Marlon West is an effects animator who is Head of Effects Animation and Visual Effects Supervisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He has twice been nominated for Annie Awards, winning for his effects animation work on Moana in 2017.

Early life

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West became interested in film and animation as a child. He often made short films with an 8mm camera, casting neighborhood kids in his films. He was also interested in making stop-motion films in the style of Jason and the Argonauts.[1] West graduated from University City High School in University City, Missouri in 1981. He then attended Columbia College Chicago where he got a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Filmmaking and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Creative Writing in 1985.[2]

Career

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Early career

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After West graduated from Columbia College Chicago he worked at a film studio called Hyperion Studios in Los Angeles on two films Rover Dangerfield and Bebe's Kids.[1] Before he started working at Disney he was freelance animator and worked on commercials and music videos. He's worked on music videos for both The Beastie Boys and Paula Abdul.[2] He started as a trainee for Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994 and his first project was The Lion King.[1]

Current career

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He is currently the Head of Effects Animation and is a Visual Effects Animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios.[3] West is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and is on the Board of Governors, specifically the Animation branch.[4][5]

In 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd murder, West was inspired to create a series of what he called "Ink Tributes" to civil rights heroes and victims of police brutality.[6] He started out by posting his drawings on his social media pages and he has since created over 40 of these tributes.[7] Some of his first tributes were to Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Vice President Kamala Harris.[6] West's own son inspired two of his tributes for Nina Pop and Tony McDade. West's son inspired these portraits because he is also transgender.[6] His art was debuted at the Museum of Social Justice in Los Angeles on August 13, 2022.[7]

Filmography

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Title Year Contribution
Encanto 2021 Head of Effects Animation
Frozen II 2019 Head of Effects Animation
Moana 2016 Head of Effects Animation
The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic 2014 Self Credited
Big Hero 6 2014 Departmental Leadership
Frozen 2013 Effects Supervisor, Head Of Effects Animation
Winnie the Pooh 2011 Visual Effects Supervisor
The Princess and the Frog 2009 Effects Animation Supervisor
Meet the Robinsons 2007 Digital Effects Artist
Chicken Little 2005 Effects Animator
Home on the Range 2004 Visual Effects Supervisor
Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001 Visual Effects Supervisor
The Emperor's New Groove 2000 Additional Visual Effects Animator
Fantasia 2000 1999 Assistant Effects Supervisor (segments: Rhapsody in Blue)
Tarzan 1999 Visual Effects Animator
Mulan 1998 Additional Visual Effects Animator
Hercules 1997 Visual Effects Animator
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996 Visual Effects Animator
Pocahontas 1995 Effects Animator
The Lion King 1994 Effects Animator
FernGully: The Last Rainforest 1992 Additional Effects Animator
Bebe's Kids 1992 Additional Character Designer, Special Effects Animator
Rover Dangerfield 1991 Special Effects Animator

TV series[8][9]

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Title Year Contribution
Iwájú 2024 Visual Effects Supervisor (1 episode, 2024)
Quack Pack 1996 Special Effects (1 episode, 1996), Art Coordinator (1 episode, 1996)

Stunt Double or Nothing (Nov 27, 1996) Season 1, Episode 38 - Special Effects

Hit the Road, Backwater Jack (Nov 19, 1996) Season 1, Episode 34 - Art Coordinator

Britannica's Tales Around the World 1993 Ink And Paint (1 episode, 1993)

Hansel and Gretel/The Woodcutter's Wealthy Sister/Pedro and the Monster (1993) - Ink And Paint (segments: Pedro and the Monster)

Short films[8]

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Title Year Contribution
Feast 2014 Head Of Effects Animation
Paperman 2012 Final Line Animator
How to Hook Up Your Home Theater 2007 Artistic Coordinator, Effects Supervisor
How to Haunt a House 1999 Visual Effects Animator
The Itsy Bitsy Spider 1992 Special Effects Animation
The Lion and the Mouse 1988 Principal Animator

Other credits[8]

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Title Year Contribution
Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection 2015 Final Line Animator (segments: Paperman), Artistic Coordinator (segments: How to Hook up Your Home Theater), Effects Supervisor/head Of Effects Animation (segments: How to Hook up Your Home Theater", & "Feast)
The Making of 'Atlantis: The Lost City' 2002 Self credited - Artistic Supervisor, Visual Effects
Shadrach by the Beastie Boys 1989 Painter

Acting roles[8]

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Title Year Contribution
The Princess and the Frog (video game) 2009 Voice
The Princess and the Frog 2009 Additional Voices
Eternity 1989 Voice

Awards and nominations

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Award Award Name Movie Year
Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Production[10] Moana 2016
Annie Awards Nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Effects Animation[10] Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001

References

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  1. ^ a b c Disney Animation Master Marlon West Shares His Story. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-19 – via www.youtube.com.
  2. ^ a b "2002 Hall of Fame Inductee" (PDF). p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  3. ^ Disney Animation Master Marlon West Shares His Story. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-20 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Feinberg, Scott (26 February 2024). "Oscars: Film Academy Splits Its Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Into Two". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  5. ^ "THE ACADEMY ELECTS 2024-2025 BOARD OF GOVERNORS". Oscars News. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1 June 2024. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "'Ink Tributes' pay homage to victims of police brutality, civil rights heroes". STLPR. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  7. ^ a b "ART: Marlon West's Ink Tributes to Real Life Heroes Debuts at Museum of Social Justice in Los Angeles on 8/13". KLEK 102.5 FM. 2022-08-08. Archived from the original on 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Marlon West | Visual Effects, Animation Department, Actor". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  9. ^ "Marlon West - Contact Info, Agent, Manager | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  10. ^ a b "51st Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Archived from the original on 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2024-04-19.