RESUME´
Frank Gresham
Counting over 4 decades experience creating 2-D and 3-D animated cartoons in the USA and abroad, I have directed and supervised award-winning series and shorts for the BBC, Cartoon Network, MTV, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Disney, Scholastic, Fox, SyFy, and HBO, including such shows as The Cramp Twins, Sniz & Fondue, Dennis & Gnasher, and Speedbump The Roadkill Possum. I presently serve on the faculty of the School Of Visual Arts (NYC) and Fashion Institute of Technology (and have served in the past at Parsons School of Design and New York University) as an instructor of cartoon animation and storyboarding. And as a Screen Actor’s Guild union actor, I have lent my voice to numerous cartoons for MTV Productions and The Cartoon Network. I began my career in the 1980's as a staff designer with the NYC animation/mixed media production company Broadcast Arts Inc. (of Pee Wee's Playhouse fame). When I’m not animating, I enjoy surfing, snowboarding, bicycling, birding, gardening, and performing old hokum tunes on the guitar with my jug band.
Awards
2019
New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) Best Animation Film: “URANUS WHISPERS” thesis film for SVA MFA/CA degree.
2019
“PAULA RHODES MEMORIAL AWARD for Exceptional Achievement in MFA Computer Art” conferred by the School of Visual Arts, NY.
2010
ASIFA Excellence In Animation Award: "DENNIS & GNASHER EPISODE TITLE SEQUENCE," Long form animated TV series for BBC/Channel 9 Australia/Red Kite.
2007
ASIFA Soundtrack Craft Award. WILDSound Best Musical Score Award: “KEEP THIS COUPON,” independent film by Bruce Knapp. Music performed by Frank Gresham & Jonathan Royce (a.k.a. The Wildparty Sheiks).
2005
BAFTA Award nominee. Pucinella Award; Best TV Series For Children: "THE CRAMP TWINS; SEASON 2," Long form animated TV series for Cartoon Network UK.
2001
ASIFA Design Award winner: "JERK CHICKEN," Pilot Episode for Pitch Productions/Nickelodeon.
1994
ASIFA Design Award winner. 1996 Sesame Street Film Festival Citation: "BEGINNING, MIDDLE, END," & "COOPERATION," 2 Independent Shorts for CTW/Sesame Street.
1992
ASIFA Design Award winner: "SPEEDBUMP THE ROADKILL POSSUM," 3 Shorts for Harrison Powers Transmissions/MTV Liquid Television.
1992
Harvey Cartooning Award nominee; Best New Talent: "FRIEND OF THE DEVIL," published comic strip, drawn for The Grateful Dead Comics#2/Kitchen Sink Press.
Exhibitions
2019
Group Exhibition: My CGI short film “JACOB’S GAUNTLET” included in School of Visual Arts MFA/CA Fall Exhibition “I _____ AMERICA AND AMERICA _____ME!” an exhibition of animations, sculptures, and interactive installations by SVA MFA Computer Arts faculty, students, and alumni concerning the American Dream. SVA Flatiron Gallery, NYC.
2019
Group Exhibition: My thesis film “URANUS WHISPERS” included in School of Visual Arts MFA/CA Thesis Exhibition “X: VARIATIONS IN EXPERIENCE” an exhibition of select thesis projects by MFA Computer Art graduate students. SVA Chelsea Gallery, NYC.
2012
Group Exhibition: "Too Art For TV 6," 6th annual curated group exhibit showcasing the individual artistic endeavors of work-for-hire animation industry professionals; select comics, animation, paintings, and illustration embracing the experimental and the whimsical. Bunnycutlet Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.
1992
Solo Exhibition: "FRIEND OF THE DEVIL," employee showcase displaying the original illustrations of my published comic strip “Friend Of The Devil” drawn for The Grateful Dead. Broadcast Arts, Inc. New York, NY.
