The Present and Future of Women in Animation

Recent research from the Annenberg Inclusion Institute has shown that the field of animation is one of the few areas in the entertainment industry where women are accelerating. However, the data is more complicated than surface impressions. Women are leading at the top, and many women are working at the entry level, but they are not rising through the ranks. Why is this, and what can be done? In this panel we will hear from Dr. Stacy Smith and women who work across all fields of animation to discuss the current field of animation and what we can do to get women across the pipeline of the animation industry.

Moderator
Jinko Gotoh has produced award-winning animated features for over 25+ years. Currently,  she is working with Mark Osborne on Escape From Hat, based on a children’s book by Adam Kline.

Panelists
Claudia Spinelli is Nickelodeon’s Senior Vice President of Animation Development. In this role, Spinelli oversees the development pipeline of all new animated content, while identifying potential creators, showrunners, writers and directors. She also works closely with Nickelodeon’s talent relations department and the animation community to scout new talent for animation development.

Hsiang Chin Moe is an artist and educator with experience in higher education, production, technology and management. She is the inaugural BFA Animation Chair at School of Visual Arts in New York City. She also serves on the board of Women in Animation organization as the Chair for Education program, where she works closely with the industry’s leading artists, filmmakers and recruiters to create an equal and supportive platform for women in the creative industry.

Candy Kugel, is a member of AMPAS and the TV Academy, she has created over a dozen award-winning animated shorts — included in MoMA’s Film Archives. She created the original 2 MTV “Top of the Hour” IDs and the “I Want My MTV” ads. Thru Buzzco Assoc, she directed TV shows, educational films & ads -“Talking About Sex” (PPFA) & “Between the Lions” (WGBH), “It’s Still Me!” a valuable resource about aphasia. She executive produced and developed “Angela’s Christmas”, a TV special, running on Netflix.

Ellen Su – Ellen Su is a director and designer at Nathan Love as well as a professor at the School of Visual Arts. With a diverse skill set in design, storytelling, and animation, Ellen brings a fresh new perspective to her projects. She has worked with award-winning studios such as Pixar Animation Studios, Facebook, TED-Ed, The Mill, R/GA, and Psyop. Her animated short film, Spacebound, has been screened around the world and featured in publications such as 3D World Magazine and Animation Magazine.

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