THE CREATIVES WHO PUSH NICK JR. CHARACTERS BEYOND THE BOX
From on-air promos to Instagram, this team brings the brand’s characters to life with “an explosion of creativity.”
The characters of Nick Jr.—from Bubble Guppies to the
Paw Patrol pups to Peppa Pig—aren’t just television personalities. They are multiplatform characters who come to life on screens of all sizes, across TV shows, social media, and digital shorts. The team responsible for maintaining the visual continuity and creativity required to make that happen? Nick Jr.’s animation and design teams.
Led by Christopher Papa, vice president of animation and VFX, and Joelle Lau, vice president of brand design, the team’s task is to carry the most creative and enticing elements of the Nick Jr. brand and its characters across mediums.
“From original ideas to visual effects to fully animated pieces featuring famous preschool characters, we’ve been part of an explosion of creativity. It’s very fulfilling to see that our efforts, ideas, and content have led to amazing audience and industry responses,” says Papa. “Developing shorts and engaging educational content is really special, but it’s also a fantastic responsibility.”
According to Lau, the team’s purview is unique for its range and the scale of its audience. “We produce a wide variety of engaging creative content that entertains and touches millions of our young viewers’ lives every day,” she says.
To make it work, the animation and design teams work in tandem with their internal Nick Jr. partners, including writers and producers, strategy, and project and production management, to find creative ways to fulfill requests from the larger Nickelodeon organization, such as the show units, marketing, and programming divisions.
“Nick Jr. has built a full-service internal agency, which didn’t exist to this capacity a few years ago,” Lau said. “We are able to deliver quickly on high demands and optimize promotional needs efficiently across platforms in this quickly evolving media landscape.”
As more and more platforms arise, the teams are constantly executing new ideas across digital assets, whether that’s a short-form video for YouTube, or a stunt on Social media.
“Everyone has a vision,” Papa explains. “We have to act efficiently and be nimble.”
Here’s what each member of the team says about their work:
Alexandra Ditullio, Animator:
“Nick Jr. provides the chance to contribute more than just creating animations. Working in a small team means that we are all deeply involved in the creation process of the work that goes on-air and across social. There is a sense of pride across the team and that's what I believe ultimately makes the work so good. There are excellent visionaries and leaders at the helm which makes this place an ideal place to work and grow.”
Jimin Lee, Motion Designer:
“This is a great place—we enjoy what we do and we have fun working with other people.”
Thanh Nguyen, Designer:
“Because our team does things for preschool, we have to think from the perspective of a child. We want to make amazing things, but we have to think about how they will be seen by the mind of a child.”
Joelle Lau, VP, Brand Design:
“The Brand Design team is responsible for the conception and development of all creative artwork and design for Nick Jr. We produce a wide variety of engaging creative content that entertains and touches millions of our young viewers’ lives every day.”
Katharine Wynkoop, Senior Animator:
“No matter what your title is, you're asked to contribute and your opinion is taken into consideration. Everyone is asked to contribute their ideas.”
JungIn Yun, Sr. Art Director:
“Everyone here is so passionate about what they do, they love kids, and they love the brand. The passion for kids and for our audience brings a lot of fun and creative work to the table.”
Barbara Astrini, Associate Art Director:
“I've always wanted to work for children. Aesthetically, it fits my style—it’s cute and fun. I also like the responsibility of reaching kids in an important way, through education and entertainment.”
Ross Norton, Associate Animation Director:
“Our ideas can be really amazing because the objective for on-air and digital is making the coolest moments for our characters. I get to figure out the most playful things possible in this situation and create it. I really love that.”
Amanda Clark, Animator:
“Because we do such short projects for the most part, it seems like there's always something new or creative or challenging to do and that's fun. It feels pretty fresh all the time.”
Luis Mendez, Animator:
“Nickelodeon has a really impressive history, so I consider working here an honor. I'm sure a lot of other people do.”
Andrea Jones, Social Art Director:
“Everybody here wants to see you grow, and it's never the same 9 to 5. I think the key to success is being resourceful, rolling with the punches, and knowing how to collaborate with your team.”
Scott Kennell, Director of Animation:
“We're constantly evolving and changing and wearing different hats. We have to embody different characters. We have the interactivity of
Blue's Clues & You!, and the charm and physical comedy of
Paddington. We get to interact with all of these different brands. It's just fun to kind of be able to switch gears a lot, sometimes even various times within a day if you're working on multiple projects. Nothing's ever boring.”
Michelle Acuna, Senior Animator:
“We put a lot of thought and story into each of the promos to show off the show or specific episode. It's really collaborative and everyone here is super talented. Working with them is really awesome.”
Jason Willmann, Associate Director, Animation:
“You get a lot of responsibilities and a chance to work on everything. You're allowed to experiment and try different things. That's very unusual for a company or for a department, and as an artist it's great to experiment and expand your repertoire.”
Christopher Papa, VP, Animation and VFX:
“I thoroughly enjoy working with such a bright, energetic, and creatively ambitious team. We’re constant collaborators and excited to represent Nick Jr. and its characters. We’re striving to make the brand a destination overflowing with quality content loved by both kids and parents.”
Edgar Vega, CG Artist:
“To work on multiple series with multiple technologies is the best part of my job.”
Kristen Williams, Design Director:
“It's definitely for people who lean towards the bright, the colorful, either the pop culture or the sweetness. For Nick Jr, you have to like that aesthetic, but if you do, there's so much room to have fun.”
Via the Viacom Newsroom.
More Nick: Nickelodeon to Premiere 'Blue's Clues & You' November 11, 2019!
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