Puppet Film Scholarship
I met Sam at the CTN Animation Expo 2024 where he gave me support and encouragement. He shared some trade secrets for lighting small sets and I left feeling reassured that I was on the right path with my career :)
In April, I received the Sam Koji Hale Puppet Film Partial Scholarship Award through the Creative Talent Network (CTN) Foundation for my pitch to create a stop-motion animated series.
Sam is an Emmy-nominated animator, filmmaker, and art director whose most recent work can be seen on Nickelodeon’s “Big Nate.” He was also the film director and production designer for the indie short, “Yamasong" (2010) and “Yamasong: March of the Hollows” (2017). Sam also worked on Amazon Prime’s “Tumble Leaf.”
CTN’s scholarship with Sam is… “an opportunity is designed to support and recognize the talents and creative endeavors of aspiring filmmakers in the fields of stop-motion animation and puppetry. Inspired by the artistry and innovation of Sam Koji Hale, this scholarship nurtures emerging visual storytellers who bring characters to life through handcrafted techniques, practical effects, and the magic of puppet-driven filmmaking.
Geared toward up-and-coming filmmakers and artists with an interest in pursuing stop-motion animation or puppet-driven filmmaking, this scholarship is designed to empower those who have an idea for their own film.”
In our first workshop, we discussed how to structure our film to best tell the story we are conveying. We also learned about Heather Henson and Handmade Pupppet Dreams and saw some animated shorts.
I’m thrilled to work with Sam and the selected group of independent stop-motion animators as we work alongside each other, creating our films. We are meeting for workshops led by Sam, and one of the best things is the discovery of a new creative community we are forming through this program.
Pictured: CTN Founder, Tina Price, Showrunner Madeleine Gee-Norris, Sam Koji Hale with cohorts of the scholarship program in person at CTN Studio in Burbank, CA and on Zoom from around the world (I’m top right ;))
I look forward to this project and heading to the CTN Expo 2025 in Los Angeles in November.