Benjamin Burch

Visual Development Artist, Animator

Senior Artist / 22 yrs

Glendale, CA United States

Illustrator

Cartoon Network's The Mr. Men Show

Quite simply put, I am a artist that likes to communicate mood and story through my drawing.

I have worked in animation production for over ten years getting my start in the 2d drawn tradition. Since then, I have continued animation primarily using flash. Now a days I concern myself with visual development, character design, and story.

Not only am I a team player and love working with others on a common goal, but can be relied upon to come up with creative solutions and meet deadlines.

Work History

Owner / Director

Burchworks

June 2008 - Present

Burchworks has kept me going for four years. As I have worked on a contract basis for various studios in the Portland area, finding my own work as the owner and director of my own studio has kept me steadily employed. It has also stretched my ability as a artist to manage projects and direct for clients. I have worked with a number of clients ranging from start-ups like "Common Fig" (a networking site for professionals) to Adidas and Nike.
Freelance illustrator

Nickelodeon

July 2014 - December 2015
Project Manager, Visual Development Artist, Art Director, an

Bent Image Lab

2005 - June 2010

Bent Image Lab is small commercial house that has hired me over the past five years to use my artistic talents in various capacities of production from character design, storyboarding, working with directors developing look and feel as a art director, to my latest contract position as a project manager. It has always been a great experience working with Bent. While the work has never been consistent, they trusted me to wear different hats and no matter what hat I wore, I love working with a team of people.
Background & Prop Designer, Animator

Renegade Animation

February 2007 - November 2008

Renegade studios, based out of Burbank, started a satellite studio in Portland. I started work there as a animator for Leap Frog games "Thomas The Tank Engine" and "Ratatouille". When Renegade got green lit for "The Mr. Men Show" I switched to design. As the only designer in the Portland branch, I was responsible for creating props and layouts for entire episodes.
Character Designer

Laika

February 2007 - February 2007

At Laika house, I worked in film development for a brief period of time doing character designs for one of their properties. Of the many design choices they had, Laika pushed mine into c.g. modelling and animation tests before they cancelled the production.
Assistant Animator, Designer

Augenblick Studios

2000 - 2002

I started at Augenblick studios as a intern, before I got my job at Nickelodeon. During this time, I cut my teeth in animation helping out with a traditionally animated short called "Robot Song". "Robot Song" was to promote a feature idea and ended up winning various awards and was shown at the International Film Festival in San Fransisco among other places. I continued working there on various properties as a designer and was here where I first learned flash as a animator.
Animator

Nickelodeon

May 2000 - November 2000

My first job in Animation! I started as a jr. animator on the show, "Little Bill" I did character rigging and lip synch. The show was "experimentally animated" in After Effects. I was later promoted to animator.