The Animation Mentorship Programme.

 

The NTAA is delighted to launch our third Animation Mentorship Programme, offering opportunities in 10 key areas of animation production: 

• Intellectual Property Development 

• Scriptwriting 

• Storyboarding 

• Design

• Directing For A Short Film

• Stop Motion

• 2D Animation

• 3D Animation

• VFX

• Editing 

 

The programme provides one-to-one guidance with industry experts over a 3 month period (Oct ‘23 - Dec ‘23) and is open to graduates, professionals and those who are considering moving into animation from another sector.

 

The programme welcomes mentees from underrepresented groups, diverse backgrounds and regional areas.

 

Key Details 

• Closing date for applications Sep 22nd 2023

• Mentorships run from Oct - Dec 2023

• Up to 10 hours of Mentoring over the 3 month period.

 

 

APPLY HERE

 

 

MENTOR BIOGRAPHIES

 

Clifford Parrott (I.P. Development)

For over two decades Clifford Parrott has worked as a Creative Producer, Studio Owner, Writer, Director, and award winning animator from Vancouver-Canada, to the U.S. and ultimately Ireland.

 

Emma Hogan (Scriptwriting)

Emma Hogan writes children’s TV scripts. She developed the hit CBeebies' show Nelly and Nora with Geronimo Productions (nominated for an Irish Film and Television Academy Award) and acted as the series art director as well as writing 30 of the scripts. She has also written episodes for many children's television programmes including Chip and Potato, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese and Silly Sundays. She was the joint winner of the Best Animation Script award at the Writers’ Guild of Ireland ZeBBie Awards 2021.

 

Chuck Austen (Storyboarding)

Chuck Austen is a multi-talented artist, animator, writer, novelist, and comics creator. He was Executive Producer along with Noelle Stevenson on SHE-RA for DreamWorks Television Animation and Netflix.  Prior to SHE-RA Chuck was a Producer on ROCKY and BULLWINKLE, and THE DAWN OF THE CROODS, consulting producer for KIPO and The Age of The WonderBeasts,  for DreamWorks, and for Cartoon Network’s STEVEN UNIVERSE.

He began his career at Electronic Arts as an art director on multiple video games, including JOHN MADDEN NFL FOOTBALL, ROAD RASH, and SHOCKWAVE. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in animation. Chuck has been a storyboard artist and director on prime-time hits KING OF THE HILL and THE CLEVELAND SHOW, as well as working on kids TV animated series NI HAO KAI LAN for Nickelodeon and Marvel’s ULTIMATE AVENGERS. He co-created the ground breaking CG series TRIPPING THE RIFT for Syfy Channel, and directed on the hit animated series ROBOT & MONSTER for Nickelodeon, and RANDY CUNNINGHAM, 9TH GRADE NINJA for Disney XD, and PENN ZERO, PART-TIME HERO for Disney.

In comics, Chuck is known for both his writing and his artwork on many titles, including Marvel Comic’s U.S. WAR MACHINE and ELECTRA, DC Comic’s SUPERMAN, JUSTIC LEAGUE, ACTION COMICS and many more. His work on Marvels UNCANNY X-MEN earned him international acclaim, notoriety, and the prestigious Genesis Award, the only comic to ever win that honor.

Most recently he has co-created the hit for Amazon/ComiXology, EDGEWORLD, a brain-bending, sci-fi action adventure series. In his limited spare time, Chuck has written and published several novels, and independent comics.

 

Kirsten Shiel (Design)

Kirsten Shiel has been working in the animation industry on both 2D and 3D projects for Disney, Sesame Street, Apple, Nickelodeon, NBC Universal and Netflix as a background artist, a character designer, a concept artist, and an art director.

She is also an award winning illustrator who has worked for clients like the BBC, Microsoft, Aer Lingus and John West Tuna.

 

Paul O’Muiris (Directing For A Short Film)

Paul Ó Muiris is an Irish artist and filmmaker. In his early career Paul worked as an illustrator, sculptor, and storyboard artist. He has directed projects for Amazon Studios, Disney, and TG4 with the Oscar nominated Cartoon Saloon animation studio in Ireland. As well as working on projects in development and leading the compositing department on various commercial, TV, and feature development projects. Most recently he was the compositing supervisor on the Cartoon Saloon feature film “My Father's Dragon” for Netflix. He also wrote and directed the multi-award winning short film "The Ledge End of Phil (from accounting)”.

Internationally he's served as development consultant on the hit Netflix feature film “Klaus” and senior compositor on Marvel's “What if..?” series for Disney+. He is currently in development on a new project with French studio “Gao Shan Pictures”. 

 

Padraig Fagan (Stop Motion)

Pádraig Fagan graduated from IADT Dun Laoghaire in 2007 with a BA (hons) in Animation. He has been working in the animation  industry in a professional capacity since 2006. He has directed award winning short films for Screen Ireland along with projects for clients such as  Cartoon Saloon, TG4, Adult Swim, UNESCO, RTÉ and the NHS. In 2010, the short film he made in collaboration with Eimhin McNamara, The Rooster, the Crocodile and the Night Sky was nominated for an ASIFA- Hollywood Annie Award. He has been facilitating animation workshops since 2010 for students of all ages, including recurring programmes for the National Youth Film and Animation School in Kilkenny, the County Wexford Youth Film Project and the Blon Animation and Video Games Festival in Lithuania. He has appeared as a guest animation lecturer in NCAD, IADT Dun Laoghaire, Limerick Institute of Technology, Coláiste Dúlaigh and Ballyfermot College of Further Education. Since 2021 he has been animating and directing projects through Matchbox Mountain, an animation company he co-founded with Eimhin McNamara.

 

Tom Gray (2D Animation)

Tom Gray has worked in the Irish animation industry for 20 years in a variety of studios from animator to director. Shows have included The Wonderful World of Gumball, Circle Square, Flix, Danger Mouse, DC Super Girls, Rescue Bots, Wander over Yonder, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja and Fosters Home for Imaginary friends. He now lives in West Cork with his family and continues work in the industry from the bottom of his garden.

 

Iobhar Stokes (3D Animation)

Iobhar Stokes Rodriguez is a 3D character animator based in Dublin, Ireland. He has 3 years of animation industry experience and studied animation at the National Film School, Dun Laoghaire. Iobhar has worked on adverts, music videos and now works in children's television at Giant Animation. His past clients include Apple TV, Disney and Nickelodeon and he’s excited to share his insights on the world of animation.

 

Tim Morris (VFX)

Tim's first job was for the Theatre Projects Group in Covent Garden London, where he was part of the design team overseeing the technical installation of The National Theatre of Great Britain in the Southbank centre. He returned to Dublin in 1979 and was a founding member of Windmill Lane Pictures, Ireland’s largest Post Production Facility Company. During the 80’s Tim was first a Telecine colourist, then an editor and finally a Henry online effects specialist. In the early nineties he was part of the project team that set up The Mill facility company in London, which later went on to win a VFX Oscar for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. In the past few years Tim has specialised as a VFX and Post Production/Supervisor/Producer as well as heading up Windmill Lane’s Feature post production and VFX division.

 

Kevin O’Brien (Editing)

Kevin O’Brien is an Animatic/offline Editor with 12 years experience in the Animation / TV / Film industry. He began his career in Animation as one of the creators on the Irish Animation Series Inis Spraoi. For the past six years he has worked in Boulder Media heading up and training a large editing team. In this time he has had the pleasure of working on many popular animated series including Danger Mouse, Transformer, My Little Pony and Rescue bots Academy. As Head of Editing in Boulder Media he continually strives for further creativity and innovation in editing and Storytelling.