Terry and a small tea of partners founded Openform after recognizing themselves as frustrated consumers. Hear them speak on how they got to where they are and where they are headed. Terry and a small tea of partners founded Openlane after recognizing themselves as frustrated consumers. Hear them speak on how they got to where they are and where they are headed. Terry and a small tea of partners founded Openlane after recognizing themselves as frustrated consumers. Hear them speak on how they got to where they are and where they are headed.
Do you have an interest in writing for animation but feel as if finding the right information and resources to guide you on your journey is its own impossible quest? We think so too! That’s why we’re hosting a Writers Edition of our Virtual Speaker Series. Hear from our writing talent on how they got their start, what they’ve learned along the way, and advice for emerging talent like you!
Want to learn what it’s like to write for different audiences and formats? Are you looking to make the jump from a story artist to a writer? What’s the relationship like between writers and storyboard artists? We’ll be diving into all these questions (and more!) in our sessions. Check out our schedule below!
An ASL Interpreter will be available for all sessions. Closed captioning will be made available for all session recordings.
Event start times are in Pacific Standard Time (PST). Sessions will run for one hour each.
L.E. Correia - Writer, Big Mouth
Lauren Faust - Writer, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Jake Goldman - Writer & Story Editor, The Powerpuff Girls
Juston Gordon-Montgomery - Story Editor, My Dad The Bounty Hunter
Kerri Grant - Co-Executive Producer & Story Editor, Ada Twist, Scientist
Jorge Gutierrez - Creator, Maya and the Three
Jay Hasrajani - Storyboard Artist, Ghee Happy
Martin Hynes - Writer, The Magician's Elephant
Sherley Ibarra - Manager, Netflix Animation Writing Outreach and Engagement
Godwin Jabangwe - Writer, Tunga
Mitra Jouhari - Writer, Big Mouth
Jeff King - Supervising Producer, Ridley Jones
Riki Lindhome - Co-Creator / Showrunner / Actress, Another Period
Alex Mardirossian - Manager, Adult Animation, Netflix
Katie Mullins - Manager, Original Animation - Film, Netflix
Chris Nee - Creator / Executive Producer / President, Laughing Wild
Misan Sagay - Writer, Belle
Karissa Valencia - Showrunner & Executive Producer, Spirit Rangers
L.E. Correia writes for Big Mouth and Human Resources on Netflix. Previously she has been a writer on Superstore (NBC), Nathan for You (Comedy Central) and China, IL (Adult Swim). L.E. got her start at Abso Lutely Productions, where she worked as a non-writing producer on projects like The Eric Andre Show and Check it Out! with Dr. Steve Brule.
Lauren Faust is an Emmy and Annie award winner who has lent her talents to many beloved animated properties throughout the years as artist, writer, director and producer. She has made contributions to shows such as Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Powerpuff Girls, Wander Over Yonder, and the critically acclaimed movie, The Iron Giant.
She is best known as the Developer and Executive Producer of Hasbro’s My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Lauren’s passion for making entertainment for girls, and insistence that “for girls” does not have to equal “lame” or “boring” pushed the series beyond the usual fair for girls and earned an unexpected audience of all ages and genders.
Recently she served as Executive Producer on the 2019 reboot of DC Super Hero Girls featuring the adventures of DC’s classic female super heroes as teenagers.
Jake Goldman is an Emmy-nominated writer based in Los Angeles. In addition to co-running (PROJECT TITLE REDACTED,) Jake has worked on Powerpuff Girls (Cartoon Network), Futurama (Comedy Central), Fresh Beat Band of Spies (Nickelodeon), When Good Pets Go Bad (Spike TV) as well as pilots for Fox and Cartoon Network. In the past, Jake Goldman has also written comics for Oni Press (Rick And Morty) and IDW (Powerpuff). Trained at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Jake frequently performs both scripted and improv comedy in and around Los Angeles (during non-COVID times, that is.) When he is not working, Jake spends his time fruitlessly attempting to leash-train his cat.
LA native and writer/director Juston Gordon-Montgomery was raised on an eclectic mix of Saturday morning cartoons, hood dramas, and prime time sitcoms. This disparate collection of influences drives him to tell stories that are often genre-based comedies, with a heavy focus on cultural specificity and off-center perspectives. He graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in 2012 and has since worked in television and feature animation for companies like Disney, Pixar, Sony, Warner Bros, and more. He currently works as a Head Writer/Story Editor at Netflix.
