Steve Martino
American designer and film director (born 1959)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephen Michael Martino[2] (born July 21, 1959)[2] is an American designer and film director. He is best known for directing the Blue Sky Studios films Dr, Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and The Peanuts Movie (2015).
July 21, 1959
- Designer
- film director
Steve Martino | |
|---|---|
Martino at the 2015 Annecy International Animated Film Festival | |
| Born | Stephen Michael Martino July 21, 1959 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.[1] |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Employer(s) | Blue Sky Studios (2001–2021) WildBrain (2021–present) |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life
Martino went to Ohio State University, where he studied design.[3] After graduation, he heard computer animation pioneer Chuck Csuri speak. "I was absolutely blown away. No one was doing what he was showing us. I hadn't seen images like that anywhere before," Martino said. He returned to the university and earned in 1989 a master's degree,[1] studying at the Computer Graphics Research Group (later renamed to Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design), founded by Csuri.[3]
Career
After graduation, Martino went to Los Angeles, where he worked in visual effects and animation.[3] In 2001, he joined Connecticut-based Blue Sky Studios.[1] There he co-directed the animated films Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and Ice Age: Continental Drift.[3] He also directed The Peanuts Movie (2015), an animated feature film adaptation of Charles M. Schulz's US comic strip Peanuts.[4]
In February 2018, it was reported that Martino and Karen Disher would direct the animated fantasy musical, under the working title Foster, for Blue Sky Studios. The film was originally scheduled for release on March 5, 2021.[5][6] However, following Disney's acquisition of Fox, it was pulled from the release schedule.[7] The production studio was closed in 2021.[8]
In November 2023, WildBrain Studios announced that Martino will direct an animated Peanuts film for Apple TV+.[9][10]
Filmography
Director
Film
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
- The Peanuts Movie (2015)
- Snoopy Unleashed (2027)
Short film
- Scrat's Continental Crack-up (2010)
- Scrat's Continental Crack-up - Part 2 (2011)
Art director
Film
- Robots (2005)
Short Films
- Gone Nutty (2002)
Television
- World of Discovery (1990) (Main titles designer)
Other roles
- Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) (Pre-Production Consultant)
- Spies in Disguise (2019) (Senior Creative Team)
- Nimona (2023) (Special Thanks)
Critical reception
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Horton Hears a Who! (2008) | 76%[11] | 71%[12] |
| Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) | 37%[13] | 49%[14] |
| The Peanuts Movie (2015) | 87%[15] | 67%[16] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences | World of Discovery Shared with Jeff Doud, Jon Townley and Thomas Barham | Won |
| 2006 | Annie Award | Best Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Robots Shared with William Joyce | Nominated |
| 2016 | Outstanding Achievement in Directing in an Animated Feature Production | The Peanuts Movie | Nominated | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | Best Animated Feature | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Animated Feature | Nominated | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Award | Best Animated Feature | Nominated |