Vivo: The Making of a Modern Musical

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Speaker(s):
Kirk DeMicco, Sony Pictures Animation, United States of America
Carlos Zaragoza, Sony Pictures Animation, United States of America
Karl Herbst, Sony Pictures Imageworks, United States of America
Kevin Webb, Sony Pictures Imageworks, United States of America

Talk Description: What difference can one song make? That’s the question at the center of the first-ever animated musical from Sony Pictures Animation, Vivo, available now only on Netflix. Featuring 11 original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and bringing together musical artists including Miranda, Missy Elliott, Gloria Estefan and Juan de Marcos, Vivo follows a musically-gifted kinkajou on a journey from Havana to Miami to deliver a song to his cherished owner’s long-lost love. Join the creative team behind the film for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Vivo, its story, production design, and unique look of the picture. All images © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Speaker(s) Bio: Kirk DeMicco is the director and co-writer of Sony Pictures Animation’s original animated musical “Vivo,” which features brand new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creative force behind the Broadway smash “Hamilton,” available now only on Netflix. Prior to joining Sony Pictures Animation, DeMicco wrote and co-directed DreamWorks Animation’s “The Croods,” which was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He made his directorial debut in 2008 with VanGuard Animation’s “Space Chimps,” which he also wrote. In addition to many writing credits in both TV and film, DeMicco has been fortunate enough to adapt the work of many of his writing heroes such as: Roald Dahl, Jack Kirby and Elmore Leonard, and had the great opportunity to co-write two scripts with comedy legend John Cleese. DeMicco was born and raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey and attended University of Southern California where he graduated in 1991 with a degree in economics and political science. He then spent three years in Italy as a journalist for an Italian film-business magazine before moving back to the United States to work for the William Morris Agency in New York City and Los Angeles.

Carlos Zaragoza is the production designer for Sony Pictures Animation’s original animated musical “Vivo,” which features brand new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creative force behind the Broadway smash “Hamilton,” available now only on Netflix. Previously, Zaragoza served as the production designer for Sony Pictures Animation's “The Emoji Movie.” His wide experience includes art directing for over 17 years in feature live action, animation, musical theater, commercials, TV drama and shows. His credits include designing for movies like “Pan’s Labyrinth,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, that won the Oscar and Satellite Awards for Best Production Design, the animated “The Tale of Despereaux,” “Gnomeo & Juliet,” “Madagascar,” and “Mr. Peabody & Sherman.” He was awarded by the Art Director’s Guild with the ADG Excellence in Production Design Award for his work in “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Originally from Spain, his “circus life” took him to London, Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, where he lives now.

Karl Herbst is a VFX Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, currently supervising work on Sony Pictures Animation’s original musical “Vivo,” available now only on Netflix. Previously, Herbst supervised Warner Animation Group’s “Smallfoot” and Sony Pictures Animation's “Hotel Transylvania 2.” He also served as CG Supervisor on “Hotel Transylvania,” “The Smurfs,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” and “The Smurfs 2.” Herbst's Imageworks credits also include the Academy Award®-nominated “Surf’s Up” and “Monster House.” Prior to joining Imageworks, Herbst worked on films such as “Mystery Men,” “Elektra,” “Garfield: The Movie,” “Scooby Doo,” “Ice Age,” “X2: X-Men United,” “Men in Black 2,” “The Skeleton Key,” and “Serenity.” Herbst also worked on commercials for clients Nesquik, Coca-Cola, Intel, Disney, Xerox and La-Z-Boy. Herbst is a graduate of Clemson University.

Kevin Webb is a Head of Character Animation at Sony Pictures Imageworks, who most recently led the animation department on Sony Pictures Animation’s original musical “Vivo,” available now only on Netflix. Webb oversees the animation department collaborating with filmmakers to execute their vision. His credits include: “Smallfoot,” “Hotel Transylvania,” “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” and “The Angry Birds Movie.” Earlier Webb was at Nerd Corps for three years as an animator for television. Webb earned a Certificate in Animation, Art and Design from The Art Institute of Vancouver.