| March
2001 |
Setting
a President
Rembrandt
Wed., Mar. 21, 2001 16:20
Following the internal announcement last week that Jean MacCurdy,
president of Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) was stepping down to become
a creative consultant for the studio, Warner Bros. announced on March
20 that Sander Schwartz, former president of Sony Pictures Family
Entertainment Group (SPFEG) will take over the reins from MacCurdy
on April 16. Schwartz, as president of WBA, will be responsible for
the studio's physical production of theatrical, TV, direct-to-video
and classic animation, as well as oversight of creative development
of TV and direct-to-video animated programming. Schwartz will also
oversee the animated utilization and adaptation of Warner Bros.' classic
library of characters for non-programming uses (e.g. commercials,
PSAs, Internet, interactive devices), working closely with the appropriate
divisions.
He will also work closely with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, president,
worldwide production, Warner Bros. Pictures, who is responsible for
creative development and production of all theatrical films, including
animated films based on new characters as well as WB's classic Looney
Tunes, DC Comics and Hanna-Barbera characters.
Schwartz, a seasoned animation production executive, shepherded and
was responsible for the development and production of many animated
series at (SPFEG) including Men in Black: The Series, Dragon Tales,
Extreme Ghostbusters, Max Steel and the Emmy-nominated Roughnecks:
Starship Troopers Chronicles. Previously he was executive in charge
of production on TMS' animated programs and the theatrical Little
Nemo.
MacCurdy joined WBA in 1988 after serving as a production executive
at Marvel Productions and Hanna-Barbera. In 1979, she served Warner
Bros. Cartoons as director of animation programming, eventually becoming
VP and general manager until her departure in 1983. When she returned
to WB Animation in 1988 as VP and GM she transformed it into a multiple
Emmy award-winning powerhouse. She helped build and launch Kids' WB!,
the WB Television Network's 5-year-old children's programming service,
where she was responsible for the creation, development and production
of new TV animation.
Source: http://animationmagazine.net |
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