Travis Knight (animator)
| Travis Knight | |
|---|---|
 Knight at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International | |
| Born |
1973 (age 42–43) Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S. |
| Education | Jesuit High School |
| Alma mater | Portland State University |
| Occupation | Animator, film producer, film director, former rapper |
| Years active | 1993-present |
| Parent(s) |
Phil Knight Penny Knight |
Travis Knight (born 1973 in Hillsboro, Oregon) is an American animator, film producer and former rapper, known for working as the lead animator for Laika Entertainment and for directing Kubo and the Two Strings (his directorial debut).
Career
Music
As Chilly Tee, Knight released one rap album, 1993's Get Off Mine, and single of the same name. It featured production from The Bomb Squad and Knight wrote most of the lyrics. Knight is quoted in the Portland Monthly as saying:
Nobody bought that record... I liked making music, but I hated the performing part of it. I think there’s a reason most animators are hidden behind giant curtains. They’re not meant for the spotlight."[1]
Animation
Travis worked at Will Vinton Studios for ten years[2] starting as an intern,[1] then worked as a stop-motion animator soon after, working on the Emmy Award-winning television series The PJs, produced with Eddie Murphy Productions and Imagine Entertainment, as well as the animated series Gary & Mike on UPN. He animated numerous television commercials and promo spots, including the NFL campaign on Fox.
Since 2005, Knight has been one of the key members of the stop motion animation studio Laika, serving as Vice President of Animation, producer and Lead Animator, for both the stop-motion and CG animation staff,[3] on Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. He also sits on the Laika board of directors.[4] Along with Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, Knight was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, for The Boxtrolls. In 2014, Knight began working on his directorial debut, Kubo and the Two Strings, which was released in 2016.[5]
He is the current president and CEO of Laika, along with serving on the board of directors of his father's company, Nike, Inc., a position he assumed in 2015.[6]
Personal life
Knight was born in Hillsboro, Oregon,[7] a suburb of Portland. Knight is the son of Penelope "Penny" (Parks) and Phil Knight, the founder and chairman of Nike, Inc. Knight is the grandson of publisher William W. Knight. He attended Jesuit High School, near Beaverton, Oregon. He is a graduate of Portland State University.[1]
Knight is married and has three children.[8]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Animator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Día de los muertos | Yes | Short film | ||
| 2005 | Moongirl | Yes | |||
| 2009 | Coraline | Yes | |||
| 2012 | ParaNorman | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2014 | The Boxtrolls | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2016 | Kubo and the Two Strings | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directorial debut |
Television
| Year | Title | Animator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Boyer Brothers | Yes | TV movie |
| The PJs | Yes | Episode: "Haiti and the Tramp" | |
| 2001 | Gary & Mike | Yes |
Honors and awards
In June 2007, Knight was honored by Animation Magazine as one of 12 "Rising Stars of Animation."[9]
In October 2012 he was awarded the first Alumni Achievement Award from Portland State University (graduated in 1998).[10]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Annie Awards | Character Animation in a Feature Production | Coraline | Nominated |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Trey Thomas | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Animated Feature Film Shared with Arianne Sutner | ParaNorman | Nominated |
| 2013 | Annie Awards | Character Animation in a Feature Production | Won | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Animated Picture Shared with Arianne Sutner | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Shared with Arianne Sutner | Nominated | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Chris Butler, Sam Fell & Brad Schiff | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature Shared with Anthony Stacchi & Graham Annable | The Boxtrolls | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in a Feature Production | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Shared with David Bleiman Ichioka | Nominated | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Jason Stalman, Mike Laubach & Kyle Williams | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable & Brad Schiff | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Kubo and the Two Strings | Pending |
References
- 1 2 3 McNichol, Tom. 2009. "Hollywood Knights," Portland Monthly, February. Accessed: May 24, 2012.
- ↑ Ryan Ball, "Coraline Animator Travis Knight of LAIKA," Animation Magazine, May 7, 2007 Accessed: August 21, 2016.
- ↑ Laika, "Travis Knight, President & CEO". Accessed: May 24, 2012.
- ↑ Salter, Chuck (July 1, 2007). "THE KNIGHTS' TALE". The Fast Company. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (December 22, 2014). "Laika, Focus Teaming on Animated 'Kubo and the Two Strings'". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ↑ Linshi, Jack (June 30, 2015). "Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight to Step Down as Chairman". Time. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ↑ "The rise of Travis Knight, the son of Nike's founder who built an animation powerhouse - The Washington Post". Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (February 8, 2013). "'ParaNorman's' Travis Knight: The Nike Scion Behind the Oscar-Nominated Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ↑ Ball, Ryan. 2007. "Coraline Animator Travis Knight of LAIKA," Animation Magazine, May 7. Accessed: May 24, 2012.
- ↑ Simon Benson Awards. 2012. Accessed: October 10, 2012.
- ↑ "Travis Knight - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved August 21, 2016.