March 21, 2023 Mason Richards’ ‘The Seawall’ Screens in FSU MoFA Exhibition Filmmaker Mason Richards’ (Film/Video MFA 10) CalArts thesis film “The Seawall” screens in the...
March 8, 2023 CalArtians Direct Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Jeff Rowe (Film/Video 11) makes his feature directorial debut with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:...
February 27, 2023 CalArtians Honored at 50th Annual Annie Awards The Annie Awards returned to an in-person ceremony for its semicentennial this past weekend,...
February 22, 2023 CalArtians Receive Women in Animation Scholarships CalArtians Michelle Cheng (Film/Video BFA 24) and Maggie McKelvey (Film/Video BFA 25) are among...
February 3, 2023 Upcoming Film Screenings in LA for Nina Menkes, Lewis Klahr, and Thom Andersen Screenings and film programs that focus on works by CalArts faculty Nina Menkes, Lewis Klahr,...
Daron Nefcy Character Animation BFA 09 Creator of Disney Channel’s Star vs. The Forces of Evil Daron Nefcy I was pitching ideas for shows while I was still a student at CalArts. My first job out was on Warner Bros.’ MAD. It ran on Cartoon Network for many seasons and was cool because I got to make my own mini films. Then, I worked at Nickelodeon as a storyboard revisionist on Robot and Monster. I pitched Star to Disney and, eventually, it went into development. It took a year to make the pilot, and when that was done, I took a job on Wander Over Yonder at Disney, a Craig McCracken show. Now, I’m full-time on Star, which is in its second season. I think the reason so many alumni are running shows, is that all animation students at CalArts have to make their own films every year. Producing a TV show is like making a bunch of mini CalArts films—except that you have a whole team helping you—and you have to make them extremely quickly. But the experience of learning every part of the process is so important. While you’re learning to write and storyboard, you’re also animating, finding actors, getting music, and editing. You graduate with four films, and, of course, your final film is much better than the first. It’s inspiring to be at CalArts. Everyone’s artistic style is different. You’re pretty much living with these people; working in cubicles that are open all night. It’s like being in the trenches with all these wonderful artists with whom you form close relationships. It’s really a special, special place.