The Walt Disney Family Museum Shows Increased Attendance in 2012

The Walt Disney Family Museum

I always enjoy sharing good news about the good people at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Monday, they released their official attendance figures for last year, announcing that visitor volume in 2012 was 103,000, a 14% increase from 2011. Furthermore, the Museum saw a 43% spike in memberships and a 25% increase in group sales.

Gabriella Calicchio (r.) with Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller

Much of the Museum's new success can be attributed to CEO Gabriella Calicchio, who came on board in November 2011. Under her guidance, the Museum launched a five-year strategic plan and opened several exhibitions including one dedicated to the work of illustrator Heinrich Kley and another paying tribute to the art of stop-motion animation. In November, the Museum opened its ambitious and not to be missed exhibition celebrating 75 years of Disney's animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Crediting the leadership of Calicchio, as well as the hard work of the Museum's staff and volunteers, co-founder and board president Walter Elias Disney Miller said, "We now have a clear vision to guide us towards the best museum experience we can offer our visitors while showcasing the legacy of not only my grandfather, Walt Disney, but also the men and women of his organization that brought his dreams to life through inspiration and innovation."

In addition to the exhibits, the Walt Disney Family Museum offers many public educational and social programs including professional workshops and the very popular after-hours parties, Animate Your Night!

For more about the Walt Disney Family Museum, visit www.waltdisney.org.

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The Mouse Castle Lounge at the 85th Annual Academy Awards

It's always a treat to walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards, even when the carpet's covered in plastic and the actual ceremony is still a few days away.

For the second year in a row, I was able to go inside the barricades on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby (formerly Kodak) Theatre and take part in all the hoopla as preparations continue for this Sunday's Oscars hosted by Seth MacFarlane. Unlike last year, when I learned a hard lesson about the challenges of recording, editing and uploading video on the road, this year I kept it simple, putting together an impromptu podcast with two of my very good friends, Jennifer O'Brien and Christi Andersen (I <3 them). Give a listen as we make our picks in this year's Oscar race and engage in a bit of witty banter (hey, we were entertained by it).

It's a good year to be a Disney animation fan, as the Mouse has no less than three films nominated for Best Animated Feature (Brave, Frankenweenie and Wreck-It Ralph). We're also very high on Disney's Paperman, our consensus favorite to take home the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

It's all part of the fun in this special edition of The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy!

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The Mouse Castle Lounge Visits the Disney Animation Research Library

The lobby of the Disney Animation Research Library

In a very special edition of The Mouse Castle Lounge, I get a rare look inside the Disney Animation Research Library. It's the vault where Disney stores over 64 million pieces of animation art from nearly 90 years of animation film history. Inside the walls of the ARL are concept art, design sketches, backgrounds, finished cels, maquettes, even the very fragile painted glass plates that were used in the multiplane camera for movies like Pinocchio, Bambi and Fantasia. It's an astounding collection that the ARL is painstakingly preserving for current artists and researchers and for future generations.

I sat down withe the ARL's research manager Fox Carney to talk about the work he and his staff performs, the challenges of documenting so much animation history and the wonderful new discoveries the ARL makes every day. Enjoy!

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'Monsters University' and Operatic Walt in The Mouse Castle Lounge

In the latest edition of The Mouse Castle Lounge, we aim for some highbrow culture, but end up reviewing Philip Glass' opera about Walt Disney instead. The Perfect American is a "fictional biography" of Walt that dovetails into a litany of every tired (and debunked) urban legend that ever existed about the man. It's a fever dream fantasy that finds Walt on his deathbed flashing back on a career that, despite having all the trappings of success, has left him bitter and frustrated. He laments that he has lost his humanity, that the Disney name has been subsumed by the corporate empire he's created. We see him mistreat his employees in a sweatshop studio environment, then take credit for their successes. He is racist and anti-Semitic, is obsessed with being cryogenically frozen after his death, and may be having an affair with his nurse, Hazel George (who he creepily refers to as "Snow White). In this surreal scene (one of many surreal scenes), Walt confronts a malfunctioning audio-animatronic Abe Lincoln:

A subtle telling of Walt's story this ain't. To its credit, the show does have a game and talented cast (baritone Christopher Purves is fine as Walt) as well as some clever staging using a series of rotating projection screens, but it's all for naught with a libretto that's hopelessly stuffed with half-truths and outright lies. Stodgy, pretentious and mean-spirited, it's a production not to be enjoyed, but to be endured.

