Kirsten Lepore
Kirsten Lepore | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Animation,stop motion |
| Spouse(s) | Daniel Kwan (m.2016) |
| Children | 1 |
Kirsten Leporeis an American animator, best known for herstop motionshort films like "Sweet Dreams", "Bottle", and "Move Mountain". From 2014 to 2015, she worked on an episode of the American cartoon seriesAdventure Timeentitled "Bad Jubies",serving as writer, storyboard artist, and director. The episode eventually aired on January 14, 2016 to critical acclaim.[1][2][3]
Education
[edit]Lepore was raised inSouth Brunswick, New Jersey.[4]In an interview withThe A.V. Club,Lepore explained that, as a child, she was fascinated by the animation techniques used by bothDisneyand theJim Henson Company.[5]Lepore attendedSouth Brunswick High School,[4]where she began to earnestly explore art, and as a young adult, she earned aBachelor of Fine ArtsatMaryland Institute College of Art,where she studied "experimental animation". Her undergraduate thesis was the shortstop motionfilm entitled "Sweet Dreams".[5][6]Following college, she applied to studios andfreelancedon the side, but she "never heard back from the studios, and the freelance work kept coming."[6]She returned to her parents' house and began working on ads and small production projects. During this phase in her life, she felt that she did not have enough technical expertise.[5]As a result, she attendedCalArts,graduating in 2012 with aMaster of Fine Artsin experimental animation.[5][7]Her graduate thesis, a short film entitled "Move Mountain", caught the attention ofAdventure TimeshowrunnerAdam Muto,and Lepore eventually guest-animated the episode "Bad Jubies".[5][8]
Accolades
[edit]Lepore has won various awards, including aStudent Annie Award,aSouth by Southwestspecial jury award for animation, and anAnnecy +award for best animation.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Lepore has been married to fellow filmmaker and animatorDaniel Kwansince 2016, and together they have one son.[10][11]
Selected filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Description | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Story from North America" | Short film | Director, animator |
| 2008 | "Sweet Dreams" | Short film,BFAthesis | Writer, director |
| 2011 | "Bottle" | Short film | Writer, director |
| 2013 | "Move Mountain" | Short film,MFAthesis | Writer, director |
| 2014–15 | "Bad Jubies" | Adventure Timeepisode | Writer, storyboard artist, director |
| 2016 | "Hi Stranger" | Short film | Writer, director, animator |
| 2018 | "It's My Party" | Summer Camp Islandepisode | Writer, storyboard artist |
| 2021 | Marcel the Shell with Shoes On | Film | Animation director[12] |
| 2022 | Everything Everywhere All At Once | Film | Visual effects artist[4] |
| 2022–present | I Am Groot | Short film series | Writer, director, executive producer[13] |
References
[edit]- ^Lloyd, Robert (January 14, 2016)."Kirsten Lepore Brings a Real Third Dimension to 'Adventure Time'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 16,2016.
- ^Sava, Oliver (January 14, 2016)."Adventure Time's stop motion Episode Praises the Healing Power of Art and Nature ".The A.V. Club.The Onion.RetrievedFebruary 5,2016.
- ^Flores, Terry (February 4, 2017)."'Zootopia' Wins Top Prize at Annie Awards (Winners List) ".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.RetrievedFebruary 5,2017.
- ^abcKuperinsky, Amy (August 10, 2022)."Meet N.J.'s Kirsten Lepore, the animation whiz behind Marvel'sI Am GrootandMarcel the Shell".NJ.com.RetrievedSeptember 10,2022.
Lepore, a writer, director and animator who grew up in South Brunswick, also had a hand in A24′s biggest grossing movie to date—the kaleidoscopic adventureEverything Everywhere All At Once,which opened wide in April.... In 2009, the alum of South Brunswick High School, who grew up drawing, making small sculptures and filming her sisters in experiments with the family camcorder, moved to the West Coast.
- ^abcdeSava, Oliver (January 14, 2016)."Adventure Time's Kirsten Lepore on the Joys and Pains of Stop Motion Animation ".The A.V. Club.The Onion.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
- ^abLepore, Kirsten (July 1, 2009)."AnimationMagazine Feature ".Flickr.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
- ^"Alumni Accomplishments: 04/29/2012".CalArts.edu. May 27, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 5,2016.
- ^Lloyd, Robert (January 14, 2016)."Kirsten Lepore Brings a Real Third Dimension to 'Adventure Time'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 16,2016.
- ^"Info // Contact".KirstenLepore.com.RetrievedFebruary 5,2016.
- ^Ito, Robert (June 14, 2016)."'Swiss Army Man,' the Strangest Movie Shown at Sundance? ".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 17,2022.
- ^Daniel Kwan [@dunkwun] (August 22, 2016)."This is Kir and I the day after our wedding..."– viaInstagram.
- ^"Marcel the Shell With Shoes On: You Will Believe a Shell Can Skate".Vanity Fair.2023-01-16.Retrieved2023-02-15.
- ^Paige, Rachel (November 12, 2021)."Disney+ Day 2021: New Look at 'I Am Groot'".Marvel Entertainment.RetrievedNovember 12,2021.
External links
[edit]- American animated film directors
- Women animated film directors
- American women film directors
- American women animators
- People from South Brunswick, New Jersey
- South Brunswick High School (New Jersey) alumni
- American stop motion animators
- California Institute of the Arts alumni
- Living people
- Maryland Institute College of Art alumni
- 21st-century American women