Kirk Wise
Most Recent Affiliation(s):
- Disney, Executive Producer
Other / Past Affiliation(s):
- Sony Pictures
- Walt Disney Animation Studios, Director
Bio:
SIGGRAPH 2013
Kirk Wise earned his first paycheck for drawing at age seven, after his mother submitted his sketch to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Junior Art Champion Contest. Following graduation from CalArts, he contributed animation and storyboarding to various projects, including the Disney animated features THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986) and THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1988). He worked with fellow animator Gary Trousdale to receive story credits on the features OLIVER & COMPANY (1988) and THE LION KING (1994). The two would go on to direct Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991), THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1996), and ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001). More recently, he served as story consultant on the Sony Pictures animated feature OPEN SEASON (2006), oversaw the early development of CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009), and served as an executive producer on the Disney nature documentary OCEANS (2010).