The Perfect American premiered in Madrid last month for a limited engagement and will move to London in June. It's expected to eventually find its way to Los Angeles. You can see it online now (also for a limited time), in its entirety, at www.medici.tv (free registration required). Don't say you haven't been warned.

On the Bookshelf

I'm very excited about two new Disney-related books that will be out later this year. The first, Dream It! Do It! (The People, The Places, The Projects): My Half-Century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms, is Marty Sklar's long-awaited memoir about his 50+ years working for Disney, much of it spent leading Imagineering. It will be out in August.

The second, The Disneyland That Was, Is, and Never Will Be: A Biography of an American Institution, is the second book by Disney historian Sam Gennawey, who also writes a very informative and entertaining Disney blog at samlanddisney.blogspot.com. His book will be out in July and is the follow-up to his excellent read, Walt and the Promise of Progress City.

Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam about his first book. Rest assured, I'll be

 reaching out to him again when his new book comes out (jump to the 5:30 mark for my chat with Sam).

For a bit of fun, Disney UK has released a new trailer online for Monsters University, the prequel to Pixar's hit Monsters, Inc.:

Monsters University will be released in the U.S. on June 21.

Hear about all this and more--including a tribute to Disneyland's Tahitian Terrace and soy sauce--this week in The Mouse Castle Lounge. Enjoy!

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Inside Club 33

As I promised in the last Mouse Castle Lounge podcast, here's a look inside Club 33, Disneyland's exclusive members-only restaurant.

Club 33 was originally intended to be a private place where Walt Disney himself could entertain VIPs away from the hustle and bustle of the park. Sadly, Walt passed away before the club was completed in 1967, but it lives on as an elite hideaway where members and their guests can enjoy a quiet and elegant meal.

Aside from the number 33 that adorns the entrance, there are no other signs or special markings to identify Club 33. It would be easy to not even notice it unless you were looking for it.

Club 33 entrance.

Stories persist on how Club 33 got its name. The most popular notion is it was named for 33 Disneyland corporate investors/sponsors that were around when the club was built in the late 1960s. The fact is, it's just the number for that particular door on Royal Street in New Orleans Square. The address for the Blue Bayou Restaurant next door is 31 Royal Street.

Club 33 foyer.

To step into the Club 33 foyer is to transport yourself to a world far removed from Disneyland's hectic crowds. Victorian and Napoleonic flourishes abound, with sculptures, busts, artwork, vintage furniture and textured wallpaper everywhere. You reach the restaurant itself by climbing the stairs to the second floor or by taking the old fashioned Parisian lift that accommodates two or three passengers at a time. Custom dictates that guests who have never visited Club 33 nor been in the elevator before should be given preference to ride instead of walk.

The lift, by the way, is not wheelchair accessible. Disabled guests requiring assistance must use a freight elevator behind the Pirates of the Caribbean queue to reach the back entrance of the kitchen adjacent to the Disneyland Dream Suite. It's not the most glamorous way to enter Club 33 and reportedly this issue will be corrected with the next major club refurbishment.

The lift.

At the top of the stairs is Lounge Alley, the L-shaped passageway that connects Club 33's two dining rooms. Take some time to explore this area which is full of beautiful antiques and Disney art. 

Lounge Alley. The cabinet on the right contains Club 33 souvenirs,
available for purchase.

A look down Lounge Alley toward
the main dining room.

This table was used in the film Mary Poppins.

Costume design sketches from The Happiest Millionaire.

The harpsichord in Lounge Alley was said to be a favorite of Walt's wife, Lillian. The artwork on its cover depicting 19th century New Orleans was painted by Disney artist Collin Campbell.

Pirates of the Caribbean artwork:

The main dining room, which overlooks Royal Street and the Rivers of America:

This sculpture, across from where we were seated, has always been
a favorite of mine.