Kerri was born in Jamaica and when she was 11 years old, settled in New York with her family, where being an immigrant and feeling like an outsider led to her writing poetry in her journal. It was in those journal pages that she discovered she was a writer - so it only makes sense that she went to The George Washington University, known for its International Affairs program, and declared accounting as her major. But it wasn’t long before she had to admit that she’d been consorting with metaphors, then later, characters and dialogue. She left accounting, threw away her watch (for the effect) and never looked back. A serendipitous internship at Nickelodeon and a long love affair with writing led to her role as a script coordinator on a groundbreaking show called The Backyardigans,” which led to a Nickelodeon writing fellowship in Los Angeles. Post writing fellowship Kerri has become the writing professional she’s always wanted to be. She’s been a staff writer on kids’ TV shows such as Doc McStuffins for which she’s won the prestigious Peabody award, Humanitas Prize, NAACP Image Award, Sentinel Award, and NAMIC Award, and became a seven-time Emmy Award nominee. Kerri has been a staff writer on Disney’s Elena of Avalor and Mira, Royal Detective and served as co-story editor on Nickelodeon’s Nella the Princess Knight. She’s written for a plethora of other animated shows as a freelance writer and is now the Showrunner on Netflix animated show “Ada Twist, Scientist.” Kerri earned an MA in Mythological Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute where mythologist Joseph Campbell’s archives live and the only graduate program where you can take classes in dreams and alchemy. She lives in Los Angeles with her black cat, Luna and loves learning to play pop songs on the ukulele.
Jorge Gutierrez is a Mexican animator, painter, writer, and director. He is the director & co-writer of the Guillermo Del Toro produced animated feature The Book of Life for Fox which earned him a 2014 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. He is also writer & director of the Emmy nominated Son of Jaguar VR short for Google. Along with his wife and muse, Sandra Equihua, they created the multiple Annie and Emmy Award–winning animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon. Born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana, Gutierrez has completed various films, cartoons, illustrations, and paintings exploring his love with Mexican pop and folk culture.
Jaydeep Hasrajani is an animator, storyboard artist and director based in Los Angeles CA. He has previously worked on The Powerpuff Girls (Cartoon Network), The Fungies (Cartoon Network), and Ghee Happy (Netflix Animation). Currently, he is the Creator and Producer of (PROJECT TITLE REDACTED). When not working, Jay likes to copy the format of Jake Goldman’s bio because he is really bad at doing it himself. Jay has no cat, but if he did, you can be sure it would be leash-trained by now.
Martin Hynes wrote and directed THE GO-GETTER, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. He co-wrote the Academy Award-winning, smash hit TOY STORY 4. He’s currently collaborating with Pharrell Williams on ATLANTIS – a feature musical. As an actor, he starred in the hit short film GEORGE LUCAS IN LOVE, for which he accepted a Best Actor award in San Sebastián. He’s writing THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT for Netflix.
Sherley Ibarra is currently Netflix’s Manager of Animation Outreach & Engagement. In this newly created role, she oversees the talent incubation initiatives designed to engage, cultivate and create opportunities for up and coming writing talent for animation across all verticals (Original Animation Series, Preschool, Features, and Adult Animation).
Prior to joining Netflix, Ibarra served as Nickelodeon’s Vice-President of Creative Talent Development & Outreach, where she championed the network’s Writing and Artist Programs and produced over 150 outreach events worldwide to identify and foster new pools of creative talent while increasing brand awareness, and community engagement. Before working in the entertainment industry, she worked in the non-profit space, working as Development Manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County, producing their annual fundraising events, and as the Director of Development & Marketing for the Media Arts Center San Diego and San Diego Latino Film Festival.
Sherley is a member of Women in Animation, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), ASIFA-Hollywood, the Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity Brain Trust, and a board member of the BRIC Foundation. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, and loves to spend all her free time with her niece (safely, over video).
Godwin Jabangwe is a Zimbabwe-born screenwriter who was raised on Bud Spencer movies and “Bonanza” reruns. A storyteller from the beginning, Godwin tried to write his first novel at twelve, made it to page 26, then quit when he fell in love. He discovered screenwriting while broke and working eight-hour shifts in a community college library, his first screenplay was about a broke foreign student who marries an older woman for the papers. Godwin is a graduate of the UCLA screenwriting MFA program.
Mitra Jouhari is a writer and comedian. She is one-third of the Three Busy Debras on Adult Swim, which she co-writes, co-executive produces, and co-stars in. She has written for Big Mouth, Human Resources, High Maintenance, President Show, Miracle Workers, and more. She has appeared in Search Party, The Big Sick, Broad City, and other cool stuff.
A lifelong Los Angeles resident, Jeff grew up dreaming about a career in nearby Hollywood. That dream began with him building a set in the backyard, where he directed his toys to award-worthy performances. It then took the form of visual artist, actor, director - actor again - then finally writer when Jeff attended the screenwriting program at Loyola Marymount University. While in school, Jeff interned at Cartoon Network, which sparked a desire to work in animation.
