Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
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18 KEYFRAME I N S I D E R PEER POWER Twelve years after the first Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program was awarded in 1979, the Television Academy added an award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. This new award was just one of the ways that animation's representation has evolved at the Academy over the decades, according to Brian Sheesley, a former Animation Peer Group Governor and the Co- Executive Producer for Exploding Kittens. Sheesley recalls that in the 1980s, then- Governor Phil Roman addressed the fact that only above-the-line producers were recognized for the Outstanding Animated Program award. His push was instrumental in the addition of directors and writers. And when Sheesley became Governor in 1999, his mission was to change the face of the Animation Peer Group Executive Committee. The Television Academy has 31 peer groups representing various sectors of the industry. When an individual joins the Academy, they also join a specific peer group based on their areas of expertise and credits. Active members in the animation peer group can vote for Emmy animation and program categories, be selected for the Animation Peer Group Executive Committee, and run for Animation Governor. They are also invited to participate in all general Academy member activities and enjoy exclusive benefits like mixers, seminars, FYC screenings, and more. The returning Governor and the newly elected Governor appoint the Executive Committee between December and January for the upcoming year, and when Sheesley arrived for his term, he felt that the animation committee did not represent the industry's diversity of jobs. He set about to change that, bringing in people from a variety of disciplines (background designers, storyboard artists, etc.), as well tackling gender equality and studio diversity. He also spearheaded a membership drive, and "animation became more visible overall at the Academy," says Lindsey Pollard, a member of the Animation Peer Group Executive Board and a Director on Bugs Bunny Builders. "It was Brian who really said, 'Listen up, look at animation, pay attention. We're here and we're really important!'" Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP One of the many roles of the current Emmy Animation Governor, Kaz Aizawa, a Background Paint Lead and Color Script Artist at Disney Television Animation, is to work with his Co-Governor Joel Fajnor, an Art Director at DreamWorks Animation Television Studios, to appoint the Animation Peer Group Executive Committee for the Television Academy. The Animation Governors also represent the Television Academy's animation industry members on the Academy's Board of Governors. WITHIN THE TELEVISION ACADEMY, THE ANIMATION PEER GROUP EMPOWERS ANIMATION INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. The committee works collaboratively with the Academy to update guidelines and address questions, as well as facilitate the Individual Achievement Awards. Unlike the other awards for animated programs, this is a juried award. If they meet the eligibility, anyone can submit their artwork for the Individual Achievement Award, but there is a submission fee, and Television Academy members automatically get two free submissions. "It is your right as a member of the Academy to say, 'I want my work to be put out there and considered,'" says Pollard. "We really promote the individual to have power for themselves," adds Sheesley. Judging takes place during a single day, and this year, on July 30th, it was both virtual and in-person. National active members of the peer group were able to sign up to serve as a judge in the sub- category most suited to their skills and experience: character design, character animation, storyboard, background design, color, or production design. Judges use guidelines established by the Academy and the animation peer group. "We have the rules and regulations of what outstanding means," says Sheesley. "What the Emmy means." Throughout the day each group of jurors whittles the selections down. "It becomes a discussion. It's very public," says Pollard. She also notes the bottom line for the selection of a winner or winners: "Is the artwork elevating the visual to a level that is Emmy worthy? Is it doing its job?"