The view from the balcony. "When I'm human, and I'm gonna be...."

Sunday lunch includes a complimentary glass of champagne which...ahem...went well with my dirty Grey Goose martini.  I ordered food too, I swear.

See? I told you there was food. A salad, antipasto and dessert buffet accompanies your lunch entree.

Did I mention there were desserts?

Yep, lots of desserts.

To make our visit even more special, two of my bestest friends dropped by:

At the other end of Lounge Alley is the second dining room dubbed the Trophy Room. Once upon a time, there were plans to have audio-animatronic characters around the room interact with the guests. It never panned out. The room was also once adorned with actual hunting trophies which the Disney family has removed over the years. 

This silent, motionless vulture is all that remains of a once-planned
audio-animatronic experience.

I've been very fortunate to dine inside Club 33 on more than one occasion. With it's wonderful atmosphere, excellent food and impeccable service, it's always a special event to be treasured.

Related:
Reservations at Club 33? Think Again

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Drinking at the Disneyland Resort: The Mouse Castle Lounge Goes Bar Hopping

Me and two of my besties at Club 33

In the latest edition of The Mouse Castle Lounge, I go bar hopping at the Disneyland Resort and I take a few of my friends with me as we determine once and for all the best drinking establishments around the Happiest Place on Earth.

Carthay Circle Lounge

There are a few surprises along the way as my friends and I "take the pledge" and become honorary citizens of Disneyland while enjoying a few tasty beverages at the Cove Bar.

We solemnly swear to be good Mouseketeers.

I'll post more pictures of our escapades soon (including a visit to Disneyland's exclusive Club 33), but for now, give a listen to what happens when I escape the studio and go in search of tasty beverages. Enjoy!

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Tony Baxter Steps Down at Walt Disney Imagineering

Tony Baxter

He started his career at Disneyland 47 years ago, scooping ice cream on Main Street, USA. He earned his bones at Walt Disney Imagineering as the driving force behind such classic Disney attractions as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and the Indiana Jones Adventure.

Yesterday, Tony Baxter announced he would be stepping down from his position as Senior Vice President, Creative Development to take on an advisory role at WDI (read: he's retiring).

Here is his "Open Letter to Fellow Imagineers":

Decades ago, Imagineering had the bold notion to start the 21st century 18 years early by unveiling the "future" at Epcot in 1982. This positive look at tomorrow had a numbing effect on the bleak vistas depicted in George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984. As a kid beginning my career at Disneyland in the mid 1960s, both of these "futures" were far off from a universe where Disneyland was the only Disney park, Mr. Lincoln was a state of the art attraction, and everything operated under Walt Disney's guidance.

Today, while there is a new set of "futures" to explore, the time has come for me to evolve my role at Walt Disney Imagineering. Beginning this February, I will be transitioning to a position as a part time advisor. While I will not be here on a regular basis, I will continue to be available to any and all of you as needs arise. Though my time will be limited, my passion for the magic WDI creates will be just as strong.

Since early last year, I have been thinking about what I would say to all of you when this time arrived. It has been a wondrous 47 years spanning the opening of Walt Disney World to Big Thunder and Star Tours … from Epcot's original Journey into Imagination to Disneyland Paris and Indiana Jones. The Imagineers I have known and shared these times with have provided invaluable experiences not to be found anywhere else on earth.

As one of the lucky second-generation Imagineers, I had the unique opportunity to experience firsthand the core philosophies of our company. I was fortunate enough to work with Claude Coats, Marc Davis, John Hench and the many others who built this industry alongside Walt Disney. I was able to soak up their wisdom and partner with them on creative projects. I have passed forward many of their key philosophies, and as our culture and scope have evolved, I have tried to balance my support of these foundations, with the business of charting "what's next." Now the 21st century brings a new reality … for the first time, the younger generation is master of the key technologies driving the future. While upcoming generations deal with tech tools that are evolving almost daily, many of Disney's keystone philosophies remain stable and relevant. These philosophies help define our creative edge to a world that is eager for aspirational content. With no particular order, here are five that continue to inspire me, and I think you may find useful in shaping "creative futures" for the years to come.

