Jerry Rees

Last updated
Jerry Rees
Born
Jerry W. Rees

(1956-11-15) November 15, 1956 (age 68)
Alma mater California Institute of the Arts
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, animator, film producer
Years active1978-present
Website www.jerryrees.com

Jerry W. Rees (born November 15, 1956) is an American film director and animator, best known for the Emmy-nominated animated feature film The Brave Little Toaster (1987) [1] and creating many of the visual effects for Tron (1982).

Contents

Early life

Rees was mentored as an animator from the age of 16 at Disney Studios by Eric Larson, one of Walt Disney's Nine Old Men, and was trained and taught at California Institute of the Arts, along with classmates John Lasseter, Brad Bird, John Musker, Tim Burton and Doug Lefler. [2] [3]

Career

In 1978, Rees worked as an animator for the Christmas children's film The Small One . He also worked on the Disney film The Fox and the Hound (1981), and the following year served as one of the visual effects supervisors for the cutting-edge science fiction film Tron .

In 1987, Rees and science fiction writer Thomas M. Disch collaborated on adapting Disch's short story The Brave Little Toaster into an animated film. The resulting film was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 1988 Primetime Emmy Awards. He also teamed up with fellow CalArts alum Tim Burton to co-write and co-direct the cult classic featurettes Doctor of Doom and Luau.

Rees directed the Neil Simon-penned The Marrying Man (1991) [4] and served as an animation producer on the film Space Jam (1996).

In 1993, Rees wrote and produced (with Steven Paul Leiva) a new Betty Boop feature film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Seventy-five percent of the film was storyboarded, but two weeks before voice recording was to begin, MGM switched studio chiefs and the project, tentatively called The Betty Boop Feature Script, was abandoned.

In addition to his film credits, Rees helped produce and direct a record-setting 13 multimedia features at the various Disney theme parks, including the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! and Sounds Dangerous! at Disney-MGM Studios, Cranium Command and O Canada! at EPCOT, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter at Magic Kingdom, the ride preshow film of Dinosaur at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney-MGM Studios and Walt Disney Studios Park, Cinemagique at Walt Disney Studios Park, and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. Rees also directed the Tourist from Hell, The Editing Story, and Michael & Mickey short films, as well as the Back to Neverland short film starring Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite which were all screened as part of the backstage tour at Disney-MGM Studios.

For some time, Rees was attached as director to a project called Rand Robinson, Robot Repairman, financed by Interscope and Philips. The film was set in a futuristic Los Angeles, and Philips expected to use the film to showcase their emerging technology. Rees storyboarded various scenes in the film, [5] but eventually several key players left the project, and it was shelved.

In 2010, Rees and voice actress/writer Deanna Oliver made an appearance at California State University, Northridge to discuss the making of their film The Brave Little Toaster. [6]

Currently, Rees is a full-time creative consultant at the San Francisco film studio Wild Brain, where he is developing CGI features. Rees is also attached to direct a Casey Silver Productions CGI feature.

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitleDirectorWriterAnimation
department
Notes
1977 Pete's Dragon YesCharacter animator
1978 The Small One YesCharacter animator
1980 Animalympics YesCharacter animator
1981 The Fox and the Hound YesCharacter animator
1982 Tron YesProduction storyboards / Computer image choreography
1985 The Black Cauldron YesCharacter animator (uncredited)
1987 The Brave Little Toaster YesYesYesStoryboard artist / Voice role: Radio (singing only)
1991 The Marrying Man Yes
1996 Space Jam YesAnimation producer
2003 Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks YesDirect-to-video/ Special effects animator/ Voice roles: Sam / Lou
2013Susie's HopeYesYesDirect-to-video

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriterAnimation

department

Notes
1978 The Small One YesCharacter animator
1979Doctor of DoomYesEditor / Cinematographer/ Voice role: Bob Garcia
1982LuauYesYesProducer
1983 Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore YesCharacter animator
1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol YesCharacter animator
1989Back to NeverlandYesYesPart of The Magic of Disney Animation attraction at Disney-MGM Studios.
1989Tourist from HellYesPart of the Studio Backlot Tour attraction at Disney-MGM Studios.
1989The Editing StoryYesPart of the Studio Backlot Tour attraction at Disney-MGM Studios.
1989Michael & MickeyYesPart of the Studio Backlot Tour attraction at Disney-MGM Studios.
1989 Cranium Command YesAttraction
1994 Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter YesAttraction
1998 Dinosaur YesPreshow film. Originally named "Countdown to Extinction"
1999 Sounds Dangerous YesAttraction
1999 Rock' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith YesAttraction
2001Disney's California Adventure TV SpecialYes
2002 CinéMagique YesAttraction
2005 Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years YesDocumentary
2014The Marvel ExperienceYesMedia director

Television

YearTitleCredited asNotes
1984 Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats Storyboard artist65 episodes
1989 Alvin and the Chipmunks WriterEpisode "Cookie Chomper III"

References

  1. Burbank Leader
  2. "Jerry Rees - Executive R&D Imagineer - Walt Disney Imagineering - LinkedIn" . Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. "Jerry Rees Joins 'CalArts Animation: The Early Years' Virtual Lecture Series". 24700. 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  4. Canby, Vincent (April 5, 1991). "The Marrying Man (1991) Review/Film; Marriage as Eternal Punishment". The New York Times .
  5. "Bob Camp Cartoonist: Rand Robinson storyboards" . Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  6. 2010 interview with Jerry Rees and Deanna Oliver - Cal State, Northridge