Nik Ranieri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nik Ranieri
|
|
|---|---|
Ranieri in 2015
|
|
| Born | August 23, 1961 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|
| Alma mater | Sheridan College |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Employer | Walt Disney Animation Studios (1987–2013; 2023) |
| Awards |
|
Nik Ranieri, born on August 23, 1961, is a talented Canadian animator. He is famous for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He helped bring many beloved characters to life.
Contents
Nik Ranieri's Animation Journey
Nik Ranieri studied animation at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. After finishing his studies, he started working at an animation studio called Atkinson Film-Arts.
Starting at Disney
In 1987, Nik began his career at Disney. His first project was the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He worked with director Richard Williams in London, England. Soon after, he moved to Disney's main animation studio in California.
He worked on The Little Mermaid, animating the sea witch, Ursula. For his next film, The Rescuers Down Under, Nik became a supervising animator. This meant he was in charge of animating the character Wilbur.
Award-Winning Work
Nik Ranieri has won several awards for his amazing animation.
- In 1995, he won an Annie Award for his work on the raccoon character, Meeko, in Pocahontas.
- In 1997, he won another Annie Award for animating Hades in Hercules. He also received an award from the National Cartoonist Society for Hades.
From Hand-Drawn to Computer Animation
Nik is known as a master of hand-drawn animation. He is especially good at showing emotions through character faces and dialogue. He also learned to animate using computers. He worked on films like Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt.
In 2009, he returned to hand-drawn animation for Disney's The Princess and the Frog.
Later Career and Recent Awards
In 2013, Nik Ranieri left Walt Disney Animation Studios. He later worked at Studio Roqovan, where he helped create the video game World War Toons.
He continued to win awards for his animation skills.
- In 2021, he won an Emmy Award for his work as Lead Character Layout on The Simpsons episode "Wad Goals".
- In 2023, he won another Emmy Award for his work on The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Boy Scout".
Animated Characters and Films
Nik Ranieri has worked on many popular animated movies and TV shows. Here are some of the characters he helped bring to life:
- Ursula in The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Wilbur in The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
- Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Jafar in Aladdin (1992)
- Meeko in Pocahontas (1995)
- Hades in Hercules (1997)
- Kuzco in The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
- Doctor Delbert Doppler in Treasure Planet (2002)
- Buck "Ace" Cluck in Chicken Little (2005)
- Lewis in Meet the Robinsons (2007)
- Charlotte "Lottie" La Bouff in The Princess and the Frog (2009)
- Mother Gothel in Tangled (2010)
He also worked on Winnie the Pooh (2011) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012). In 2023, he was an animator for the short film Once Upon a Studio.
