DNEG has appointed Kara Oropallo as Vice President, Training, Outreach and Artistic Development for DNEG Animation
Based at DNEG Animation’s Los Angeles studio, Kara will design, plan and implement training programmes for DNEG Animation’s global crew members, developing artistic development programs to encourage continued growth and leading outreach programs with universities and artist communities around the world.
The appointment follows DNEG’s recent promotion of Tom Jacomb to President, DNEG Animation, and further global investment in the division, including expansion of DNEG Animation into DNEG’s Vancouver studio and the associated creation of up to 100 new animation positions in Vancouver. Oropallo’s lengthy experience in the animation industry includes credits on animated features such as Trolls (2016), Rise of Guardians (2012) and Monsters vs. Aliens (2009). More recently, she has lectured at the School of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communications at the University of Texas in Dallas, where she educated future animation professionals as an Assistant Professor of Practice, focusing primarily on creative and artist management. Oropallo has also conducted training programmes for various animation studios, including DreamWorks, Netflix, Skydance, Paramount, Reel FX and Mikros, and she runs her own podcast, “You’ll Think of Something,” featuring discussions on how to be a productive creative person on a team, in personal work, and in life.
President, DNEG Animation Tom Jacomb said, “I’m delighted to welcome Kara to DNEG Animation during this exciting time in our growth. Having worked together at DreamWorks, I knew someone of Kara’s immense talents and expertise would be an important addition to our senior team. Kara’s long experience of providing guidance and training to Animation professionals will be vital. We will look to Kara to implement the appropriate tools and best practices to help us not only create the most innovative and exciting animated content, but also to give our teams a framework to develop as creative individuals that contribute to our open, inclusive, and development-oriented culture.”
Kara Oropallo added, “I am thrilled to be joining the DNEG Animation team. DNEG has carved out a distinguished place in the industry as a top visual effects house, and now DNEG Animation is excelling in the animation space as well. This is the perfect time for DNEG Animation to develop its training and outreach programs, as the company is experiencing unprecedented growth and expansion. The DNEG Animation team is unbelievably talented, and I cannot wait to see our vision come to fruition in the months and years to come.” Oropallo will be a guest speaker at upcoming digital and entertainment industry event “Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn,’ which runs from September 20-25 2021 in Tróia, Portugal. In addition to her solo talk “Managing Your Creative Career… Creatively,” she will also be giving a joint presentation with DNEG Animation’s Senior Vice President of Creative Production David Prescott titled, “Production vs. Creative – A Conversation about Time, Money and Quality.”
DNEG Animation’s recent projects include Ron’s Gone Wrong, DNEG’s first feature animation project with Locksmith Animation/20th Century Studios. DNEG Animation’s production slate also includes Under the Boardwalk for Paramount Animation, the animated short Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat with Academy Award®-winning director William Joyce, and four other yet-to-be-announced projects. DNEG Animation will also be partnering with Joyce for the development of the first feature-length animated adaptation of The Great Gatsby.
About DNEG
DNEG is one of the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studios for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content. DNEG employs nearly 7,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London) and Asia (Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai).
DNEG’s critically acclaimed work has earned the company six Academy Awards® for Best Visual Effects and numerous BAFTA and Primetime EMMY® Awards for its high-quality VFX work. Upcoming DNEG projects on behalf of its Hollywood and global studio and production company partners include Ron’s Gone Wrong (October), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (October), Dune (October), No Time To Die (October), Last Night In Soho (October), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (November), The Matrix Resurrections (December), Uncharted (2022), Borderlands (2022), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2022), The Flash (2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).
Author: Tanya Combrinck
Tanya is a writer covering art, design, and visual effects. She has 15 years of experience as a magazine journalist and has written for publications including 3D World, 3D Artist, Computer Arts, net magazine, and Creative Bloq.