New York-based animator/director Julia Tortolani has signed with Wild Brain, San Francisco, an animation studio whose commercial production is overseen by exec. producer Paul Golden. Tortolani spent the past six months freelancing in the New York market; her last staff position was as head of design and animation for new-media projects at bicoastal/ international @radical.media. She left @radical back in July.
Tortolani chose Wild Brain for its diversity in animation styles, where she could expand on her own work, which includes 2-D cel, drawn, cutout and her signature style, photo collage. But more importantly, she was also seeking a facility to support her creative vision. Wild Brain really offered a great connection into a full-service animation production company that was well-known and well-regarded in the business, said Tortolani.
Tortolani began her career at New York-based animation studio Vanguard Media while still studying illustration at Parsons School of Design in New York. She worked first as an animator on MTVs Liquid Television Autoguard 2000, an animated short, and was then promoted to director of animation on several CD-ROM titles, including Byron Preiss Cartoon Studio and Merriam-Websters Animated Childrens Dictionary.
After graduation Tortolani was hired by @radical.media to start up its new-media department where she worked on Web site development, interactive touch screen kiosks and CD-ROM design. At the time, CD-ROMs were just breaking onto the scene and it was through that new-media boom that I was able to get a lot of work, explained Tortolani, who gradually introduced animation to @radicals repertoire.
It was through @radicals close relationship with Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., and the encouragement of @radical partner/executive producer Jon Kamen that Tortolani got the opportunity to direct and animate a :90 trailer for Nike NYC Basketball titled NYC, a 2-D cel-animated short that chronicles a mock basketball game between Los Angeles and New York. NYC won an Ad Age Animation of the Year Award in 1995 and its success subsequently won Tortolani more work with Wieden & Kennedy for Coca-Cola (Skateboard, Boutique, Wave, T-Shirts, Businessman and Hairdresser) and Microsoft (Origami). Jon Kamen was super supportive of my career and it was those wonderful opportunities that allowed me to branch out and move on to the next level, said Tortolani.
Since joining Wild Brain, Tortolani has already completed a :15 opener and :5 close for a show called Out of Your Mind, which airs daily on Noggin, a new educational cable television channel launched this month. Tortolani would like to remain New York-based but noted theres a possibility she might move to San Francisco.