Creating Lasting Experiences - Legendary Imagineer Marc Davis once said, "We don't really have a story with a beginning, an end or a plot … It's more a series of experiences … building up to a climax." Guests still want to be astonished, and our best attractions deliver that wow factor with visions and emotions. I always start with the notion that it is the 20th repeat ride, not the first that is the most important. Park experiences are by nature less able to focus on linear stories and tangible feelings than motion pictures. Unlike a movie, what separates an OK attraction from a great one is that people find themselves "in" the great ones. They have been taken to a place they couldn't have imagined without Disney. How intriguingly we craft the level of guest engagement has direct bearing on desire for an umpteenth ride down the same track.

In Fantasyland, a simple line of dialogue heralds the beginning of one of the most aspirational ride experiences ever created; "Come on everybody … here we go!" After riding Peter Pan, futurist Ray Bradbury was moved to write; "Walt, I'll be eternally grateful that you made it possible for me to sail from a child's window, out over moonlit London in a galleon on its way to the stars!" Despite the fact that by today's standards Peter Pan's technology is dated, its mystique has remained unwavering. The WDI challenge is finding ways to ensure today's more sophisticated experiences have similar intangible qualities that provide groundwork for lasting appeal.

Sincerity - One of Walt Disney's ways of overcoming what sophisticates tended to see as corny or sentimental was his absolute belief in sincerity. Defending Disney's signature animation style in the movie Cinderella, Walt expressed what is to me a true hallmark of the Disney difference: "You have to believe in the honesty of Cinderella's world, or you will not believe in the magic as it unfolds around her either." The power of sincerity to win over an audience is "front and center" in the new Cars Land. Here, a truly believable environment fuses with the fantastic to give rise to new reality.

Valuable Mental Real Estate - Awhile back there was talk about the elusive "Disney Difference." What the "difference" is may be open to various interpretations, but I see it centered on cultivating "Valuable Mental Real Estate." Since the early days at the studio, Disney has excelled in focusing diverse talents on plussing core ideas. Enhanced value stems from something as simple as the emotional appeal of Epcot's Figment character in comparison to hundreds of other generic dragons. When the whole team undertakes a mission to make "our dragon" stand out in every way, mental real estate values go up.

At Imagineering, where we must deal with equal parts of controlled insanity and disciplined evaluation, this can be complicated. Years ago, who else could have come up with the crazy idea for Flying Saucers and then make the concept work! (Sort of). Piloting flying saucers is every kid's dream, and in spite of the ride's technical shortcomings, people will forever recall the Flying Saucers as an E ticket. This rides aspirational, "bucket list", once-in-a-lifetime intrigue, more than made up for any less than stellar performance.

Disney Hallmark Values - Current culture and the structure of our company are vastly different from the time when I began my career. Yet within that dynamic, hallmark values continue to add major appeal to today's more socially sensitive content. Disney's feature Beauty and the Beast shared many hallmarks with its ancestor Snow White, but it spoke to a vastly different audience with a finer tuned voice. Likewise, the more recent Tangled fuses traditional Disney values with relevancy aimed at a new generation.

Beyond the WDI walls, Pixar and Marvel achieve a consistency of success in their fast paced arenas. Each Pixar team is confident enough in their individual productions to freely reach out and tap into links that insure Pixar's hallmark differentiators are a part of every project. Marvel has taken a different route, tasking individual creative teams to bridge their storylines under an overarching and epic saga. Regardless of the diversity of deliverables, hallmark values are key to all Disney entities, and everyone needs to be alert to where they reside, and how and why to fuse them to the DNA of a project.

Mentoring - At both ends of a career one of the most important working relationships is achieved through mentoring. When you are in your 20s and 30s it critical to find a mentor you can admire and trust. What proved most valuable for me was a mentoring partnership that skipped a full generation. A wide age gap creates a cross-generational opportunity for two-way learning. A young mentee sees a mentor's still bright light as support for his or her own growing visibility, and the gap vanquishes the sense of competition. In a complementary way, a mentor's satisfaction is fueled by the growing knowledge and skills transferred to their younger partner. My mentor was Imagineering legend Claude Coats, nearly four decades my senior. For Pixar director Pete Docter, his mentors were animation giants Joe Grant and Ollie Johnson. Pete and I absorbed as much knowledge as we possibly could during a period of growth in our careers. I would like to think our esteemed mentors also drew inspiration from our curiosity and unexplored visions!

