Into the Mind of a Teenage Animator

Into the Mind of a Teenage Animator is a 2013 live-action/animation hybrid film directed by Eric Goldberg and starring Max Burkholder and Alan Tudyk. The film was a co-production between Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation (with permission from Fox, Nickelodeon, Universal, Paramount, Scholastic, Lucasfilm, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Archie Comics, Peanuts Worldwide, Sony Pictures Animation, Sesame Workshop and the Jim Henson Company to use some of their characters).

Considered a spiritual successor to the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Into the Mind of a Teenage Animator focuses on Billy, a teenage artist who is fascinated with animation and wishes to work for a big animation studio one day, much to the chagrin of his deadbeat dad, who would rather prefer that Billy take up a job as an accountant. To escape the troubles of the real world, Billy finds his way into one of his drawings, where he discovers ToonWorld, a wacky landscape populated by some of the world's most beloved animated characters. While on his adventure in ToonWorld, Billy discovers the truth about his dad and makes a decision that will change his life forever...

The film is considered one of the most ambitious of its kind to date, even more so than Roger Rabbit 25 years earlier; to stay faithful to their source material, different styles of animation are combined, from digital ink-and-paint, to computer animation, to stop-motion animation, to motion capture performances, to digital puppeteering, to live puppeteering (used for performance reference puppets and handling live objects used by the cartoon characters), to even a limited-animation style (usually reserved for characters like the Peanuts gang). Similar to Bob Hoskins in Roger Rabbit lead actor Max Burkholder had to train to interact with toons; basically, to convincingly talk to people who weren't actually real. For assistance, a team of puppeteers from The Jim Henson Company was hired to perform puppet replicas of each toon whom Burkholder's character talks to, so Burkholder will know where he'll be looking when the film's animation department adds the animated characters in post-production (the puppeteers were also used to handle live objects for scenes where toons are interacting with said real objects; he received additional help from interacting with the voice actors, reading their lines and standing just off-camera. For scenes where Burkholder and toons are physically interacting with each other, the actors for the toons acted on-set in motion capture suits; again, they would be replaced by the toons themselves later. Similarly, for the wrestling scene, four professional wrestlers working on the independent circuit battled each other in motion capture suits as motion reference for the animators when drawing Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Stone Cold, and The Rock, whose real-life counterparts all wore mo-cap suits as visual reference, for the film.

Into the Mind of a Teenage Animator was released on January 21, 2013, and received positive reviews from critics for the acting, music and mixing of live-action and animation. The film is dedicated to the memory of Jerry Nelson and Ken Sansom.

