Want to learn more about our DNEG Animpalooza speakers & attendees? Keep scrolling! 

Bill Damaschke (President, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation)

Bill Damaschke is President of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, a division of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. Damaschke is forging a new creative direction for feature animation at Warner Bros. Discovery that broadens cross-divisional opportunities throughout multiple platforms. With oversight encompassing all aspects of development and production for the feature animation division, Damaschke plans to deliver a dynamic slate of compelling animated movies for a global audience including  the recently announced The Cat in the Hat.

A groundbreaking and widely respected animation leader, Damaschke got his start at DreamWorks, where he rose through the ranks from animation production assistant to ultimately lead the company as Chief Creative Officer. During his tenure, Damaschke spearheaded a string of successful franchise features, including the Oscar-nominated films Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon as well as the acclaimed blockbusters Madagascar and The Croods.

At DreamWorks, Damaschke also oversaw all of the live theatrical productions, including the award-winning Shrek The Musical.

Currently, Damaschke also produces theatrical stage productions through his independent production company StoryKey Entertainment, including The Prom, which was adapted by Ryan Murphy as a film and director Alex Timber’s wildly successful and acclaimed stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge, which won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Damaschke also served as a producer on Shark Tale, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2004, and as an executive producer of Over the Hedge and Kung Fu Panda.

Alessandro Carloni (Writer / Director, The Cat in the Hat)

Alessandro Carloni is an Italian film director, writer, animator, and art director. Born in Bologna, Carloni grew up in Urbino. He studied literature and music at the University of Milan, while also developing as an artist and illustrator.

He first worked in Italy as a writer and music composer, before entering the world of filmmaking as a commercial and music video director throughout England, Germany and Denmark.

He moved to the United States in 2002 where he worked at DreamWorks Animation as Head of Story, Head of Animation and eventually Director on some of the most successful and iconic animation franchises such as Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

Currently, he is creating and writing a TV series for Netflix scheduled for a 2025 release, developing an animated feature film with Paul McCartney, and writing and directing The Cat in the Hat for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.

Erica Rivinoja (Writer / Director, The Cat in the Hat)

Erica Rivinoja is a writer and director who has worked in both television and features for over 20 years. She spent 11 of those years as a writer/producer on South Park, where she won two Emmy awards. The New Mexico native has also written for numerous television shows including The Last Man on Earth, Up All Night, Marry Me, Grounded For Life, and the original Clone High. In addition to her television work, Erica has been active in feature films. She has written on the features Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Dreamworks’ Trolls, Girls Trip, The Addams Family, and Despicable Me 4. In 2021 she received both a Writers’ Guild Award and an Academy Award nomination for her work on the critically acclaimed Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. A Dartmouth graduate, she was the showrunner for the reboot of Clone High. Erica is currently writing and directing the new animated feature for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, The Cat in the Hat, Erica lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two perfect children.

Shane Prigmore (Director)

For the past 28 years, Shane Prigmore has been a respected animator, designer, storyteller and creative leader in the animation and entertainment industry. He has contributed to the creation of such revered feature films and series as The Iron Giant, How to Train Your Dragon, Coraline, The Lego Movie, Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends, The Croods and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In 2015, Shane was pulled into the executive ranks as VP of development at Disney Television Animation, where he spearheaded the creative development of acclaimed series including The Owl House, Duck Tales, Amphibia and Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur. Shane joined Skydance Animation in 2020 as SVP, of Development, guiding the creation of major feature film and series projects set for future release. With nearly 3 decades of experience in virtually every aspect of the animated filmmaking process, Shane joined Warner Bros. Pictures Animation as a director and senior creative advisor in 2023. He is currently directing an unannounced show for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.

Rikke Asbjoern (Head of Story)

Rikke Asbjoern is the co-creator, writer, director and executive producer of both the animated interactive Netflix movie, We Lost Our Human, and the Netflix/Nickelodeon animated series, Pinky Malinky (for which she earned an Annie nomination for Best Writing).

Born in the north of Denmark, Rikke has always had a huge passion for cartoons and drawing from an early age, so in 1997 she became one of the youngest students to start at the Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark.