A mentorship is not a few hours of counseling every so often; it is pulling together on real projects, with business/creative goals and knowledge gains to be made by both sides. This is the partnership I had with Claude Coats, and we remained lifetime friends because of our shared working time together.

Going Forward - No company is perfect, and like any other corporation Disney has its own politics and challenges. We are artists, engineers, managers, filmmakers and musicians. But our company is unique; there is no place like it on earth. We are lucky. At the end of the day, it is my hope that this letter will add to the special culture that I have been privileged to grow in. I see the probability for that happening in my interactions with younger Imagineers like Michel, Josh, Zach, Dylan, Laura, Manuel, Vanessa and Brandon, which are beyond rewarding to me. At a time when "unlearning" is as critical as "learning," it's important to listen to the way these people think and enjoy the things they do. Creativity I have mined from their game-changing perspectives, now effectively influences my own design process. I hope that when their careers peak some decades from now, they will look back on our time together as I value the time I was able to spend with Claude Coats.

And now it comes down to the point at hand. I am not suggesting that I could be a mentor to you all, but that said, you should all have someone you can turn to in this manner. I do hope to be available to help support your ideas, give advice or even join a team whenever appropriate. My role will be one of supporting your visions in the best way I can, and encouraging you to maintain and build upon this already special place. I will have availability, and if you would like my assistance in any way, please e-mail Bruce Vaughn's office to request my time.

This is not a goodbye, but hopefully a letter of introduction to the many of you that I have not yet had the chance to meet personally …

Tony Baxter

Feb. 1, 2013

The Mouse Castle wishes Tony well on his future endeavors. You will be missed.

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Watch the Annie Awards Live on The Mouse Castle!

Celebrating and honoring the best in animation, the Annie Awards will be presented tonight beginning at 7:00 p.m. PST at UCLA's Royce Hall...and The Mouse Castle will be streaming it live right here!

Live video for mobile from Ustream

The event will be co-hosted by film critic Leonard Maltin, voice actors Rob Paulsen and Maurice Lamarche, and actor/comedian/animation wonk Seth Green. Presenters at the 40th annual ceremony include Jessica Walter, James Patrick Stuart, Kristen Schaal, Mae Whitman, Sean Astin, Jim Cummings and Tony Anselmo.

In the animated feature categories, there are no clear-cut favorites. Pixar's Brave and Disney's Wreck-It Ralph lead the crowd with ten nominations each including Best Animated Feature while ParaNorman from LAIKA/Focus Features has eight nominations. Frankenweenie, also from Disney, has five nominations.

The Annies were the brainchild of animation voice legend June Foray, who at age 95 will be among the presenters at this year's ceremory. The Annies' honorary June Foray Award is presented each year to "individuals who have made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation." This year's June Foray Award winner is Howard Green.

Here's the complete list of Annie Award nominations (UPDATE - Winners are highlighted in red):

Best Animated Feature
Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
The Rabbi’s Cat – GKIDS
Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Special Production
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 – Warner Bros. Animation
Beforel Orel – Trust – Starburns Industries, Inc.
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – Illumination Entertainment
Disney Tron: Uprising – Beck’s Beginning – Disney TV Animation
Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury – DreamWorks Animation
Justice League: Doom – Warner Bros. Animation

Best Animated Short Subject
Brad and Gary – Illumination Entertainment
Bydlo – The National Film Board of Canada
Eyes on the Stars – StoryCorps
Goodnight Mr. Foot – Sony Pictures Animation
Kali the Little Vampire – Folimage Studios, Ciclope Filmes, The National Film Board of Canada and Studio GDS
Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare’ – Gracie Films
Paperman – Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Simpsons – ‘Bill Plympton Couch Gag’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV

