Travis Andrew Knight (born September 13, 1973)[1] is an American animator, film director, and producer, who has worked as the lead animator for stop-motion animation studio Laika, and directed the films Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Bumblebee (2018).
Early life[]
Knight was born in Hillsboro, Oregon,[2] a suburb of Portland. Knight is the son of Penelope "Penny" (Parks) and Phil Knight, the founder and chairman of Nike. Knight is the grandson of publisher William W. Knight. He attended Jesuit High School, near Beaverton, Oregon. He is a graduate of Portland State University.[3]
Career[]
Music career[]
Knight began his career as a rapper under the name "Chilly Tee". Utilizing a recording studio built in his father's mansion, Knight self-produced a five song demo album.[4][5] The demo caught the attention of Bernie Singleton, president of MCA, who passed the demo to producer Hank Shocklee, who liked the demo and agreed to produce Knight's debut album with his production team, The Bomb Squad.[5]
Knight moved into his parents' Manhattan penthouse for six months while recording the album.[4] The Bomb Squad helped him develop fleshed out choruses, as Shocklee felt that Knight was very skilled at writing verses, but his choruses were weak.[5]
In 1993, Knight released the album Get Off Mine. According to Knight, the record did not sell well and he disliked performing.[3] According to Shocklee, "One of the reasons why it didn't catch on was because it was one record that came out of nowhere, and rap is about building momentum."[5] However, Shocklee is proud of the album, saying, "this record still holds up. You can play it now and it doesn't sound dated."[5]
Animation[]
After Travis Knight graduated from Portland State University, Knight's father had become an investor in Will Vinton Studios, and persuaded the company to hire Travis as an intern.[4][6][3] He worked on the television series The PJs for Fox Studios and Gary & Mike on UPN, as well as television commercials and promo spots.
By 2003, Phil Knight became a controlling shareholder in Will Vinton Studios, which had been losing money due to poor management, and Travis Knight was promoted to the board of directors, despite having no management experience himself.[4] Following the departure of Vinton, the Knights began to reorganize the failing studio, which was rebranded as Laika.
Since 2005, Travis Knight has served as Laika's vice president of animation. He was a producer and lead animator for Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014).[7] He also sits on the Laika board of directors.[8] Along with Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, Knight was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, for The Boxtrolls.
He is the current president and CEO of Laika, along with serving on the board of directors of his father's company, Nike, Inc., a position he assumed in 2015.[9]
Directorial career[]
In 2014, Shannon Tindle pitched to Knight a fantasy project based on samurais, which Knight, a fan of fantasy films, approved for development.[10] The film was announced in December, 2014, as Kubo and the Two Strings, while Knight was revealed to be producing and directing the film, marking his directorial debut.[11] The film was released in 2016.[12] Along with Arianne Sutner, Knight was again nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, for Kubo and the Two Strings.
On March 2, 2017, Knight was revealed to be directing the live-action film Bumblebee,[13] a reboot of the Transformers film series,[14] marking Knight's first time working on a live-action film, and his first time working in a film without acting as a producer.[13] Knight, a fan of the G1 version of the franchise, used many elements from the G1 version in the film.[15] Bumblebee was released in December 22, 2018, to a positive reception from both critics and Transformers fans, with many calling it the best film in the franchise.[16] His next project is an adaptation of Six Million Dollar Man starring Mark Wahlberg.[17]
Personal life[]
Knight is married to fellow PSU graduate Donna Huyssoon and they have three children.[18][19]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | ParaNorman | No | Yes | |
| 2014 | The Boxtrolls | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Kubo and the Two Strings | Yes | Yes | Directorial debut |
| 2018 | Bumblebee[13] | Yes | No | Live-action debut |
| 2019 | Missing Link | No | Yes | |
| 2020 | The Six Billion Dollar Man | Yes | No |
Animator[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Boyer Brothers | TV movie |
| The PJs | Episode: "Haiti and the Tramp" | |
| 2001 | Gary & Mike | |
| 2002 | Día de Los Muertos | Short film |
| 2005 | Moongirl | |
| 2009 | Coraline | |
| 2012 | ParaNorman | |
| 2014 | The Boxtrolls | |
| 2016 | Kubo and the Two Strings |
Awards[]
|
"What would I do if I were me...?"
|
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result[20] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Annie Awards | Character Animation in a Feature Production | Coraline | Nominated |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Trey Thomas |
Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Animated Feature Film Shared with Arianne Sutner |
ParaNorman | Nominated |
| 2013 | Annie Awards | Character Animation in a Feature Production | Won | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Animated Picture Shared with Arianne Sutner |
Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Shared with Arianne Sutner |
Nominated | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Chris Butler, Sam Fell & Brad Schiff |
Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature Shared with Anthony Stacchi & Graham Annable |
The Boxtrolls | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in a Feature Production | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Shared with David Bleiman Ichioka |
Nominated | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Jason Stalman, Mike Laubach & Kyle Williams |
Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Shared with Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable & Brad Schiff |
Nominated | |||
| 2017 | Academy Awards[21] | Best Animated Feature Shared with Arianne Sutner |
Kubo and the Two Strings | Nominated |
| Annie Awards[22] | Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards[23] | Best Animated Film | Won | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association[24] | Most Promising Filmmaker | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Award[25] | Best Animated Motion Picture Shared with Arianne Sutner |
Nominated | ||
| Visual Effects Society Awards[26] | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Shared with Steve Emerson, Brad Schiff and Arianne Sutner |
Won |
References[]
- ↑ "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (23 May 2014), Travis Andrew Knight, Residence, Hillsboro, Oregon, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.
