragon (film)Eragon is a 2006 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini. The cast includes Edward Speleers in the title role, Jeremy Irons, Garrett Hedlund, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Alun Armstrong, Joss Stone, and the voice...
(2006) (character animator) - Transformers (2007) (lead animator: ILM)
- The Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick Chronicles is a series of children's books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into Spiderwick Estate and discover a world of fairies that they never knew...
(2008) (animator) - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (animator: ILM)
- Transformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
(2009) (lead animator: ILM) - RangoRango (2011 film)Rango is a 2011 American computer-animated Western Comedy film directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Graham King. In the film, a chameleon named Rango accidentally ends up in the town of Dirt, an outpost that is in desperate need of a new sheriff...
(2011) (post-production) (lead animator: ILM)
Further Reading and Listening
- Shawn Kelly Video Interview at Blender Nation
- Shawn Kelly Interview at BobbyPontillas.blogspot.com
- Shawn Kelly Video Interview at Vimeo
- ILM Animator Shawn Kelly Talks about Transformers: Rise of the Fallen at Alice Radio
- KNTV Talks to Shawn Kelly Talks about Transformers: Rise of the Fallen at KNTV