Best Animated Television Commercial
NO NOMINATIONS

Best Animated Television Production For Preschool Children
Bubble Guppies ‘A Tooth on the Looth’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Chuggington ‘Magnetic Wilson’ – Ludorum
Jake & The Never Land Pirates ‘Peter Pan Returns’ – Disney TV Animation
Doc McStuffins ‘The Right Stuff’ – Brown Bag Films
Justin Time ‘Marcello’s Meatballs’ – Guru Studio

Best Animated Television Production For Children
Adventure Time ‘Princess Cookie’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Dragons: Riders of Berk ‘How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
LEGO Star Wars ‘The Empire Strikes Out’ – Threshold Animation Studios
Penguins of Madagascar ‘Action Reaction’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
SpongeBob SquarePants ‘It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
The Amazing World of Gumball ‘The Job’ – Cartoon Network Studio Europe
The Fairly OddParents ‘Farm Pit’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
The Legend of Korra ‘Welcome to Republic City’/’A Leaf in the Wind’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Best General Audience Animated Television Production
Archer ‘Space Race, Part 1’ – Floyd County Production and FX Productions for FX
Bob's Burgers ‘Earsy Rider’ – 20th Century Fox TV
Motorcity ‘Blond Thunder’ – Disney TV Animation
MAD ‘FrankenWinnie/ParaMorgan’ – Warner Bros. Animation
Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special’ - Stoopid Buddy Studios
South Park ‘Raising the Bar’ – Central Productions

Best Animated Video Game
Borderlands 2 – Gearbox Software
Family Guy – Back to the Mutiverse – Heavy Iron Studios
Journey – Sony Computer Entertainment America
Skullgirls – Lab Zero Games

Best Student Film
Can We Be Happy Now – Tahnee Gehm
Defective Detective – Avner Geller & Stevie Lewis
Head Over Heels – Timothy Reckart
I Am Tom Moody – Ainslie Henderson
Ladies Knight – Joseph Rothenberg
Origin – Jessica Poon
The Ballad of Poisonberry Pete – Adam Campbell, Elizabeth McMahill, Uri Lotan
Tule Lake – Michelle Ikemoto

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Andrew Nawrot, Joe Gorski, Grant Laker – ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Andrew Schneider - Ice Age: Continental Drift – Blue Sky Studios
Andy Hayes, Carl Hooper, David Lipton - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Bill Watral, Chris Chapman, Dave Hale, Keith Klohn, Michael K. O’Brien - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Brett Albert – Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Jihyun Yoon – Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – DreamWorks Animation
Joel Aron – Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Jerome Platteaux, John Sigurdson, Ryan Hopkins, Raul Essig, Mark Chataway - The Avengers – Industrial Light & Magic
Stephen Marshall, Joseph Pepper, Dustin Wicke – The Amazing Spiderman – Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sue Rowe, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Artemis Oikonomopoulou, Holger Voss, Nikki Makar, Catherine Elvidge - John Carter - Cinesite
Willi Geiger, Rick Hankins, Florent Andorra, Florian Witzel, Aron Bonar - Battleship – Industrial Light & Magic

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Dan Driscoll - SpongeBob SquarePants 'It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jennifer Dickie - Justin Time 'Yodel Odel Day’ – Guru Studio
Keith Kellogg - Star Wars: The Clone Wars 'Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Savelen Forrest - SpongeBob SquarePants 'It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Shi Zimu - Dragons 'Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
Sihanouk Mariona - Beforel Orel 'Trust’ – Starburns Industries, Inc.
Teri Yam - Dragons 'Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
Yan Jiazhuang - Dragons 'Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production
Dan Nguyen - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
David Pate - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Jaime Landes - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Philippe LeBrun - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Pierre Perifel - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Travis Hathaway - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Travis Knight - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Will Becher - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Erik de Boer, Amanda Dague, Matt Brown, Mary Lynn Machado, Aaron Grey - Life of Pi - Orangutan – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Erik de Boer, Matt Shumway, Brian Wells, Vinayak Pawar, Michael Holzl - Life of Pi - Tiger – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser, Scott Benza, Steve King, Kiran Bhat - The Avengers – Industrial Light & Magic
Mike Beaulieu, Roger Vizard, Atsushi Sato, Jackie Koehler, Derek Esparza, Richard Smith, Max Tyrie – The Amazing Spiderman - Sony Pictures Imageworks