Character Voices
Additional Voices Brad Abelle Brad Abrell Ava Acres Isabella Acres Matt Adler Pamela Adlon Lloyd Ahlquist Newell Alexander Rosemary Alexander Aleisha LaNae Allen Steve Alterman Kristen Anderson-Lopez Wes Anderson Jack Angel Keith Anthony Stephen Apostolina Pam Arciero Kelly Asbury Rene Auberjonois Jake T. Austin Kirk Baily Jennifer Barnhart Steve Bencich John Eric Bentley Greg Berg Brad Bird J.B. Blanc Jack Blessing Bobby Block Susan Blu Dave Boat Earl Boen Duncan Brannan Ciara Bravo Ranjani Brow Kira Buckland Julianne Buescher S. Scott Bullock Torbin Xan Bullock Steve Burns Bettina Bush Zach Callison Joey Camen Cody Cameron Charles C. Campbell Richard Cansino Francesca Capaldi Joe Cappelletti Matthew Charles Max Charles Cheryl Chase June Christopher Robert Clotworthy Townsend Coleman David W. Collins Roy Conli Jesse Corti Cooper Cowgill David Cowgill Makenna Cowgill John Cramer Brian Cummings John Cygan Stephanie D'Abruzzo Matt Danner Hugh Davidson Eddie Deezen Mark Dindal Ben Diskin Pete Docter Mark Dodson Walt Dohrn Michael Donovan Terri Douglas Robin Atkin Downes Moosie Drier Jake Eberle Bobby Ebner Ashley Edner Dean Edwards Paul Eiding Chad Einbinder Jeannie Elias Danny Elfman Gideon Emery Richard Epcar Dave Fennoy Keith Ferguson Holly Fields Will Finn Jeff Fischer Lloyd Floyd Quinton Flynn Jennifer Crystal Foley Rebecca Forstadt Pat Fraley Crispin Freeman Leigh French Eddie Frierson Soleil Moon Frye Don Fullilove Elisa Gabrielli Spencer Lacey Ganus Tyler Ganus Teresa Ganzel Brian George Chris Gifford Louise Gold Eric Goldberg Jackie Gonneau Barbara Goodson Khamani Griffin Nicholas Guest Tanya Haden Mark Hadlow Archie Hahn Isa Hall Jim Hanks Chris Hardwick Barbara Harris Jason Harris Melanie Harrison Brittney Harvey Gary Hecker Brian Herskowitz Bridget Hoffman Wendy Hoffmann Matthew Ford Holt Kellie Hoover Richard Steven Horvitz Brian Hull Rif Hutton Wolfgang Hutton James Monroe Iglehart Kyle Igneczi Scott Innes Dom Irrera Sirena Irwin Eric Jacobson Nick Jameson Phil Johnston Damon Jones Mandy Kaplan J.P. Karliak John Kassir David Kaye Daniel Kaz Mark Kennedy Gabe Khouth Cohl Kenneth Klop Christopher Knights Chris Knowings Marsha Kramer Nathan Kress Sam Kwasman Phil LaMarr Ashley Lambert David Lander Bruce Lanoil John Lasseter Sam Lavagnino Scott Lawrence Jennifer Lee Katie Leigh Marcella Lentz-Pope Hope Levy Dawnn Lewis Jason J. Lewis Riki Lindhome Anne Lockhart Phil Lord Sherry Lynn Angus MacLane Mike MacRae Danny Mann Jessie Marion Mona Marshall Gary Martin Drew Massey Connor Matheus Jeremy Maxwell Chuck McCann Dara McGarry Richard McGonagle Mickie McGowan Caitlin McKenna Scott McNeil Ginny McSwain Allan McLeod Christie Mellor Scott Menville Matthew Mercer Jim Meskimen Piotr Michael Kate Micucci Chris Miller Christopher Miller Lara Jill Miller Candi Milo Edie Mirman Katy Mixon Randall Montgomery Rich Moore Daniel Mora Mark Moseley Rene Mujica Pat Musick Bob Neill Laraine Newman Teddy Newton Jonathan Nichols Nolan North Peter Oldring Alan Oppenheimer Colleen O'Shaughnessey-Villard Haley Joel Osment Jason Pace Alicyn Packard Paul Pape Donovan Patton Kris Pearn Raymond S. Persi Chris Phillips Patrick Pinney Jacqueline Pinol Eamon Pirrucello Paige Pollack Victoria Pontecorvo Phil Proctor Alex Puccinelli Steve Purcell Jan Rabson Michael Ralph Rachel Ramras Hal Rayle Peter Renaday Chris Renaud Kevin Michael Richardson Sam Riegel Katherine Ringgold Brian K. Roberts Bumper Robinson Kaitlyn Robrock Al Rodrigo Philip Anthony Rodriguez Bill Rogers Andrea Romano Roger Rose Stu Rosen Daniel Ross Neil Ross Michelle Ruff Paul Rugg Sam Sako Carter Sand Cole Sand Jadon Sand Lia Sargent Dan Scanlon Charlie Schlatter Kevin Schon Arame Scott Will Shadley Frank Sharp David Sheinkopf Justin Shenkarow Armin Shimerman Peter Shukoff James Sie Bridget Sienna Susan Silo David Silverman Georgia Simon Michael Sinterniklaas Jenny Slate Christopher Corey Smith Danny Smith David P. Smith David Sobolov Aaron Spann Jason Spisak Kelly Stables Steve Staley Skip Stellrecht Brian Stepanek John Stephenson Mindy Sterling April Stewart Karen Strassman Melissa Sturm Cree Summer Pepper Sweeney Shane Sweet Christopher Swindle John Tartaglia Fred Tatasciore Courtenay Taylor Matthew W. Taylor John Hans Tester Kirk R. Thatcher Randy Thom Erik Thompson Jim Thornton Paul Tibbitt Bruce Timm Lauren Tom Nancy Truman Marcelo Tubert Hannah Unkrich Lee Unkrich Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel Jennifer Christine Vera Sam Vincent Matt Vogel Kari Wahlgren Hynden Walch B.J. Ward James Kevin Ward Rick D. Wasserman Audrey Wasilewski Beau Weaver Steven Weber Andreana Weiner Claudette Wells Debi Mae West Colette Whitaker Diamond White Mae Whitman Joe Whyte Scott Whyte Lisa Wilhoit Debra Wilson Mick Wingert Michael Winslow Ariel Winter Dave Wittenberg Sam Witwer Matthew Russell Wood Shanelle Workman Lennon Wynn David Yanover Lucky Yates Victor Yerrid Michael Ann Young Lynnanne Zager Joe Zieja Kris Zimmerman-Salter David Zyler