Digital Media Concepts/Justin Kohn

Justin Kohn

Justin Kohn (July 21, 1954 - Present) is an American stop-motion animator, animation teacher at Academy of Arts University.

Early Life
Justin Kohn was born in South Euclid, Ohio. He got his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in communications/cinema at University of Miami Florida starting in 1976. After he graduated from the University, he started his first job as a camera person at an Commercial studio in Florida.

He started to create/manufacture the 3D stop motion Armatures in 1979; literally on the kitchen counter island of his bachelor house - First with twisted wire and then with self manufactured ball and socket armatures. Armed with a Super 8mm camera, He set up a stage on that counter and animated those armatures to what became his early sample reels. At that time, one would be sending actual Sample reels out to employers for prospective employment. His self produced reels opened the doorway to the world of working in Stop Motion Animation.

Career
Justin’s first animation job was in an animation movie called I Go Pogo (1980), the character in the movie was the first animated clay feature. In the 80s and 90s, he opened his animation armature manufacturing and effects rigging studio in Los Angeles with his partner Master Machinist Peter J Marinello. Later on, he worked for Disney from 1992 to 1997. During that time, he worked as a stop-motion animator in the film like The|Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and James and the Giant Peach (1996). After he finished his CG animation work for Antz (1998), he decided to go back to his stop-motion world, and became the lead animator in the Coraline (2009) movie for Laika. Since 2009, he started to teach stop-motion in animation at Academy of Arts University. He is now an animation supervisor at Fonco Creative Services, freelance as a clay animator. Also he has a personal website to show his mechanical sculpture art. http://mechanicalspirits.com/

Animation department

 * (2015) Robot Chicken (TV Series) (animator - 2 episodes)
 * 1) (2015) Cheese Puff Mountain (animator)
 * 2) (2015) Zeb and Kevin Erotic Hot Tub Canvas (animator)
 * (2015) Mermaids on Mars (Short) (animator)
 * (2015) Anomalisa (animator)
 * (2014) Usagi Yojimbo the Last Request (Short) (lead animator)
 * (2012) Beforel Orel: Trust (Short) (animator)
 * (2012) The Bite-Sized Adventures of Sam Sandwich (TV Series) (stop-motion animator)
 * (2012) The Simpsons (TV Series) (stop-motion animator - 1 episode)
 * 1) (2012) Ned 'N' Edna's Blend (stop-motion animator: Stop-Motion Puppet Segment)
 * (2011) Jingle All the Way (TV Movie) (animator)
 * (2009) Coraline (animator)
 * (2005) Disaster! (animator)
 * (2000) The PJs (TV Series) (additional animator - 2 episodes)
 * 1) (2000) The Preacher's Life (additional animator)
 * 2) (2000) Home School Daze (additional animator)
 * (1998) Life with Loopy Birthday Gala-Bration (TV Movie) (animator - as Justin Cohn)
 * (1998) Antz (animator)
 * (1997) KaBlam! (TV Series) (animator - 5 episodes)
 * 1) (1997) Harold's Glow-in-the-Dark Brand Butter (animator - segment "Life With Loopy")
 * 2) (1997) Tastes Like Paper (animator - segment "Life With Loopy")
 * 3) (1997) I Just Don't Get It! (animator - segment "Life With Loopy")
 * 4) (1997) Hurts So Good (animator - segment "Life With Loopy")
 * 5) (1997) Cramming Cartoons Since 1627 (animator - segment "Life With Loopy")
 * (1996) James and the Giant Peach (animator)
 * (1993) The Nightmare Before Christmas (animator)
 * (1991) Uncle Elephant (Short) (animator)
 * (1986-1991) ABC Weekend Specials (TV Series) (animator - 3 episodes)
 * 1) (1991) Ralph S. Mouse (animator)
 * 2) (1988) Runaway Ralph (animator)
 * 3) (1986) The Mouse and the Motorcycle (animator)
 * (1989) Stanley and the Dinosaurs (Short) (animator)
 * (1987) Frog and Toad Together (Short) (principal animator)
 * (1985) Frog and Toad Are Friends (Short) (additional animator)
 * (1985) Hoomania (Video short) (animator)
 * (1980) I Go Pogo (animator)

Visual effects

 * (2004) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (lead stop-motion animator)
 * (2001) Monkeybone (animator)
 * (1990) Puppet Master II (Video) (puppet animator: David Allen Productions)
 * (1990) RoboCop 2 (stop-motion technician: robot monster crew)
 * (1990) Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (stop motion animation - segment "Lover's Vow")
 * (1989) Monsters (TV Series) (stop motion animation - 1 episode, 1989) (animator - 1 episode, 1989)
 * 1) (1989) A Bond of Silk (stop motion animation)
 * 2) (1989) Mannequins of Horror (animator)
 * (1989) Puppetmaster (Video) (puppet animator: David Allen Productions)
 * (1989) Cyborg (character animation: Fantasy II Film Effects, Inc.)
 * (1988) Pulse Pounders (head stop motion animator)
 * (1988) Killer Klowns from Outer Space (stop motion animator: additional effects)

Special effects

 * (1991) Uncle Elephant (Short) (armatures)
 * (1988-1991) ABC Weekend Specials (TV Series) (armatures - 2 episodes)
 * 1) (1991) Ralph S. Mouse (armatures)
 * 2) (1988) Runaway Ralph (armatures)
 * (1989) Stanley and the Dinosaurs (Short) (armatures)
 * (1987) Frog and Toad Together (Short) (special armatures)
 * (1986) Critters (critters crew: Chiodo Brothers Productions, Inc.)

Art department

 * (1989) Stanley and the Dinosaurs (Short) (character sculptor)
 * (1985) Frog and Toad Are Friends (Short) (props)

Thanks

 * (1998) The Big Day Off (Short) (special thanks)

Personal Life
Justin got married to Wiene Frans in 2012.

Links and references

 * Channeled Alien Mechanical Spirits by Justin Kohn
 * Deviant Art Justin Kohn
 * IMDb Justin Kohn