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Andy Bialk - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'Alvin and the Outcasts’ – DreamWorks Animaton
Andy Suriano - DC Nation-Plastic Man 'The Many and the Fowl’ – Big Hair Productions, Inc.
Bryan Konietzko, Joaquim Dos Santos, Ki-Hyun Ryu, Kim Il Kwang, Kim Jin Sun - The Legend of Korra 'Welcome to Republic City’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
“C” Raggio IV - Kick Buttowski 'Petrified’ – Disney TV Animation
Derrick Wyatt, Chap Yaep, Steven Choi, Shakeh Haghnazarian - Ben 10: Omniverse 'The More Things Change, Pt. 2’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Gordon Hammond - T.U.F.F. Puppy 'Dudley Do-Wrong’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Robert Valley - Disney Tron: Uprising 'The Renegade, Part I’ – Disney TV Animation
Thaddeus Paul Cauldron - Secret Mountain Fort Awesome 'Secret Mountain Uncle Grandpa’- Cartoon Network Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Bill Schwab, Lorelay Bove, Cory Loftis, Minkyu Lee - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Carlos Grangel - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Carter Goodrich - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Craig Kellman - Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – DreamWorks Animation
Heidi Smith - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon, Colin Stimpson - Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – Illumination Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Howy Parkins - Jake and The Never Land Pirates 'Peter Pan Returns! – Disney TV Animation
John Eng - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh - SpongeBob SquarePants 'It’s a Spongebob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Mic Graves - The Amazing World of Gumball 'The Job’ – Cartoon Network Studio Europe
Michael Chang - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 'Never Say Xever’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Zack Keller, Ed Skudder - Dick Figures 'Kung Fu Winners’ – Six Point Harness

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Genndy Tartakovsky - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux - The Rabbi’s Cat - GKIDS
Remi Bezancon, Jean-Christophe Lie - Zarafa - GKIDS
Rich Moore - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Sam Fell, Chris Butler - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Adam Berry - Penguins of Madagascar 'Private and the Winky Factory’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Alf Clausen - The Simpsons 'Treehouse of Horror XXIII’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Frederik Wiedmann - Green Lantern The Animated Series 'Into the Abyss’ - F. Wiedmann, Composer
Guy Moon - T.U.F.F. Puppy 'Really Big Mission’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
John Paesano - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
Michael Rubin, John Angier - Bubble Guppies 'Bubble Puppy’s Fintastic Fairytale!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production
Alexandre Desplat - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Bruce Retief - Adventures in Zambezia – Triggerfish
Henry Jackman, Skrillex, Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen, Jamie Houston, Yasushi Akimoto - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda - Secret of the Wings – DisneyToon Studios
John Powell, Adam Schlesinger, Ester Dean - Ice Age: Continental Drift – Blue Sky Studios
John Powell, Cinco Paul - Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – Illumination Entertainment
Mark Mothersbaugh - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick Doyle, Mark Andrews, Alex Mandel - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Alberto Mielgo - Tron: Uprising 'The Stranger’ – Disney TV Animation
Ian Worrel - Gravity Falls 'Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
Lynna Blankenship, Sean Coons, Hugh Macdonald, Debbie Peterson, Charles Ragins, Lance Wilder, Darrel Bowen, John Krause, Kevin Moore, Brent M. Bowen, Brice Mallier, Steven Fahey, Dima Malanitchev, Karen Bauer, Eli Balser, Anne Legge - The Simpsons 'Moe Goes From Rags to Riches’ – Film Roman
Nick Jennings, Martin Ansolabehere, Sandra Calleros, Ron Russell, Santino Lascano, Derek Hunter, Catherine E. Simmonds - Adventure Time 'The Hard Easy’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Peter Martin, Chris Grine, Ira Baker, Ramon Olivera, Scott Brown - hoops & yoyo 'Haunted Halloween’ – Hallmark
Brandon James Scott, Keith Lee - Justin Time 'The Rubbery Dumplings’ – Guru Studio

