Two artists that will teach us the process of animation this weekend

Homer and Mickey Mouse
Next weekend, Blu Maya and IOS Offices, will bring two pioneers of animation to Tijuana and teach us the process of animation. But who exactly is going to teach us the process? What are their credentials and why should you care?

Here is a brief bio of Edwin Aguilar and Jose Zelaya:

Edwin AguilarEdwin Aguilar, Assistant Director at The Simpsons

Edwin Aguilar has been in animation for over 16 years. Born in El Salvador, he moved to Los Angeles in 1982 to flee the civil war. Art was always Edwin’s passion, eventually earning him one scholarship in fine arts and illustration at Art Center of Design in Pasadena and another in animation at Royer Studios in Santa Monica. After working as Assistant Animator at Graz Entertainment, Hanna-Barbera, and Chuck Jones Film Productions, Animation Cottage, Bongo Comics, Edwin earned a position at The Simpsons as a Character Layout Artist.

Since 1998 he has worked on the show as a Storyboard Artist, Character Design Artist and Prop Design Artist. While working on The Simpsons Movie, Edwin moved into his current position as an Assistant Director.

Another of Edwin’s  passions is helping kids through art. Since 1994, Edwin has been facilitating animation workshops for children of all ages in schools across the country. He works with kids to produce 30 second animated public service announcements on topics such as diversity, negative effects of smoking and substance abuse, dangers of smoking, and anti-bullying. He also volunteers at Children’s Hospital where he teaches a class in animation. In 2011, Teen Line honored him with their “Above and Beyond” award for his work with kids and animation.

Edwin’s experience and creativity make him an endless resource for exciting new ideas and storylines. He is currently working on a number of original projects.

Edwin’s credits.

Jose ZelayaJose Zelaya, Character Designer at Walt Disney Studios

Jose Zelaya , born in El Salvador, moved to Los Angeles at age 12. His interest in art and animation began at a young age. Exploring his passion for drawing and art, he graduated from Poly Technic High in 1993. Shortly after, he earned himself a scholarship in animation, at Royer Studios, Santa Monica.

Jose has since worked in animation, placing his career as a Senior Character designer and visual development artist at Disney Animation Studio. He has worked on shows such as Recess, An Extremely Goofy Movie, Lilo & Stitch, American Dragon: Jake Long, The Emperor’s New School, Tigger & Pooh and Musical Too, Phineas and Ferb, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse . More recently, he worked as the primary character designer for the Annie Award-winning musical interactive animation, Jake and the Neverland Pirates. His current project is Minnie’s Bow Toons.

Throughout his career, Jose further explored his talent, freelancing for studios such as Rough Draft Studios and Sony. Some of these shows included Futurama, Drawn Together, Stripperella and Spiderman.

Jose is a well-rounded artist, detailed to easily adapt in numerous productions and agencies. His diverse skills in the media art industry have allowed him to expand and cultivate in countless projects throughout his creative career.

Jose’s credits and blog.

If you are in San Diego and want to come down to Tijuana and be a part of the workshop Eventbrite - From Script to End: The Process of Animation


Also published on Medium.

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