Carlos Saldanha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Saldanha
Saldanha in 2017
Born	(1965-01-24) 24 January 1965 (age 60) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alma mater	School of Visual Arts
Occupation	Film director film producer animator voice actor
Employer	Blue Sky Studios (1993–2021) Sony Pictures Entertainment (2020–2024) Ventre Studio (2021–present)
Notable work	Ice Age: The Meltdown Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Rio Rio 2 Ferdinand Harold and the Purple Crayon
Spouse(s)	Isabella Scarpa
Children	4
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Carlos Saldanha (born January 24, 1965) is a famous Brazilian animator, director, and producer of animated movies. He is known for creating many popular films. He worked with Blue Sky Studios for a long time.

Carlos Saldanha directed movies like Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Rio (2011), Rio 2 (2014), and Ferdinand (2017). He also helped direct Ice Age (2002) and Robots (2005). His films have been nominated for important awards, including the Academy Awards.

Early Life and Dreams

Carlos Saldanha grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He loved cartoons and drawing from a young age. When he was older, he first thought about studying computer science. He didn't think he could have a job in art.

But then, he learned about how computers were changing animation. This made him very excited! He found a special program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He decided to study computer animation there.

Carlos knew right away that this was his passion. "I knew from the first day in class that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," he said. One of his teachers saw how talented he was. The teacher told him to join the school's advanced program.

Carlos and his wife, Isabella Scarpa, took a chance and stayed in Manhattan. While at school, Carlos made two short films that won awards. They were shown at film festivals around the world. He also met Chris Wedge, who later invited him to join Blue Sky Studios. Carlos finished his studies in 1993.

Making Movies: His Career

In its early days, Blue Sky Studios made special effects and animated TV commercials. In 2002, Carlos Saldanha and Chris Wedge directed their first animated movie, Ice Age. The movie was a huge hit! It made a lot of money on its first weekend.

After helping direct Robots in 2005, Carlos directed Ice Age: The Meltdown by himself. This movie broke his own record for how much money a film made on its opening weekend. He also directed Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 2009.

After making three movies about ice and cold places, Carlos wanted a change. His next project was the 2011 film Rio. This movie is set in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Carlos felt it was important to show Rio accurately. He traveled there with the animators. They wanted to capture the city's unique look and animals. Rio was a big success, earning over $484 million worldwide.

In 2012, Carlos signed a special deal with 20th Century Fox. He would create and produce animated and live-action movies for them. He even started his own company called BottleCap Productions. In 2014, he directed and helped write Rio 2.

Later, in 2017, he directed Ferdinand. This animated movie is based on the popular book The Story of Ferdinand. In 2022, it was announced that Carlos would direct Harold and the Purple Crayon. This movie was released in 2024.

Family Life

Carlos Saldanha and his wife, Isabella Scarpa, live in Hoboken, New Jersey. They have four children: Manoela, Sofia, Julia, and Rafael. The family enjoys running races together.

Carlos's daughters even helped with some of his movies! Manoela and Sofia voiced a character called "Molehog" in Ice Age: The Meltdown. Sofia also voiced a young Linda Gunderson in the movie Rio.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

Carlos Saldanha has received many awards and nominations for his amazing work in animation. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Saldanha para niños