- ↑ "The rise of Travis Knight, the son of Nike's founder who built an animation powerhouse – The Washington Post". https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/08/19/the-rise-of-travis-knight-the-son-of-nikes-founder-who-built-an-animation-powerhouse/. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 McNichol, Tom. 2009. "Hollywood Knights," Portland Monthly, February. Script error: No such module "webarchive". Accessed: May 24, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "How the Father of Claymation Lost His Company". http://priceonomics.com/how-the-father-of-claymation-lost-his-company/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 PALMEDO, About TREE. "Hotseat: Hank Shocklee On Travis "Chilly Tee" Knight". http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-22981-hotseat-hank-shocklee-on-travis-chilly-tee-knight.html.
- ↑ Ryan Ball, "Coraline Animator Travis Knight of LAIKA," Animation Magazine, May 7, 2007 Accessed: August 21, 2016.
- ↑ Laika, "Travis Knight, President & CEO". Accessed: May 24, 2012.
- ↑ Salter, Chuck (July 1, 2007). "THE KNIGHTS' TALE". The Fast Company. http://www.fastcompany.com/59965/knights-tale. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight to Step Down as Chairman", Time, June 30, 2015. Retrieved on December 5, 2015.
- ↑ Lott-Lavinga, Ruby (September 9, 2016). "Kubo and the Two Strings: an epic film made on a 12-foot-long table". Condé Nast. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/kubo-and-the-two-strings-film-interview-travis-knight. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Laika & Focus Begin Production On All-Star 'Kubo And The Two Strings' To Kick Off 3-Pic Deal", Deadline Hollywood, Penske Business Media, December 22, 2014. Retrieved on January 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Laika, Focus Teaming on Animated 'Kubo and the Two Strings'", Variety, December 22, 2014. Retrieved on December 23, 2014.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "The Transformers Bumblebee Spinoff Has Found Its Director". 3 March 2017. http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1631290/the-transformers-bumblebee-spinoff-has-found-its-director.
- ↑ "Looks Like Bumblebee Is Officially The Start Of A New Transformers Movie Universe". 17 February 2019. https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2467064/looks-like-bumblebee-is-officially-the-start-of-a-new-transformers-movie-universe.
- ↑ https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-bumblebees-1980s-setting-turned-it-into-every-trans-1831159187
- ↑ Campbell, Christopher (December 9, 2018). "Bumblebee First Reviews: Nostalgia-Heavy Prequel Might Be Series’ Best Film". https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/bumblebee-first-reviews-nostalgia-heavy-prequel-might-be-series-best-film/.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin. "‘Bumblebee’ Director to Tackle ‘Six Billion Dollar Man’ Adaptation for WB, Mark Wahlberg (EXCLUSIVE)", Variety, April 16, 2019. Retrieved on April 16, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.pdx.edu/news/giving-winter-2013
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (February 8, 2013). "'ParaNorman's' Travis Knight: The Nike Scion Behind the Oscar-Nominated Film". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paranormans-travis-knight-nike-scion-419740. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Travis Knight – Awards". IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1325899/awards?ref_=nm_awd. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 24, 2017). "Oscar Nominations: ‘La La Land’ Ties Record With 14 Noms; ‘Arrival’ & ‘Moonlight’ Snag 8 Apiece". Deadline. http://deadline.com/2017/01/oscar-nominations-2017-academy-award-nominees-1201893000/. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
- ↑ "‘Zootopia’ Tops Annie Awards Nominations, ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ in Close Second", Variety, November 28, 2016. Retrieved on February 27, 2017.
- ↑ "BAFTA Awards: 'La La Land' Leads Nominations", The Hollywood Reporter, January 9, 2017. Retrieved on February 27, 2017.
- ↑ "The 2016 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Nominees". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 11, 2016. http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/component/content/article/148-cfca-nominees-2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- ↑ "2017 PGA Film Nominees Include 'Deadpool,' 'Moonlight,' 'La La Land'; 'Westworld,' 'Stranger Things,' 'Atlanta' Among TV", The Hollywood Reporter, January 5, 2017. Retrieved on February 27, 2017.
- ↑ "‘Jungle Book,’ ‘Game of Thrones’ Dominate Visual Effects Society Awards", Variety, February 7, 2017. Retrieved on February 27, 2017.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Travis Knight (animator). |
Template:Nike
| v - e - dLaika | |
|---|---|
| Feature films | Coraline (2009) • ParaNorman (2012) • The Boxtrolls (2014) • Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) • Missing Link (2019) • Ghost in the Shell (2019) |
| Short films | Moongirl (2005) |
| People | Phil Knight • Travis Knight • Henry Selick |
| Associated productions | Corpse Bride (2005) • King of California (2007) • Slacker Cats (2007–2009) • A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) |
| Related articles | Will Vinton • Bob Gardiner • Clay animation • Joan C. Gratz • Closed Mondays (1974) • Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase (1992) |