She has worked in the animation industry for over twenty years in feature films, TV series, commercials, music videos, and short films, in various roles such as creating, show-running, executive producing, writing, directing, story artist, animation director, supervising animator, and animator. She has worked at DreamWorks, Sony, Paramount, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, being involved with projects such as the Gorillaz music videos for Passion Pictures, Monkey: Journey to the West with Jamie Hewlett, Trolls, Puss In Boots, SpongeBob, The Smurfs, Tony the Tiger, Coco Pops, 3 Mobile, MTV, Adidas: Impossible Is Nothing, The Tigger Movie, and The Jungle Book 2.

Kim Mackey (EVP, Production Talent, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation)

As EVP of Production Talent at Warner Brothers Pictures Animation, Kim Mackey is responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy across the division. This includes helping to attract and retain top talent as well as the artistic management and training for the feature film animation division.

Kim Mackey is a twenty-five+ year veteran of the animation industry and, most recently, was the Head of Recruiting for Netflix Animation overseeing the hiring across the Film, Series and Adult Animation divisions.

Prior to Netflix, Kim was Global Head of Recruiting for DreamWorks Animation and her career there spanned 20+ years. Prior to her role in recruiting at DreamWorks Animation, she contributed to the studio’s feature success in production roles for Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Shark Tale, and Flushed Away. As a Talent Acquisition studio executive, she managed resource needs across the entire studio’s production slate, including the studio’s biggest franchises Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.

Kim is a member of the Producers Guild of America, Television Academy, Visual Effects Society, ASIFA Hollywood and Women in Animation. She holds a BS in Broadcasting and Film from Boston University.

David James (Creative Director, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation)

David James was born in Montreal, Canada. David has worked in the film and television industry since 1995 as a concept artist, layout designer, art director and production designer. In addition to his animation film work, David teaches at ACCD giving talks and presentations on film and film design for students and industry professionals worldwide. David James is a member of AMPAS and works with Warner Bros. Picture Animation as the Creative Director and Production Designer on an unannounced upcoming feature.

His filmography includes work as Production Designer for Flushed Away (Aardman/Dreamworks 2006), Monsters Vs. Aliens (Dreamworks 2009) Megamind (Dreamworks 2010), Mr. Peabody and Sherman (Dreamworks 2014), The Boss Baby (Dreamworks 2017), Art Director for Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas (Dreamworks 2003) and Visual Developement Artist for The Road to El Dorado (Dreamworks 2000), Over the Hedge (Dreamworks 2006) and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron (2002).

Megan Dong (Director)

Megan Nicole Dong is a director, author, Executive Producer and creator of the animated musical series Centaurworld at Netflix. Her book, Sharky Malarkey: A Sketchshark Collection was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing in September 2018. A Southern California native, Megan grew up loving sharks, marine biology, musical theatre, and doodling in class. She has worked at Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, and Titmouse Inc on titles such as How to Train Your Dragon 2, Pinky Malinky, Metalocalypse, and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. In 2017, she was named one of Variety Magazine’s 10 Animators to Watch. She subsequently went to Netflix Animation to produce her own original series which debuted in 2021. Megan is currently directing and unannounced feature animation for Locksmith Animation & Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.

Carolyn Soper (Producer, Locksmith Animation & Warner Bros. Pictures Animation)

Carolyn Soper is currently the Producer on an unannounced show. As an experienced film producer and studio executive, Carolyn brings a wide and valuable perspective to her leadership approach to both teams and process. Most recently, Carolyn was executive producer on a Netflix Animation production of an Archewell Productions animated series, Pearl. She spent 18 months developing for Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, her exciting concept of a family series that centres on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who finds inspiration in a variety of influential women throughout history.

After moving to the UK in 2012, Carolyn produced Sherlock Gnomes, a high-end Paramount Pictures animated film, and was head of production at Rocket Pictures for David Furnish, Elton John, and Steve Hamilton Shaw for the years mounting both Sherlock Gnomes and Rocketman.

