Biography of the popular director Brad Bird
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Brad Bird is the most famous animator from the USA, screenwriter and director, creator of many animated masterpieces. His cartoons have received a grandiose number of top awards in the field of cinema and they are rightfully considered classics of the genre.
Brad Bird was born in the small American town of Kalispell, Montana on the first day of autumn in 1957. When the boy was 11 years old, he visited the famous Disney studio on one of the excursions, after which he wanted to replenish the staff of its employees. Three years later, Brad makes a cartoon on his own and comes to the studio, wanting to learn. He falls under the wing of one of the best Disney masters Milt Kahl. A little later, the studio will finance Brad's studies at the Art Institute in California, which was founded by Walt Disney himself, so that people who want to make cartoons can get an education there. There, Bird managed to meet John Lasseter, the future founder of the Pixar studio.
Career Launch
Bird's debut full-length work was "Animal Olympic Games" - a cartoon that appeared on the screens back in 1980. After that, he worked on a cartoon for all family members. "The Fox and the Dog". After another 5 years, Brad acted as a cartoon fantasy animator "Black Cauldron", based on the novel of the same name by Lloyd Alexander. The picture reflected a gloomy and mystical atmosphere, unlike previous projects. Disney. As a result, she was the first in the history of the studio to receive a PG rating. Production costs were much higher than the final profit received from the rental, which ultimately had a negative impact on the financial position of the film studio.
The opinions of critics were divided: most of them praised the tape for high-quality animation and effects, but there were also those who noted that there was clearly not enough similarity with a literary source. In 1987, Brad made his debut as a screenwriter.. Matthew Robbins became the director of the science fiction "Batteries Not Included", but Bird had to write the script for it. Pictures about aliens have never left the viewer indifferent at all times, and therefore this was accompanied by success, which was embodied in the Saturn Award.
Director's work
After graduating from the institute, Brad, having worked for some time at the Disney studio, decides to go on a solo voyage. It is clear that the young animator did not immediately succeed. The first fame came to the director after the appearance on the screens in 1999 of the cartoon "Steel Giant". However, the audience did not take this work very positively, despite the fact that it was released by Warner Bros.
After that, Bird decided to take a short break in his career for 5 years, but when he returned to the director's chair, he began working on the Incredibles project. It is worth noting that Brad himself became the author of the script. The project about the adventures of a family of superheroes was enjoyed not only by children, but also by their parents. The Incredibles received two Academy Awards.
Since that moment, almost every picture from Brad Bird has been successful. In particular, in 2007 he became both screenwriter and director of the animated film "Ratatouille". The adventures of a little rat with culinary talents fascinated viewers and film critics, who called the cartoon "Almost the top piece of animation art." In 2011, Bird decided to try his hand at a new genre. There was an offer to direct the action movie Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and Brad did not refuse. It was very tempting to work with such star actors as Paula Patton, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg.
TV work
Brad Bird has been involved in the creation of many television series. Back in 1985, he began working as a screenwriter and producer on "Amazing Stories" and continued to be in the project until the very last series until 1987. In 1993, Brad wrote and animated the animated series "Domestic Dog". And yet, in the first episode, he even voiced the dog.
Starting in 1989, and for the next 9 years, Bird served as an executive consultant on the acclaimed cartoon "The Simpsons", besides, he had a hand in shooting a couple of episodes. This series is so loved in the States and around the world that new episodes appear all the time, but Brad has nothing to do with them. In addition, Brad Bird is happy to voice the characters of his own animated works. So, in Ratatouille, the butler spoke in his voice, and in "The Incredibles" it was already the designer Edna Maud, not devoid of eccentricity. Years later in "The Incredibles-2" return to voicing this character.
Personal life and interesting facts about the director
In 1988, Brad Bird married Elizabeth Canny. The couple had three children. At first, the eldest of the sons, Nicholas, joined the cinema when he voiced in the cartoon "Finding Nemo" one of the characters. Then came the turn of the youngest son Nicholas, who, together with his brother, performed the voice acting of children in the same Incredibles.
In the biography of Brad Bird, you can find a number of interesting facts. Here are some of them:
In 2007 he became 23rd in the ranking "50 smartest people" EW in Hollywood.
Bird considers animation an art form, not a genre like most.
· In The Incredibles, there were two contenders for voicing an eccentric designer. Bird was the first to try his voice. The second was supposed to be Lily Tomlin, but having heard the first option, I decided not to even try, saying that you can’t do it any more ideally.
· Brad is in constant collaboration with John Lasseter, co-founder of Pixar.
The director's favorite character on The Simpsons is Krusty the Clown.
Some of the experts and admirers consider Brad Bird so talented that they call him Walt Disney of today.
· Created the character Bob Sidshaw for The Simpsons.
Brad Bird Production Company "A 113 Productions" got its name from a class at CalArts.
