// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Ryan Carlson? A car son.
Ryan L. Carlson (born 1974) is an American art director for animated films. He served as the production designer for the 2011 independent film Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil and for the 2026 DreamWorks film Forgotten Island.
Education
[edit]Carlson studied at the San Jose State University,[1] where he graduated in the late 1990s.[2]
Career
[edit]His first credited work on an animated film was as an effects inbetween artist for Brad Bird's 1999 animated film The Iron Giant.[2]
In 2007, Carlson was recruited by Disney animator Mike Disa to serve as production designer for a sequel to the 2005 independent film Hoodwinked! funded by The Weinstein Company.[3] Disa credited Carlson with expanding the environment of Hoodwinked! from a lone village to a "vast and intricate and unique world" for the sequel, and due to its limited budget compared to their other studio projects, Carlson worked with Disa and story writer Jeff Siergey in planning out "99.9 percent of all the designs and characters" before the film was storyboarded.[3] Animation for the project was finished by 2009,[3] and Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil was released in April 2011 to poor reviews.[4]
After his work on Hoodwinked Too!, Carlson served as art director for the DisneyToon Studios film Planes.[5] During pre-production, he followed executive producer John Lasseter's mandate to maintain accuracy in the design of each individual airplane while keeping them "pudgier" in design, stating that "We did multiple 'walk arounds' of each character to make sure we got all of their flaps, ailerons, trim tabs and actuators right."[6][7] Carlson was also credited with designing the character of Rochelle.[8] In the mid-2010s, Carlson began preparations for what was intended to be the third installment in the Planes film series, but the project was cancelled upon the studio's closure in 2018. At Sony Pictures Animation, he worked on the film The Emoji Movie (2017), for which he laid out a color script upon which the film's visuals can be based on for use in the storytelling.[9]
Carlson served as the production designer for the 2026 DreamWorks Animation film Forgotten Island.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Iron Giant | Effects inbetween artist | |
| 2000 | The Emperors New Groove | Inbetween artist | Characters: Misty, Yzma Cat, Chicha |
| 2001 | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Additional clean-up animator | |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Inbetween artist | Characters: Sherriff, Jeb, Pearl, vultures |
| One by One | Cleanup artist | Short film | |
| 2005 | The Origin of Stitch | Short film | |
| 2006 | The Little Matchgirl | Inbetween artist | Short film |
| 2008 | Tinker Bell | Art director | |
| 2011 | Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil | Production designer/art director | |
| 2013 | Planes | Art director | |
| 2017 | The Emoji Movie | Art director | |
| 2018 | Mary Poppins Returns | Environment designer | |
| 2022 | DC League of Super-Pets | Art director | |
| 2024 | The Wild Robot | Additional visual development artist | |
| 2026 | Forgotten Island | Production designer |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Stripperella | Lead character designer | Episode: "The Curse of the WereBeaver" |
| Cartoon Monsoon | Art director | Episode: "Creepwood" (Part 1 and 2) | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Carter, Alice (June 1, 1997). "An Interactive Teaching Tool Comes to Life". Animation World Network. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
San Jose student Ryan Carlson shows his 'human jump' tape. [Lenny] Graves is pleased with the test, but their are a few more corrections to be made.
- 1 2 3 "Ryan Carlson". VIEW Conference. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
His first film credit was for Brad Bird[...]
- 1 2 3 Milligan, Mercedes (April 25, 2011). "Animated People: Mike Disa, Director of 'Hoodwinked Too!'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
From script to the day we wrapped was about 29 months.
- ↑ "Critics Consensus: Fast Five is Certified Fresh". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. April 28, 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
Now comes Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil, and critics say whatever modest pleasures were to be found in its predecessor have been steamrolled by middling animation and played-out pop culture references.
- ↑ Chang, Justin (August 6, 2013). "Film Review: 'Planes'". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Momdjian, Cynthia (August 13, 2013). "Meet the Makers Behind Disneytoon Studios' Airborne Adventure, Disney's Planes". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Bergqvist, Pia (August 10, 2013). "Disney's Planes: The Science Behind the Film". Flying Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ "The women of 'Disney's Planes' fly high". GMA News Online. August 25, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Noyer, Jérémie (November 20, 2017). "Production Designer Carlos Zaragoza puts a smile on The Emoji Movie". Animated Views. Retrieved September 4, 2026.