A celebration of the talent and legacy of important animated projects with the creators who made them happen.
Animal Logic is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and this exciting session will look back on the 15-year partnership between Co-Founder and CEO, Zareh Nalbandian and COO, Sharon Taylor. Find out what it means to be an Animal, their unique approach to studio culture that goes well beyond Friday Night Drinks and how they manage the delicate balance of creativity, technology and business.
The two collaborators will highlight key projects from Happy Feet to The LEGO Movie Franchise to Peter Rabbit and beyond. The discussion will explore a key part of Animal Logic’s evolution with the opening of a second studio in Vancouver in 2015 and touch on how the animation powerhouse plans to expand their commitment to the creative community in British Columbia.
SPEAKERS
Zareh Nalbandian
Co-Founder, CEO & Producer // Animal Logic
Zareh Nalbandian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Animal Logic. Under his leadership, Animal Logic has created seminal feature animation and VFX work for over 30 years, collaborating with visionary filmmakers and major studio partners. Zareh was most notably Executive Producer on The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Movie 2, Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and Producer on Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
Zareh oversees Animal Logic Studios’ Sydney and Vancouver locations, as well as Animal Logic Entertainment (ALE) and Truant Pictures in Los Angeles. Zareh is dedicated to fostering talent within the Animal Logic Group through mentorship, training, and a culture built on creating great work with great people.
With ALE and Truant Pictures’ development teams, Zareh continues to develop an eclectic slate of feature films and television projects. With a focus on family animation and hybrid films for theatrical and streaming platforms, ALE has partnered with a number of major studios across Hollywood including Imagine Entertainment, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Truant Pictures collaborates with emerging and established talent with a focus on live-action genre films and television for a worldwide market.
Zareh is a board member of the Sydney Film Festival and a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, Visual Effects Society, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Zareh was named Australian National Cinema Pioneer of the Year, cementing his reputation as a world leader in the fields of animation, VFX, film development, and production. Most recently, Zareh was appointed to the Federal Government’s Australian Broadband Advisory Council.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
Sharon Taylor
Group Chief Operating Officer // Animal Logic
(Peter Rabbit 2, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Peter Rabbit, The LEGO Ninjago Movie)
Sharon Taylor is the Group Chief Operating Officer of the Animal Logic Group, where she is responsible for the leadership and management of the production and operational activities across all three locations — Sydney, Vancouver and Los Angeles.
Sharon joined Animal Logic in 2005 and progressed from various production accounting roles to eventually become the Head of Production Accounting in 2011. Her deep experience and insight into the fields of animation and VFX led her to fulfilling the role of Group Head of Production in 2014. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, The Great Gatsby, The Avengers and The LEGO Movie franchise are just a few of the films that have benefitted from her strategic guidance.
Prior to becoming COO, Sharon took the helm of Animal Logic Vancouver as Executive Vice-President and General Manager, overseeing the start-up and rapid growth of the new studio through to delivery of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part of which she was also Co-Producer. Animal Logic is currently in production on a diverse slate of animated features, including DC League of Super-Pets and The Magician’s Elephant to name a few.
Sharon is currently a board member of DigiBC, the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC, and Women in Animation. She is also Vice-Chair of the Animation & Visual Effects Alliance of BC. She enjoys building collaborative teams working together to achieve greatness. A strong proponent for inclusivity, Sharon is committed to supporting initiatives that ensure equal representation in the digital realm both on and off the screen.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Desirae Witte
Director & Story Artist // Independent
(The Willoughbys, Gabby's Dollhouse, Devil May Care, Madagascar: A Little Wild)
Desirae Witte is a Vancouver-based storyboard artist, and the writer and director of The Fall. She has created storyboards for a range of projects including The Willoughbys, Madagascar: A Little Wild, Devil May Care, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. Most recently, she worked on an unannounced DreamWorks kids series at Doberman Pictures in Vancouver.
Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Desirae studied animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, earning a Bachelor of Media Arts in Animation in 2015. While working as a storyboard revisionist at Titmouse, she submitted a short animatic for the studio’s 5-Second-Day festival, which would lay the groundwork for The Fall.
Des hopes to continue honing her skills in the story department and creating more short films, with the goal of one day becoming a full-time director.
