Hello
As a kid I always wanted to write and illustrate books, and I think if I had known that animated films were made by actual humans, I’d have wanted to work on those too. So when a variety of stars aligned, bringing me into both the book and film worlds, I couldn’t believe my luck.
A week after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2015, I settled in Portland, OR where I worked as a Look Development artist on Laika’s Missing Link. After four wonderful years at Laika, I left to finish the illustrations for my first book, CAN I GIVE YOU A SQUISH?
I then spent three years working as a set dresser and model maker on a Netflix stop motion feature called Wendell and Wild, directed by Henry Selick, during which I wrote my second book THE RAINBOW PARADE and illustrated a third THE SNOWMAN’S WALTZ.
After years of mostly fabricating by day and drawing/storytelling by night, the drawing and storytelling has begun to sneak into my day job. I did some character design on Dwarf Studio’s Pokemon Concierge, visual development for Bix Pix, and I was given the wonderful opportunity to Production Design an exciting project for Stoopid Buddies. To my delight, on all of these projects, I was allowed—even encouraged—to voice my views and throw out ideas on the stories and characters. In whatever role I occupy, I always seem to gravitate toward solving story problems. Big story problems—does this character arc work? As well as minuscule story problems: does the paint job on this corner of cement in the background of Ext. Main Cemetery make sense logically and support the feeling of this sequence? That’s always been my driving force on these things—not my love of fabricating, or my love of drawing, but my love of storytelling.
Most of my story solving energy goes into the books I make at home, but it’s been wonderful having the opportunity to contribute in big ways and in small to the films I love working on.
My book agent’s (Christy Ewers) email:
christy@catagencyinc.com
My email:
emilyeneilson@gmail.com
Instagram: @emilyeneilson