Prior to that, the Walt Disney Company was deeply in her blood as she worked at the studio for two decades, the latter in animation, culminating in an executive job as Head of Production for Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the former in visual effects, as a Visual Effects Producer at BVVE (Buena Vista Visual Effects), the in-house Visual Effects facility run by the illustrious Harrison Ellenshaw.

And just to make it interesting, in the middle there somewhere, she took a two-year sabbatical to design clothes, a passion. One of her gowns was worn on the red carpet, adorning an Emmy winner that night!

Crosby Clyse (Managing Director, DNEG Animation) 

Crosby Clyse joined DNEG Animation in 2016, and has since been an integral part of guiding the division’s growth and development. As the previous Head of Production, he was instrumental in defining the pipeline and processes of the new division. Crosby has overseen the delivery of all shows to date, from Ron’s Gone Wrong, Entergalactic and Nimona, to Under the Boardwalk, That Christmas, and highly anticipated, The Garfield Movie.

As the division’s Managing Director, Crosby manages the DNEG Animation global team and its growing slate of projects. Focused on quality, Crosby empowers his team to deliver the highest level of work, creating unique and distinct looks for every project that they undertake. Guided by his passion for collaboration, the team continues to push the boundaries in character animation and beyond. Prior to DNEG, Clyse was at Pixar, where his work can be seen on shows such as Onward, Finding Dory, The Good Dinosaur and Brave.

Kara Oropallo (Vice President, Crew Development, DNEG Animation) 

Kara Oropallo is the Vice President, Crew Development. She is passionate about connecting animation artists and managers with the tools and networks they need to succeed — both at the start of their careers and throughout their professional journeys. Kara spends half of her time talking up DNEG Animation and its fantastic people at industry events and schools, and the other half of her time internally structuring and delivering training programs that support our workforce.

Prior to joining DNEG, Kara conducted workshops and training programs with numerous studios, including DreamWorks Animation (Feature & TV), Netflix Animation, Skydance Animation, Paramount Animation, Reel FX Animation, and Mikros Animation. She also co-hosts You’ll Think of Something, a creative management podcast that provides a space for focused discussion on how to be a productive creative person on a team, in your own personal work, and in your life!

Philippe Denis (Creative Director, DNEG Animation) 

Philippe Denis is the Creative Director of DNEG Animation. He oversees the creative output of the division’s teams globally, while also developing the long-term strategy for the creative direction of the division. While at DNEG Animation, Philippe previously worked as VFX Supervisor on the division’s first full-length feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong, and served as VFX Supervisor on the animated musical comedy, Under The Boardwalk, for Paramount Pictures.

Prior to joining DNEG Animation in 2017, Philippe spent nearly two decades of his 25+ year career at DreamWorks Animation in California. While there, he served as a CG Supervisor on projects such as Madagascar, Over the Hedge, and Shrek the Third. He also served as VFX Supervisor for beloved animated movies such as Megamind, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Trolls.

David Park (Head of Production, DNEG Animation) 

David Park is currently the Head of Production at DNEG Animation. He is an award-winning producer with twenty years of experience in arts and media production management. David has previously held roles at Pixar, Locksmith Animation and Passion Pictures. Prior to joining, David’s most recent projects were producing the short film The Day I Became A Bird (2023) at Passion and Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021) as Associate Producer for Locksmith Animation. During his 15 years at Pixar, David served as Production Manager on Coco (2017) and Monsters University (2013); Animation Department Manager on Toy Story 3 (2010); Animation Coordinator on Wall-E (2008) and Art Coordinator for Ratatouille (2007). In 2018 David received the PGA award, for ‘Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures’ for Coco.

Ted Ty (Global Head of Character Animation, DNEG Animation) 

Ted Ty is Global Head of Character Animation for DNEG Animation and the Animation Director on Nimona. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Ted brings a deep understanding of both 2D and 3D animation. As a creative leader, he understands the importance of creating a supportive environment to give artists the opportunity to grow in their craft and fulfill their utmost potential.

Before joining DNEG, Ted helped establish the emerging studio L’Atelier Animation in Montreal. During his time at L’Atelier, Ted worked as Co-Director and Head of Animation on animated action-comedy Fireheart and as Animation Director on a variety of projects including Ballerina and Netflix’s series Robozuna.