Teaching
2013 - PRESENT
ADJUNCT FACULTY; BFA TRADITIONAL ANIMATION; SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS (NYC): Instructor, INTRO TO ANIMATION, ANIMATION WORKSHOP, ADVANCED ANIMATION WORKSHOP: 2-semester intensive studio courses for BFA students. Instructing, evaluating, and advising students as they master the basics of cartoon animation and then perfect these skills while creating a series of personal and collaborative animated films across each year of their undergraduate study.
2014 - PRESENT
ADJUNCT FACULTY; CONTINUING EDUCATION; SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS (NYC): Instructor, DIGITAL STORYBOARDING: 1-semester course for Continuing Education students. Instructing the theory of storyboarding for production animation and the use of Storyboard Pro software as students conceptualize and create their own animation storyboards + animatics.
2020 - PRESENT
ADJUNCT FACULTY; ILLUSTRATION DEPT.; FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NYC): Instructor, VISUAL STORYTELLING FOR EVOLVING MEDIA: 1-semester course for BFA Illustration students. Instructing the theory of storyboarding and the use of Storyboard Pro software as students conceptualize and create their own animation storyboards + animatics.
2002
ADJUNCT FACULTY; MFA STUDIO ANIMATION; PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN (NYC): Co-instructor, ANIMATION STUDIO: an intensive 2-semester traditional animation studio course for MFA degree students. Instructed, evaluated, and supervised pupils as they created individual short animated films from start to finish.
2022
ADJUNCT FACULTY; BFA ANIMATION; NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYC): Substitute Instructor, STORYBOARDING: 1-semester course for BFA Film & Animation students. Instructing the theory of storyboarding and the use of Storyboard Pro software as students conceptualize and create their own animation storyboards + animatics.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
PRODUCTION CREDITS
2016
STORY ARTIST: Created storyboards + animatics for multiple episodes of “PUFF-BALLS” animated educational curriculum for Sesame Studios/YouTube.
2015
STORY ARTIST: Created storyboards for multiple episodes of “YIP-YIPS” educational curriculum for Sesame Street English/Sesame Workshop.
2012
STORYBOARD SUPERVISOR: Co-supervised the storyboarding of Season 5 of celebrated “Adult Swim” staple “THE VENTURE BROTHERS” a long-form (13 x 22') episodic cartoon series for Cartoon Network/Titmouse Animation NYC.
2011
ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Supervised the storyboarding and Flash animation production of animated Christmas special “DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE” for live-action TV series “EUREKA”; Syfy/Curious Pictures.
2011
ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Supervised the Flash animation production of pilot episode “RANCHO CUCAMONGA” for Fox Television/Curious Pictures.
2008-2009
CREATIVE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / VOICE DIRECTOR: Supervised all creative aspects of (and directed the title sequence and UK voice performances for) the iconic UK cartoon series "DENNIS & GNASHER," a long-form (52 x 11') episodic co-production for BBC/Channel 9 Australia/Red Kite. ASIFA "Excellence In Animation" award winner.
2006
ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Supervised the storyboarding and animation of pre-school Flash pilot episode "SKITTERVILLE" for Playhouse Disney/Flickerlab.
2002-2004
SERIES ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Directed all creative aspects of Season 2 of the highly successful UK cartoon series “THE CRAMP TWINS,” a long-form episodic production (52 x 11') for Cartoon Network/Telemagination. Pucinella "Best TV Series For Children" award winner; BAFTA award nominee.
2001
FLASH ANIMATOR: Animated for the racy Flash animation pilot "NERVE/KITTY LYONS” (with co-animator and tech-director Richard Mather) created by cartoonist Ward Sutton for HBO/Curious Pictures.
2000
DIRECTOR OF ANIMATION / HEAD OF PRODUCTION DESIGN: Designed all characters, props and locations, and did all storyboarding and sheet-timing for the award-winning slapstick Flash animated pilot episode "JERK CHICKEN" for Pitch Productions/Nickelodeon. ASIFA “Design Award” winner.
