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L eg acy Connec t ion s A
nimation entrepreneurs Jason (BID, BAD 1997) and Michael (BID
Jason’s love of art and newfound desire to become a designer led
of flat-out refusing to use a
who followed his brother into the industrial design program, says
computer during his first
“The College of Design is perhaps my favorite place on Earth.
“the unbridled sense of
three years of design school.
optimism and can-do
“Chandra Cox still teases me
attitude in N.C., and
about how she had to beg me
specifically at the College
to use a drawing tablet and
1999) Carpenter believe the College of Design is the “greatest place
Everything I am able to do today in my career, and as a designer, I
of Design, leads you to
how that led me to take Pat
ever,” and the two brothers credit the college for giving their careers a
owe to my wonderful teachers and fellow students from the College of
having no question if
FitzGerald’s animation class
successful start.
Design,” says Jason.
you can do something or
which ultimately started
not… you simply do it.”
my career path.” Being an
The reality of their combined strengths hit home while in graduate
“One thing we have
school. “It was great traction with employers to be a brothers pair,” says
all digital, he explains.
seen that sets NC State
who appear to share a brain. Together you are worth more than the
apart from other schools
sum of your parts.”
is the emphasis given to
in California, so they decided
creative problem solving
to study, work and live there.
from day one. Some
The brothers went to graduate
of our colleagues have
school at the California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) to earn MFAs.
attended fine schools
While in school the Carpenters were also earning credibility in the
park attractions (like Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center—an interactive ride experience about the future of technology), their company, Carpenter Brothers Animation (http://carpenterbrosanimation.com), is
Top: Still from a second short film in production. Above: Still from a commercial for Asics shoes.
a success. The last few years they have worked closely with Big Buddha
and possess excellent technical skills, but they don’t tend to face design
Baba (http://www.bigbuddhababa.com/) to create projects for Walt
problems in the same way,” emphasizes Michael of his design school
Disney Imagineering. “It has been a thrill to take part in Imagineering’s
experience.
creative process and to see how they blaze a path with new technology.”
“We learned to think differently and to think around the problem.
The hub of animation is Top: Still from the WB Kids identity campaign. Above: Still from Sesame Street's What Did Hungry Pete Eat?
animation world. Between them, their in school credits included an animated segment for Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show, a short film for Sesame Street, the identity campaign for WB kids and work on Cartoon Network’s Aquateen
Learning to brainstorm about brainstorming and to take a step back
Hunger Force. “The reel from these projects landed us the Epcot Center
now reside in the Santa Monica/Los Angeles area of California. Their
to see a number of ways to approach a design problem before trying to
Spaceship Earth job,” adds
interest in NC State began when Jason enrolled in the residential Design
solve it. This approach has stayed with us in all that we do!” he adds.
Jason. Six months out of
The Carpenter brothers are originally from Greensboro, N.C., and
Camp while still at Grimsley
Michael describes professor Bryan Laffitte as “a magician with the
High School. “Design camp
way he draws. Bryan set a great example for his students and made us
opened my eyes to a whole
all want to be more like him.”
different world,” he says.
One of his projects with Laffitte helped Michael Carpenter narrow
the Cal Arts program, the brothers were directors. For the duo, presenting themselves as a team has
down his career aspirations. Recalling with delight one project near
helped them exponentially in
Top, left: Jason and Michael Carpenter.
Halloween where Laffitte encouraged his studio to create costumes for
animation projects. “We fill in
Bottom, left: Michael left, Jason right, on a childhood trip to Disney World.
the BASH, Michael said, “I created a commando chicken and once I did
each other’s gaps,” says Jason.
that—there was no going back for me. I knew I wanted to work with
“We still get to play in the sandbox together like when we were kids,”
and create characters.”
adds Michael.
Bottom, right: Still from a short film in production. DESIGN INFLUENCE / FALL 2009
animator these days is almost
Michael. “Companies seem to like hiring siblings or close-knit teams
Directing animation projects, from TV commercials to major theme
10
Jason relays his memory
him to NC State to study industrial design and art + design. Michael,
Still from Drew Carey's Green Screen Show.
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