Fawn Veerasunthorn
Fawn Veerasunthorn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Prasansook Veerasunthorn Chonburi Province, Thailand |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Employer | Walt Disney Animation Studios (2011–present) |
| Children | 1 |
Prasansook "Fawn" Veerasunthorn[1][2] (Thai: ประสานสุข วีระสุนทร (ฝน)) is a Thai film director, animator and storyboard artist. She worked on the Disney Animation films Frozen (2013), Moana and Zootopia (both 2016) as a storyboard artist, as head of story on Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and is set to make her directorial debut with the 2023 film Wish.
Early life and education
Veerasunthorn was born in Chonburi Province, Thailand. As a child, she was inspired by the film Dumbo, especially by a scene designed by Mary Blair.[1] She later attended Triam Udom Suksa School in Bangkok.[3] While studying medicine at Mahidol University, she assembled a portfolio to sent it to Paitoon Ratanasiritrawoot, another Triam Udom Suksa graduate and animator then working at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, who advised her to drop out of Mahidol and move to the United States to study fine arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design on a student visa.[4][5]
Career
After graduating in 2004,[6] Veerasunthorn worked at studios such as 6 Point Harness, Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Illumination, the latter where she worked as a story artist on the films The Lorax (2012) and Despicable Me 2 (2013). In 2011, Veerasunthorn began working on the story department at Walt Disney Animation Studios, starting with the film Frozen (2013), which would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2013.[1] She subsequently worked as a story artist for other Disney films, including Moana (2016), Zootopia (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Veerasunthorn was later promoted to head of Disney's animation department[1] and served as head of story on Raya and the Last Dragon in 2021.
On September 9, 2022, during the 2022 D23 Expo Presentation, Disney Animation announced their next film as Wish, with Chris Buck and Veerasunthorn attached as directors.[7] Veerasunthorn was recognized by the Government of Thailand as the first Thai artist to direct a Disney animated film.[8]
Personal life
Veerasunthorn currently lives in Burbank, California with her husband, daughter and two cats.[5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Banana | Short film, story artist |
| Home Makeover | ||
| Orientation Day | ||
| 2011 | Hop | Storyboard artist |
| 2012 | The Lorax | Additional story artist |
| Hydee and the Hytops | Direct-to-video film, storyboard artist | |
| 2013 | Despicable Me 2 | Story artist |
| Frozen | Storyboard artist | |
| 2016 | Moana | Story artist, visual development artist |
| Zootopia | Story artist | |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Head of story |
| 2023 | Wish | Director, story writer |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera | Key animator, 6 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Kappa Mikey | Animator, 25 episodes |
| 2010 | Los Tres Trabajadores: Boss man | Television film, animator |
| Pink Panther and Pals | Storyboard artist, 16 episodes | |
| 2011–2012 | The Looney Tunes Show | Storyboard artist |
| 2012 | Robot and Monster | Storyboard artist, one episode |
References
- ^ a b c d Holt, Nathalia (2019). The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316439169.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (March 20, 2020). "Animag's 2020 Rising Stars of Animation". Animation Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Ruiz, Todd (May 14, 2014). "From Chonburi to the red carpet, Academy Award winner chased her dream". Coconuts. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Norapoompipat, Apipar (March 25, 2017). "Big draw in Hollywood". Bangkok Post. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b ACMI. "Storyboarding at Disney Animation with Fawn Veerasunthorn". Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Notable alumni: Fawn Veerasunthorn (Animation, 2004)". ccad.edu. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah; Kim, Matt (September 10, 2022). "Disney's 2023 Animated Film Is Called Wish". IGN. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Fawn Veerasunthorn praised for being Disney's 1st Thai animation film director". Pattaya Mail. September 19, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.