After several internships and assistant gigs - and placing in the final round of both the Austin Film Festival and Slamdance Screenwriting Competitions - Jeff got a job as Script Coordinator for Chris Nee's critically acclaimed Doc McStuffins. Jeff soon worked his way up to freelance writer on Doc, then Staff Writer - and finally Co-Producer - on Disney's Vampirina. Jeff has since been nominated for two Emmys for Vampirina.
Jeff has continued to work in the Chris Nee space, and is now Co-Story Editor and Supervising Producer for the upcoming Netflix Animation Studio show Ridley Jones. He also created and will Executive Produce the upcoming Dino Daycare with Chris' Laughing Wild and Netflix Animation.
Having grown up gay in a conservative part of Los Angeles, Jeff has always been drawn to an underdog story, and through his work, hopes to shed light on toxic masculinity and the harms of gender norms and expectations.
When not writing, Jeff can usually be found drinking too much coffee, petting a dog, or running along the Silverlake Reservoir.
Riki Lindhome is an actress, writer, comedian and director. She is the co-creator, showrunner and star of Another Period on Comedy Central. She is also one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates and co-created their self-tiled show on IFC. Garfunkel and Oates have comedy specials on Netflix and Comedy Central and have written songs for animated movies including Lego 2, The Addams Family and The SpongeBob Movie. Her acting roles include Knives Out, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Under the Silverlake, Kidding and Brooklyn 99. Riki directed the entire latest season of Under a Rock with Tig Notaro. She currently stars in the Fox animated comedy series, Duncanville.
Peabody, Humanitas, NAACP and Emmy Award-winner Chris Nee is the creator and executive producer of the acclaimed series, “Doc McStuffins,” an imaginative animated series about a six-year-old girl who is a doctor to her stuffed animals and toys. She also developed for television and executive produced the hit animated series “Vampirina,” about a young vampire girl who faces being the new kid in town when her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.
In 2018 Nee began her multiyear overall deal at Netflix, where she now writes and executive produces across live action, animation, kids, teens and adults. Nee’s first five project announcements at Netflix include “Ridley Jones,” “Dino Daycare,” “Ada Twist, Scientist,” which she is producing with Higher Ground Productions, with President Obama and Mrs. Obama serving as executive producers, and “Spirit Rangers,” which is created and executive produced by Native American Karissa Valencia and staffed with an entirely Native writing staff.
Nee’s production company, Laughing Wild, is focused on uplifting up-and-coming talent with diverse points of view. The recently announced “Antiracist Baby,” a series of musical animated shorts to be created with the work of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, fits squarely within the mission of Nee’s work.
An accomplished children’s television writer, Nee has also managed to juggle a successful career as a documentary and reality TV producer. While on location in Alaska for Discovery Channel’s cult hit documentary series “Deadliest Catch,” Nee was simultaneously writing the first “Wonder Pets” Christmas Special for Nickelodeon. Nee received Emmy Award nominations for her work on both series.
Nee has received sixteen Emmy Award nominations and won an Emmy in 2002 for her work on the series “Little Bill.” “Doc McStuffins” won the Peabody Award in 2014. Her series have attracted top voice talent with series regulars Lauren Graham, Loretta Devine, Wanda Sykes, Patti LuPone and James Van Der Beek. Her series have also highlighted the voice talents of Michelle Obama, Ludacris, Carol Kane, Geena Davis, Portia de Rossi, Curtis Stone, Andrew Rannells and Audra McDonald amongst many others.
Nee began her career as an associate producer at Sesame Street International and spent time in Mexico, Finland, Israel and Jordan working on the local productions of the award-winning show, before transitioning over to writing for Sesame Workshop.
Screenwriter Misan Sagay won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture for Fox Searchlight’s critical box office hit, BELLE. She was also nominated for a Humanitas Prize, Sagay’s screenplay was inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of a British admiral who was raised by her aristocratic aunt and uncle. Sagay’s producing and screenwriting credits include SECRET LAUGHTER OF WOMEN, starring Colin Firth and Nia Long; and the award-winning, critically acclaimed ABC television movie, THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, starring Halle Berry and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey. She is currently writing FELA, a feature film for Focus Features and KINGDOM OF SOULS, a feature film for Warner Bros to be produced by Michael B Jordan’s Outlier Productions.
Karissa is a California Native --- literally! She grew up between sunny San Diego and the Santa Ynez Chumash Reservation. Karissa studied English and Communication at the University of San Diego and then pursued a graduate degree in Television and Film at Syracuse University. Karissa is passionate about animation and has written for preschool favorites such as Disney Junior’s Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, T.O.T.S and The Chicken Squad. She is currently the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Netflix Animation’s upcoming preschool series, Spirit Rangers, which follows the fantastical adventures of a modern day Native American family.
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