Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot

Michael Hemschoot
Born Michael Hemschoot
Aurora, Colorado
Other names Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot
Occupation Director, animator, visual effects artist
Founder, CEO Worker Studio
Years active 1996–present
Website
worker-studio.com

Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot (born Michael Hemschoot) is a director, animator and has held a variety of roles as a visual effects artist in major Hollywood films. Since 1996, Hemschoot has worked on films such as Mars Attacks!, What Dreams May Come, The Matrix, Hollow Man, Black Hawk Down, Minority Report and National Treasure. He was Lead Animator on the Chuck Russell film Bless the Child and Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, which was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 76th Academy Awards.[1] Currently, he is CEO at the animation studio he founded, Worker Studio, and also a partner in the live action production company, Travelin' Productions.

Education

Hemschoot was born in Aurora, Colorado and raised in the town of Parker, Colorado, but moved to California where he attended California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in the early 1990s and graduated from their Character Animation program.[2][3] He has worked with visual effects companies such as Warner Digital Studios, Creative Visual Effects, Inc., Manex Visual Effects and Asylum Visual Effects. After his relocation to Colorado, Hemschoot was an adjunct professor of animation at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.[4]

Influences

In an interview with Oxford American, Hemschoot noted his early sensibility of film was formed by the work of Hal Ashby, John Sayles, Sam Peckinpah, George Roy Hill, and Walter Hill, as well as being influenced later by directors such as Alfonso Cuarón, Lars Von Trier, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Walter Salles.[5] Specifically noting animation in an article, Hemschoot selected 5 animated performances that influenced him creatively, including Bill Tytla's Chernabog from Fantasia and Stromboli from Pinocchio, Milt Kahl's Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, Glen Keane's Professor Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective and John Lounsbery's Tony from Lady and the Tramp. [6]

Recent productions

As producing, directing and writing partners, Hemschoot and actor Sean Bridgers formed the live-action production company called Travelin Productions, as well as an animation and visual effects company, Worker Studio.[7][8] They've completed 2 short films together: A Night at the Zoo in 2008, starring W. Earl Brown and Bridgers, then The Birthday Present in 2012, starring Joey Lauren Adams, Bridgers and his daughter, Kate. Bridgers and Hemschoot have also been developing a live action feature film that is a dark western set during the Civil War in the South, titled Arkansas Traveler. They filmed a trailer for Arkansas Traveler with some the cast currently attached to the project including Garret Dillahunt and Angela Bettis. They are also developing an animated documentary based on the life of World War II hero and photo-recon pilot, John H. Ross.[9]

Filmography

Year Film Credit Notes
1996 Mars Attacks! 2D roto artist at Warner Bros.
1997 Batman & Robin digtial compositor
1998 What Dreams May Come digital compositor The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
1999 Baby Geniuses digital compositor
1999 The Matrix character animator at Manex Visual Effects, Film Won Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
2000 Hollow Man digital compositor Film was nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
2000 Bless the Child lead animator
2000 Cast Away bonsai compositor Hemschoot is ranked 8th of the 10 Famous Bonsai Compositors[10]
2001 Black Hawk Down CG artist
2002 Minority Report CG artist at Asylum Visual Effects Film nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects
2002 Stuart Little 2 cloth dynamics Film won Visual Effects Society's Best Character Animation in an Animated Feature
2002 The Master of Disguise CG artist
2002 Phone Booth CG artist at Asylum Visual Effects
2002 The Ring Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2002 Catch Me If You Can CG artist at Asylum Visual Effects
2003 Levity Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2003 Down with Love Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2003 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Lead Animator Film nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
2004 National Treasure Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2005 Sky High Lead Animator at Asylum Visual Effects
2008 A Night at the Zoo (Short) Producer, Director Co-producer, Co-Director with Sean Bridgers
2012 The Birthday Present (Short) Co-Director, Digital Effects, Editor Co-Director with Sean Bridgers
2012 The ABCs of Death Visual effects with Worker Studio For segment "E" directed by Angela Bettis

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Michael Hemschoot". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  2. ↑ McEntire, John. McEntire "Interview with: ARKANSAS TRAVELER FILMMAKERS". FEATURED FILMMAKERS OF THE MONTH. The Oxford American. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Michlewicz, Chris. "Parker seeks to boost daytime economy". Our Colorado News. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Cangialosi, Jason. "Colorado Animation Studio Sets Out to Make Innovative Documentary Film". Yahoo!. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  5. ↑ McEntire, John. McEntire "Interview with: ARKANSAS TRAVELER FILMMAKERS". FEATURED FILMMAKERS OF THE MONTH. The Oxford American. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Cangialosi, Jason. "Worker Studio’s Michael Hemschoot: Top 5 Animated Performances". Yahoo!. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "ABOUT". Travelin’ Productions, LLC. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "WORKER STUDIO". Worker Studio LLC. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  9. ↑ Cangialosi, Jason. "Documentary: ‘John Ross: American’ from Worker Studio in Parker". Mile High Cinema. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "Famous Bonsai Compositors". Ranker. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

External links