1999
STORYBOARD SUPERVISOR: Supervised team of three storyboard artists and four storyboard revisionists for "DOWNTOWN," the edgy Emmy-nominated animated series (13 X 22’) for MTV Networks.
1998
ART DIRECTOR / HEAD OF PRODUCTION DESIGN: Designed, then supervised the construction and lighting of the fanciful and unorthodox cut-out/stop-motion animated short "A GAME TOO FAR" for the mixed-media pre-school show "A LITTLE CURIOUS" for Curious Pictures/HBO.
1997
ANIMATOR / LAYOUT ARTIST: Responsible for storyboarding, layout, and traditional 2-D animation of two quirky five-minute "OFF-BEATS" shorts for Curious Pictures/Nickelodeon/Kablam.
1996
SUPERVISING DIRECTOR: Directed in-house team of production designers, colorists, storyboarders, and layout artists, as well as an overseas production team, for this adorable series of (13 X 5') episodes of "SNIZ & FONDUE" for Ink Tank/Nickelodeon/Kablam.
1995
HEAD OF PRODUCTION DESIGN: Designed all props, locations, and supporting characters; did all storyboarding, color design, and layout; and directed construction of CGI characters for "MOXY & FLEA," a ground-breaking live-action/motion capture/CGI mixed-media animated pilot episode for Cartoon Network.
1995
CHARACTER DESIGNER: Responsible for design and construction-rotation-expression drawings of key and supporting cartoon characters for "HOYT ‘N ANDY’S SPORTSBENDER," a long-form episodic series (13 X 22') for Jumbo Pictures/ESPN 2.
1994
CREATOR / DESIGNER / DIRECTOR / ANIMATOR: From the ground up, created two award winning "relational concepts" independent shorts, "BEGINNING, MIDDLE, END," & "COOPERATION," for Sesame Street/CTW. Exclusively conceived, scripted, designed, storyboarded, laid out, animated, and directed ink-and-paint, music/SFX, and post production of these colorful shorts. ASIFA Design Award winner.
1992
ART DIRECTOR / HEAD OF PRODUCTION DESIGN: Designed all characters, props, locations, and supervised construction of all models, costumes, props, and sets for "BRICKFACE & STUCCO, Season 2" a grouping of 5 quirky mixed-media/live-action interstitial shorts for Harrison Powers Transmissions (HPT)/MTV Network.
1992
ANIMATION DIRECTOR / HEAD OF PRODUCTION DESIGN: Designed all characters, props, locations; did all storyboarding and layout; supervised and directed team of production animators for each of three "SPEEDBUMP THE ROADKILL POSSUM" award-winning shorts for Harrison Powers Transmissions (HPT)/MTV Liquid Television. ASIFA Design Award winner.
1985 -1991
STAFF DESIGNER: BROADCAST ARTS, INC.: Served as production designer for numerous animated and mixed-media works created by this late '80's cutting-edge NYC production studio. Work included contributing designs of characters, props, backgrounds, and special effects for commercials (Flintstones Vitamins, Jello Push-Up Pops, Kraft Macaroni), movie title sequences (Madonna's "Who's That Girl"), and animation pilot projects ("The Jackie Bison Show"). Also designed and produced in-house print promotional campaign materials for the studio, and directed "Beauties & Heroes," an in-house prop color-correction service. Broadcast Arts clients of mine included Nickelodeon, ABC Networks, Warner Brothers Feature Films, General Foods, MTV, CBS Networks, General Mills, Proctor & Gamble, etc.
Education
2019
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
School of Visual Arts; Department of MFA Computer Art
New York, NY 10010
Conferred May 15, 2019
1981
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (HIGH HONORS)
Virginia Commonwealth University; Department of Communication Arts & Design
Richmond, Virginia 23284
Conferred May 16, 1981
Affiliations
Screen Actor's Guild
ASIFA International Animation Society
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society