#51 - Armand Serrano ~ Production Designer / viz-dev artist @ MARVEL, DISNEY SONY, BLIZZARD ~Livecast

Directing Animation Livecast

Originally streamed on YouTube Live Oct 6, 2023. Audio edited by Kiara Horowitz.

Armand Serrano is a visual development artist, art director, and production designer for animated feature films and games specializing in environment design. He is currently working as a Production Designer for an unannounced biblical animated feature film slated for 2025. Armand is known for his works at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, and The Bible Project. His most recent projects were Skydance Animation's The Search for Wondla (2024) and Marvel Studios' "What If...?" . He is also a seasoned lecturer in the field of animation and design. He conducts workshops and demos internationally. Armand conducts his own online mentorship program once a year for advanced visual development candidates. He teaches at Brainstorm-Inland School and the co-organizer of Icon Manila with his wife. He also taught at Biola University and Art Center: College of Art and Design as an adjunct professor. After completing his civil engineering degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1990, Armand started his career as an assistant animator at Fil-Cartoons, a Hanna Barbera studio based in Manila. His new-found passion for animation moved him to Philippine Animation Studio and supervised the layout department for Marvel's overseas production of X-Men and Fantastic Four TV series to name a few. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-90s and took further studies in layout and background design. Armand joined the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Florida in 1996 and became a Layout Journeyman. He worked on four of the studio's successful animated feature films: Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. In 2004, Armand joined the crew of the newly formed Sony Pictures Animation. During his nine-year stay at Sony, Armand completed a total of fifteen projects including Surf's Up, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Arthur Christmas, and Hotel Transylvania. He also collaborated independently in visually developing Escape From Planet Earth for Vancouver-based Rainmaker Entertainment and production design on Animal Crackers for Blue Dream Studio Spain. Armand moved back to Disney Animation Studio between 2013-2018. His later credits with Disney include the award-winning features Big Hero 6 and Zootopia, Olaf's Frozen Adventure, and Raya and the Last Dragon. He also worked as a freelance art director for The Bible Project and visual development artist for studios such as Netflix Animation, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Niantic, Blur Studio. https://www.armandserrano.com/ Interviewer Scott Wiser is currently supervising at Steamroller Studios and has written and directed for Spacestation Animation. He is the creator of 15 deeply meaningful feature film pitches and counting. 3 of these are Kickstarted Books and one is a short film. Any producers or executives interested in collaborating or funding on Scott Wiser's projects can peruse these pitches through the application at: www.scottwiser.com/collaborate