Monday, March 14, 2022

Migizi Pensoneau Boards Avatar Studios as Consultant on Native Representation

Migizi Pensoneau has joined Nickelodeon's Avatar Studios as Consultant on Native Representation. Janet Varney (the voice of “Korra” in The Legend of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of “Prince Zuko” in Avatar: The Last Airbender) introduce Pensoneau to fans of the Avatarverse in the latest episode (Jan. 4, 2022) of the Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast.


Migizi Pensoneau (Ponca/Ojibwe) was born and raised in Minnesota, and attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Migizi has worked for both major and independent production companies as a writer and a producer for film and television. He is the recipient of awards, commissions, fellowships, and grants from ABC/Disney, The Institute of American Indian Arts (where he currently teaches screenwriting in the MFA program), the Sundance Institute, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (with the 1491s, where they received a commission to do an original play, Between Two Knees), among others. Migizi has also covered scripts for Warner Brothers and the Sundance institute, and has written several published pieces on the interaction of Native Americans and popular culture. He received his MFA in Screenwriting at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, and continues to write and tour for the popular comic group he co-founded, the 1491s. Migizi recently finished writing on Barkskins, an original series by Fox and NatGeo, and Reservation Dogs on FX.

Established in 2021 and helmed by original series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Avatar Studios is Nickelodeon's new studio focused solely on producing original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The first project being produced under the Avatar Studios banner is an animated theatrical film.

In additional Avatar Studios staffing news:

- Tim Hedrick is a Avatar Studios writer. Hedrick previously worked on ATLA and TLOK;

- Lauren Montgomery (ATLA, TLOK crew) is directing the Avatar Studios movie;

- Christie Tseng has joined Avatar Studios as Executive Art Director:  She was previously a character designer on TLOK, including some of the most iconic designs and moments of the franchise;

William Niu has joined Avatar Studios as Art Director: He was previously a background designer on The Legend of Korra!

Steve Ahn is the Head of Storyboard on Avatar Studios’ movie: He was previously a storyboard artist and assistant director on The Legend of Korra!

Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Paramount+ and Netflix! Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com

Listen to the brand new podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements!




Originally published: January 09, 2022.

Additional sources: Stage 13, Variety, ASF /@AdrenalineRush199.

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