Between 2005 and 2014 Ted worked as an animator at DreamWorks Animation, where he contributed to major feature films Kung Fu Panda, Shrek Forever After, Puss in Boots, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Rise of the Guardians.

He started his animation career at Walt Disney Animation, working on the original The Lion King and Pocahontas. For over ten years he worked as an Animator and Lead Animator under the leadership of animation legends Mark Henn, Ruben Aquino and James Baxter, contributing to iconic films such as Mulan, John Henry and Lilo & Stitch.

With the ever changing nature of the world of animation, Ted constantly draws on his experience to push for new techniques and approaches.

Jennifer Harlow (Animation Supervisor, DNEG Animation) 

Jennifer is currently an Animation Supervisor at DNEG Animation based in Montreal. With over 14 years of experience, her passion for the craft of animation is evident in her understanding of both traditional and CG animation techniques. After graduating from CalArts Character Animation Department, Jennifer began her career as an intern at Pixar, before she moved onto character animation at DreamWorks Animation. She honed her skills there for several years on feature films such as The Croods, and How to Train Your Dragon 2 before she joined the DNEG’s Feature Animation division. Her work can also be found in Netflix specials, TV series, a variety of animated projects and more recently on shows including Nimona, Under the Boardwalk, and That Christmas.

Charlotte Arnoult (Final Layout Supervisor, DNEG Animation) 

Charlotte Arnoult is currently a Final Layout Supervisor at DNEG Animation. Her passion for cinematography and photography led her to study Previz and Layout, in order to pursue her dream of one day directing her own film.

She began her career in film in France in 2015, and soon after became Previz/Layout Supervisor on the TV show Pat the Dog, at Superprod. From there, she became an Assistant Director on the Miraculous Ladybug series. This new challenge helped Charlotte build her narrative approach and improve her eye. Charlotte then moved to Canada and discovered the world of VFX, where she worked as a Senior/Lead at major studios MPC and Millfilm. There she gained valuable experience on blockbuster shows like XMen, Detective Pikachu and Call of the Wild, to name a few.

In 2021, Charlotte returned to Feature Animation and joined the Previz/Layout team at Mikros working on Paw Patrol, later becoming a Lead Previz/Layout Artist there. Charlotte’s experience also included time at SingingFrog as Previz/Layout Supervisor before joining DNEG Animation in September 2022 as Final Layout Supervisor. Charlotte values strong team connections where ideas can be openly shared in the pursuit of a common goal. She is dedicated to improving her management skills through each of her supervisory roles and through her teaching experiences where she mentors the next generation of animators. And, of course, she is still perfecting her eye through her camera.

Zhujun Bamboo Wang (FX Lead, DNEG Animation) 

Zhujun Bamboo Wang has loved animation since she was a kid. She carried her passion through college and graduate school, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 2D Animation and a Master’s in VFX. Bamboo has worked in LA, Beijing, and Montreal. She has worked as an FX Artist on Suicide Squad, the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Alien: Covenant, Ad Astra, Narcos, Scoob, and more. In the spring of 2021 Bamboo joined DNEG Animation where she feels fortunate to have worked on Nimona as a first time lead.

Shabnam Abbarin (Pipeline Supervisor, DNEG Animation)

Shabnam Abbarin is a Pipeline Supervisor at DNEG Animation, with over 14 years experience in the Animation industry. Her career has encompassed both creative and technical roles. Shabnam began her career as an animator on a variety of Canadian and American youth media content, where her credits can be found on shows such as Franny’s Feet, Dino Dan, Annedroids and Rusty Rivets. She he later moved on to technical direction, working on award-winning animated movies such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Over the Moon, The Sea Beast, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Coyote vs. Acme.

Now, as a Pipeline Supervisor, she oversees the film and animation projects’ technical production pipeline. Shabnam manages a team of technical directors, overseeing artist tools/software projects, and supervising the programming for DNEG’s computer graphics applications. Her passion goes beyond technology, as she has a keen interest in the issues of representation in the workplace and beyond. Shabnam is dedicated to participating in diversity and inclusion initiatives wherever she can.