Sean P. Mullen is a three decade veteran of the animation industry with high-end animation, development, and management experience.
As a traditional 2D, then CG Animator, Sean helped bring characters to life in projects from The Lion King (1994) and Space Jam (1996), to Stuart Little (1999), and Open Season (2006) among others. Along the way, he earned an Annie Award nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production, and won the Visual FX Society award for Best Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture.
Sean has been involved in the story and visual development of numerous projects including Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009), Surf’s Up (2007), and Hotel Transylvania (2012) to name a few. He has held roles as a Story Artist, Head of Story, Writer and Character Designer. He has also been a core member of IP development groups at studios from Sony Animation, where he helped develop their initial slate of feature projects, to Mikros Animation today.
Sean’s leadership experience began as a Lead Animator on Stuart Little 2 (2002), then carried him through Supervising full animation and story teams, followed by animation departments of 100+ artists. He eventually managed an entire studio of artists as Creative Director at Technicolor’s highly successful Animation & Games Studio in Bangalore, India (since rebranded Mikros Animation, Bangalore). There, he helped oversee expansion of the team from 800 to 1800+ employees over the course of four years, while simultaneously leading continuous growth in the quality of all work being delivered.
Most recently, Sean has been the Mikros Animation Paris studio’s Head of Character Animation for the full animation department. While in this position, he also played a central role in the development and production of Mikros Animation’s first in-house developed feature film, Ozi - Voice of the Rainforest (2022). As one of two Screenwriters, Head of Story, and Head of Character Animation, his direct influence is clearly evident throughout the film. Ozi is also the first feature produced collaboratively between Mikros Animation’s Paris and Bangalore studios, with Sean at the forefront of building a seamless unity between teams physically separated by both distance and a global pandemic.
Work History
Head of Character Animation / Head of Story / Writer
Mikros Animation
September 2019 - Present
Paris, France
Overseeing all character animation in Mikros' Paris studio.
Writer, Head of Story, and Head of Character Animation on Ozi - Voice of the Forest
Creative Director
Technicolor India
May 2015 - September 2019
Bangalore, India
Maintaining and developing artistic quality on all work being executed at Technicolor A&G's 1100+ employee Bangalore studio.
Managing career trajectories, and providing artistic, leadership, and supervisory guidance to all creative departments.
Executive level collaboration with Los Angeles based Technicolor offices on setting and achieving studio goals, on determining both studio-wide and project-specific budgets, and overseeing their successful implementation in the Bangalore studio.
Maintaining relationships and communication with clients to ensure delivered work is meeting and exceeding quality, stylistic and scheduling expectations.
Active engagement with affiliated studios around the world to build and maintain effective partnerships on a variety of projects.
Marketing Lead / Senior Animator
Avalanche | WB Games
November 2013 - April 2015
Salt Lake City, UT
Disney Infinity
Managing and creatively leading marketing animation group
Collaborating with story and layout departments to develop marketing content
Working with Disney's Glendale-based marketing division
Marketing, cinematic & in-game animation
Storyboards on Infinity 2.0 Announce Trailer/Teaser and various marketing projects
Senior Storyboard Artist
Blue Sky Studios
September 2013 - October 2013
Development Artist / Animator / Story Artist
Reel FX
December 2012 - August 2013
Part of a group of artists developing a full slate of films to be produced in house at Reel FX. Also assisting with storyboarding and animation when needed.
Director
Prana Studios
October 2011 - September 2012
Theatrical feature film
Director of Animation
Prana Studios
January 2011 - September 2012
Overseeing and training a team of over 130 animators on a wide spectrum of productions, including Disney's "Planes", the "Tinkerbell" film series, "Dorothy of Oz", etc.
Head of Story
Sony Pictures Animation
October 2008 - December 2010
Head of Story on "Hotel Transylvania" with Jill Culton directing
Voice Actor
Sony Pictures Animation
July 2006 - December 2010
Performed the voice of Roger the Cat for “Open Season 2” and “Open Season 3”, as well as numerous scratch voices on various films
Storyboard Artist
Sony Pictures Animation
August 2006 - October 2008
Boarded on “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs”,“Open Season 2”, “Cats & Dogs”, and “Hancock”
Animation Supervisor
Sony Pictures Imageworks
April 2002 - August 2006
Animation Supervisor on "Open Season"
Animation Lead
Sony Pictures Imageworks
December 1999 - April 2002
Animation Lead on "Stuart Little 2"
Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks
June 1998 - April 2002
Animator on “Stuart Little” and the short films “Attack of the Chubb Chubbs” and “Early Bloomer”
Animator
Rich Animation Studios
September 1997 - May 1998
Traditional Animator on “The King and I”
Animator
High Horse Animation
June 1995 - September 1997
Traditional Animator on "Space Jam", "Quest For Camelot", "Doctor Doolittle", and on various commercials
Animator
Baer Animation
January 1995 - June 1995
Traditional Animator on various commercials
Assistant Animator
Baer Animation
January 1994 - January 1995
Traditional Assistant Animator on "The Lion King", and on various commercials
Assistant Animator
Dream Quest Images
October 1993 - December 1993
Animator
Duck Soup Produckians
August 1993 - September 1993
Traditional Animator on various commercials
Assistant Animator
Duck Soup Produckions
June 1993 - August 1993
Traditional Assistant Animator on various commercials
Filmmaker
Mellow Manor Productions
July 1992 - June 1993
Wrote, directed, designed, and animated two original, short films for the "Spike & Mike Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation"