DreamWorks’ holiday animated feature, The Rise of the Guardians, is the first 3-D computer generated movie ever directed by an African-American. His name is Peter Ramsey.
Ramsey's gift for drawing was his entree into the film industry. He got his start at DreamWorks as a storyboard artist. After working on the TV project, Monsters vs. Aliens, they asked him to take a look The Rise of the Guardians, a project based on a series of children's books by author, William Joyce. It took little convincing to get Ramsey to take the helm.
Ramsey says directing an animated feature is very similar to directing a feature film. All the essential elements -- character, plot, dramatic tension -- are still necessary to create a compelling story. He worked closely with actors Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and Isla Fisher on their performances. Then, he sat with the animators to bring the actors' performances to life.
Ramsey, who grew up in Los Angeles, says persistence is the key to his success. His advice to youngsters who want someday to follow in his footsteps is, "never give up... if you love it, go for it."
