Todd Jacobsen

Meet Todd Jacobsen

Creative Director at Todd Jacobsen, Inc.

Todd Jacobsen

About Todd

About Todd

Mentor of 2D Animation

Todd is a thirty year veteran of the Hollywood 2D animation industry with extensive experience on features, TV, commercials, and theme park installations. He has worked at Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Netflix, Universal, Nickelodeon and Fox. Todd has also freelanced on a number of projects for smaller studios across North America.

  

Todd's work

Credits include The Simpsons, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Cats Don't Dance, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, The Princess and the Frog, and numerous properties featuring the classic Looney Tunes characters.

Q&A with Todd

Which city are you currently based in?

Stevenson Ranch, California

What did your pathway into the industry look like?
I taught myself how to animate in 1988-1989 while taking courses in Graphic Design at California State University at Northridge, as they didn't offer animation classes at the time. I made a one minute stop-motion project in my dorm room, and created a portfolio containing my film and my best graphic design assignments. I submitted it to two studios and the second one hired me as a Production Assistant on a show they had just started producing called The Simpsons. I worked on the first two seasons of that series, spent the next two years on the production side of the industry (FernGully, The Ren & Stimpy Show), and then made the transition to drawing full time.
What has been the best experience of your career so far?
Working on FernGully, Cats Don't Dance, The Road to El Dorado, The Princess and the Frog, and the last four years freelancing from home on features, TV, and commercials.
What’s your advice for students?

Be completely open to changes within the industry, learn as many techniques for executing animation as possible and, above all, play nice with others!

Learn animation from industry pros 

What do you enjoy most about being a CG Spectrum mentor?
The opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with newcomers to the industry.
How do you stay creative outside of work?
I enjoy gardening, cooking, and refinishing furniture. I'm also restoring a 1966 convertible I've had since college.
What excites you most about the future of animation?
The ability to create and distribute finished content in a self-contained setting.

Learn more about Todd's experience on his website or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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