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Kendal Cronkhite-Shaindlin, Shannon Jeffries, Lindsey Olivares, Kenard Pak - Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – DreamWorks Animation
Marcelo Vignali - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Nash Dunnigan, Arden Chan, Jon Townley, Kyle Macnaughton - Ice Age: Continental Drift – Blue Sky Studios
Nelson Lowry, Ross Stewart, Pete Oswald, Ean McNamara, Trevor Dalmer - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Norman Garwood, Matt Perry - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animation and Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick Hanenberger, Max Boas, Jayee Borcar, Woonyoung Jung, Perry Maple, Peter Maynez, Stan Seo, Felix Yoon - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Rick Heinrichs - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Steve Pilcher - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Andy Kelly - Doc McStuffins 'Righty-On-Lefty’ – Brown Bag Films
Cole Sanchez, Rebecca Sugar - Adventure Time: Lady & Peebles – Cartoon Network Studios
Doug Lovelacem - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man’ – DreamWorks Animation
Holly Forsyth - Sofia the First 'Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
Irineo Maramba, Ciro Nieli ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman’’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Robert Valley, Kalvin Lee - Tron: Uprising 'The Reward’ – Disney TV Animation
Ryan Kramer, Paul Linsley, Kenji Ono, Le Tang, Alice Herring, Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley - Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness 'Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Tom Herpich, Skyler Page - Adventure Time 'Goliad’ – Cartoon Network Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Emmanuela Cozzi - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Johanne Matte - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Leo Matsuda - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Lissa Treiman - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Rob Koo - Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
James Patrick Stuart as Private - Penguins of Madagascar 'High Moltage’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jeff Bennett as Keswick - T.U.F.F. Puppy 'Pup Daddy’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jessica Walter as Malory Archer - Archer 'Lo Scandolo’ – Floyd County Production and FX Productions for FX
Kevin Michael Richardson as Willem Viceroy - Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 'Gossip Boy’ – Titmouse Inc./Boulder Media
Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines - Gravity Falls 'Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
Mae Whitman as April O'Neil – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 'Rise of the Turtles’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul - Star Wars: The Clone Wars 'Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Tom McGrath as Skipper - Penguins of Madagascar 'The Otter Woman’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Adam Sandler as Dracula - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Alan Tudyk as King Candy - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Atticus Shaffer as "E"Gore - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Catherine O'Hara as Weird Girl - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
Jim Cummings as Budzo - Adventures in Zambezia – Triggerfish
Jude Law as Pitch - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Kelly MacDonald as Merida - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Doug Langdale - Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness 'Kung Fu Day Care’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Eric Horsted – Futurama 'The Bots and the Bees’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Gabe Garza – Penguins of Madagascar 'Endangerous Species’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Ian Maxtone-Graham, Billy Kimball - The Simpsons 'How I Wet Your Mother’ - Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Kacey Arnold – Robot and Monster 'The Blimp’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Mike Teverbaugh, Linda Teverbaugh - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Stephanie Gillis - The Simpsons 'A Tree Grows in Springfield’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Trey Parker – South Park 'Jewpacabra’ – Central Productions

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Chris Butler - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
Gideon Defoe - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa, Karey Kirkpatrick - From Up on Poppy Hill - GKIDS
John August - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
Bret Marnell - Puss in Boots 'Three Diablos’ – DreamWorks Animation
Chris Hink - Robot and Monster 'Cheer Up Mr. Wheelie’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waeden, Otto Ferraye - Kung Fu Panda ‘Monkey in the Middle’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waeden, Otto Ferraye - Kung Fu Panda 'Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jason Tucker, A.C.E. - Star Wars: The Clone Wars 'Revival’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Lynn Hobson - Dragons: Riders of Berk 'Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Pieter Kaufman - Sofia the First 'Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
Steffie Lucchesi, Matt Steinauer, Amy Blaisdell - Dan Vs. 'Monster Under The Bed’ – Film Roman

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Catherine Apple - Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
Joyce Arrastia - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Rosenbaum - Secret of the Wings – DisneyToon Studios
Nicholas C. Smith, A.C.E, Robert Grahamjones, A.C.E., David Suther - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Tim Mertens - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Winsor McCay Award — Oscar Grillo, Terry Gilliam, Mark Henn
June Foray Award — Howard Green
Ub Iwerks Award — Toon Boom Animation Pipeline

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