Website // IMDb // Instagram // Instagram // LinkedIn
A celebration of the talent and legacy of important animated projects with the creators who made them happen.
Animal Logic is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and this exciting session will look back on the 15-year partnership between Co-Founder and CEO, Zareh Nalbandian and COO, Sharon Taylor. Find out what it means to be an Animal, their unique approach to studio culture that goes well beyond Friday Night Drinks and how they manage the delicate balance of creativity, technology and business.
The two collaborators will highlight key projects from Happy Feet to The LEGO Movie Franchise to Peter Rabbit and beyond. The discussion will explore a key part of Animal Logic’s evolution with the opening of a second studio in Vancouver in 2015 and touch on how the animation powerhouse plans to expand their commitment to the creative community in British Columbia.
SPEAKERS
Zareh Nalbandian
Co-Founder, CEO & Producer // Animal Logic
Zareh Nalbandian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Animal Logic. Under his leadership, Animal Logic has created seminal feature animation and VFX work for over 30 years, collaborating with visionary filmmakers and major studio partners. Zareh was most notably Executive Producer on The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Movie 2, Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and Producer on Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
Zareh oversees Animal Logic Studios’ Sydney and Vancouver locations, as well as Animal Logic Entertainment (ALE) and Truant Pictures in Los Angeles. Zareh is dedicated to fostering talent within the Animal Logic Group through mentorship, training, and a culture built on creating great work with great people.
With ALE and Truant Pictures’ development teams, Zareh continues to develop an eclectic slate of feature films and television projects. With a focus on family animation and hybrid films for theatrical and streaming platforms, ALE has partnered with a number of major studios across Hollywood including Imagine Entertainment, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Truant Pictures collaborates with emerging and established talent with a focus on live-action genre films and television for a worldwide market.
Zareh is a board member of the Sydney Film Festival and a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, Visual Effects Society, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Zareh was named Australian National Cinema Pioneer of the Year, cementing his reputation as a world leader in the fields of animation, VFX, film development, and production. Most recently, Zareh was appointed to the Federal Government’s Australian Broadband Advisory Council.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
Sharon Taylor
Group Chief Operating Officer // Animal Logic
(Peter Rabbit 2, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Peter Rabbit, The LEGO Ninjago Movie)
Sharon Taylor is the Group Chief Operating Officer of the Animal Logic Group, where she is responsible for the leadership and management of the production and operational activities across all three locations — Sydney, Vancouver and Los Angeles.
Sharon joined Animal Logic in 2005 and progressed from various production accounting roles to eventually become the Head of Production Accounting in 2011. Her deep experience and insight into the fields of animation and VFX led her to fulfilling the role of Group Head of Production in 2014. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, The Great Gatsby, The Avengers and The LEGO Movie franchise are just a few of the films that have benefitted from her strategic guidance.
Prior to becoming COO, Sharon took the helm of Animal Logic Vancouver as Executive Vice-President and General Manager, overseeing the start-up and rapid growth of the new studio through to delivery of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part of which she was also Co-Producer. Animal Logic is currently in production on a diverse slate of animated features, including DC League of Super-Pets and The Magician’s Elephant to name a few.
Sharon is currently a board member of DigiBC, the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC, and Women in Animation. She is also Vice-Chair of the Animation & Visual Effects Alliance of BC. She enjoys building collaborative teams working together to achieve greatness. A strong proponent for inclusivity, Sharon is committed to supporting initiatives that ensure equal representation in the digital realm both on and off the screen.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Desirae Witte
Director & Story Artist // Independent
(The Willoughbys, Gabby's Dollhouse, Devil May Care, Madagascar: A Little Wild)
Desirae Witte is a Vancouver-based storyboard artist, and the writer and director of The Fall. She has created storyboards for a range of projects including The Willoughbys, Madagascar: A Little Wild, Devil May Care, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. Most recently, she worked on an unannounced DreamWorks kids series at Doberman Pictures in Vancouver.
Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Desirae studied animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, earning a Bachelor of Media Arts in Animation in 2015. While working as a storyboard revisionist at Titmouse, she submitted a short animatic for the studio’s 5-Second-Day festival, which would lay the groundwork for The Fall.
Des hopes to continue honing her skills in the story department and creating more short films, with the goal of one day becoming a full-time director.
Website // IMDb // Instagram // Instagram // LinkedIn
