The 2015 film industry award season was exciting for several graduates of Purdue’s computer graphics technology program. The Oscar and Golden Globe award winners for best animated feature film each included Purdue graduates as part of their crews*.
At least four alumni worked on Walt Disney Animation’s “Big Hero 6”, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: Nara Yun, Norman Joseph, Kaileen Kraemer and Tyler Kupferer.
Kraemer told the Purdue Exponent, “Whether you want to become an animator, software engineer, concept artist or producer, it is important you have a strong and always growing understanding of the technology that goes into creating these films.”
Read more from the Exponent about these “Big Hero 6” animators.
At least four other alumni worked on the DreamWorks Animation film “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” which claimed the Golden Globe award for Best Animated Film. Alumni crew members included Christian Barrett, Travis Mosley, Matt Brisbin, and Christopher Sprunger.
Job titles for these crew members include technical director, interaction designer, surfacing technical director and layout artist.
*the list of alumni crew members may not include all who worked on the films; their involvement was self reported.