Tony Bancroft
Encyclopedia
Anthony Bancroft is an American
animator and film director who frequently colloberates with Disney. He is founder and owner of Christian animation company Toonacious Family Entertainment. Tony currently serves as the Executive VP Creative Development and Production for Mirch Animation.
. After a two-year stint at Cypress College
, he enrolled in the character animation program at CalArts. This led to a summer job as a production assistant with filmmaker Ralph Bakshi
and ultimately to an internship in California with Disney Feature Animation followed by a full-time position at the new Florida
animation facility. Bancroft (along with this twin brother) was selected to be among the first group of animators to work at the Disney-MGM Studios
. During his one-year stay in Florida, he had his first official assignment as an assistant clean-up animator on Roger Rabbit (Roller Coaster Rabbit). This was followed by a credit as animating assistant on The Rescuers Down Under
working on the character of "Frank the frill-necked lizard".
In 1990, he returned to California and worked as a character animator on Beauty and the Beast
and Aladdin before being promoted to supervising animator role on The Lion King
. After working on the character design and some preliminary animation for the gargoyle characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
, he was tapped to join Barry Cook as a director on Mulan.
He was animation supervisor on Stuart Little 2
at Sony Pictures Imageworks
during 2002, and founded Toonacious that same year. Bancroft also served as english voice director on Hayao Miyazaki
's Porco Rosso
in 2003.
In May 2008, it was announced that Bancroft would co-direct, along with Jim Rygiel
, visual effects
supervisor on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
, an animated
folk tale titled Bunyan and Babe
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator and film director who frequently colloberates with Disney. He is founder and owner of Christian animation company Toonacious Family Entertainment. Tony currently serves as the Executive VP Creative Development and Production for Mirch Animation.
Life and Career
A native Californian, Bancroft grew up in Orange CountyOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. After a two-year stint at Cypress College
Cypress College
Cypress College is a community college located in Cypress, California. Opened on September 12, 1966 , the southern California college offers a variety of general education , transfer courses , and 141 vocational programs leading to Associate's degrees and certificates.-Overview:Cypress College's...
, he enrolled in the character animation program at CalArts. This led to a summer job as a production assistant with filmmaker Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
and ultimately to an internship in California with Disney Feature Animation followed by a full-time position at the new Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
animation facility. Bancroft (along with this twin brother) was selected to be among the first group of animators to work at the Disney-MGM Studios
Disney-MGM Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
. During his one-year stay in Florida, he had his first official assignment as an assistant clean-up animator on Roger Rabbit (Roller Coaster Rabbit). This was followed by a credit as animating assistant on The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
working on the character of "Frank the frill-necked lizard".
In 1990, he returned to California and worked as a character animator on Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
and Aladdin before being promoted to supervising animator role on The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
. After working on the character design and some preliminary animation for the gargoyle characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of...
, he was tapped to join Barry Cook as a director on Mulan.
He was animation supervisor on Stuart Little 2
Stuart Little 2
Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 American live action and CGI animated film, directed by Rob Minkoff and starring Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki and the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Melanie Griffith, James Woods and Steve Zahn. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film and includes...
at Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. is a visual effects and character animation company headquartered in Culver City, California, USA. SPI is a division of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, which oversees the digital production and online entertainment assets of Sony Pictures Entertainment.The company...
during 2002, and founded Toonacious that same year. Bancroft also served as english voice director on Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
's Porco Rosso
Porco Rosso
Porco Rosso, known in Japan as is the sixth anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli and released in 1992, of an Italian World War I fighter ace, now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing "air pirates" in the Adriatic Sea. The man has been cursed and transformed into...
in 2003.
In May 2008, it was announced that Bancroft would co-direct, along with Jim Rygiel
Jim Rygiel
Jim Rygiel is a visual effects supervisor. He has worked on major feature films since 1984, including The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.- Early life :...
, visual effects
Visual effects
Visual 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...
supervisor on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
, an animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
folk tale titled Bunyan and Babe
Bunyan and Babe
Bunyan and Babe is an upcoming live-action/animated film. It is directed by Jim Rygiel and Tony Bancroft and features the voices of John Goodman as Paul Bunyan and Jeff Foxworthy as Babe the Blue Ox.-Premise:...
.
Personal life
Bancroft and his wife, Rene, have three daughters, Caitlin, Savannah, and Sierra. They returned to Los Angeles after living in Florida during the production of Mulan. He has a twin brother named Tom who is also an animator.Animator
- One by OneOne by One (film)One by One is a traditionally animated short film directed by Pixote Hunt and released by Walt Disney Pictures on August 31, 2004, as an extra feature on the DVD release of The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Special Edition...
(2004) (V) (animator) - Stuart Little 2Stuart Little 2Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 American live action and CGI animated film, directed by Rob Minkoff and starring Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki and the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Melanie Griffith, James Woods and Steve Zahn. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film and includes...
(2002) (animation supervisor) - The Emperor's New GrooveThe Emperor's New GrooveThe Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000. It is the 40th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics...
(2000) (supervising animator: "Kronk") - The Hunchback of Notre DameThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of...
(1996) (additional animator) - The Lion KingThe Lion KingThe Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
(1994) (supervising animator: "PumbaaTimon and PumbaaTimon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's popular 1994 animated film The Lion King. Timon was portrayed through his many appearances by Nathan Lane , Max Casella , Kevin Schon , Quinton Flynn Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced...
") - Aladdin (1992) (animator: "Iago")
- Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast (1991 film)Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
(1991) (animator: "Cogsworth") - The Rescuers Down UnderThe Rescuers Down UnderThe Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
(1990) (assistant animator) - Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990) (assistant animator)
Director
- Bunyan and BabeBunyan and BabeBunyan and Babe is an upcoming live-action/animated film. It is directed by Jim Rygiel and Tony Bancroft and features the voices of John Goodman as Paul Bunyan and Jeff Foxworthy as Babe the Blue Ox.-Premise:...
(2009) - All Hands on Deck (2003) (V)
- Love Thy Neighbor (2003) (V)
- Porco RossoPorco RossoPorco Rosso, known in Japan as is the sixth anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli and released in 1992, of an Italian World War I fighter ace, now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing "air pirates" in the Adriatic Sea. The man has been cursed and transformed into...
(2003) (English dub) - Mulan (1998)
External links
- Official Site
- Tony Bancroft 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...
- Q&A with Tony Bancroft