Kyle Balda
Kyle Balda is an accomplished animator and director known for his significant contributions to the animation industry. His passion for animation began in childhood, leading him to pursue formal education at the California Institute of the Arts, where he graduated in 1993. Balda's career took off with early projects at notable studios, including Industrial Light and Magic and Pixar, where he worked on iconic films such as "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2."
After gaining experience in animation, Balda shifted his focus to teaching, conducting master classes and workshops across Europe and Asia. He later returned to production, directing films like "The Lorax," which marked his feature directorial debut, and the highly successful "Minions" series, which explored the backstory of the Minions from the "Despicable Me" franchise. Despite mixed reviews for some of his directorial projects, Balda's work has proven commercially successful, with several films grossing over a billion dollars worldwide. Currently based in Paris, he continues to influence the animation landscape through his roles at Illumination Mac Guff and various educational endeavors.
Subject Terms
Kyle Balda
Animator and Director
Contribution: Kyle Balda is an animator and director best known for directingThe Lorax (2012) and Minions (2015) and for his animation work on such films as Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Despicable Me (2010).
Background
Kyla Balda has said that his interest in animation began when he was a child and began drawing flip-books of Disney characters, describing this as his first effort toward animation. When he was eighteen years old, Balda met animator Dan Jeup, who became his mentor, helping him to learn how to draw in animation poses and setting Balda on the path to become a professional animator.
Balda studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), learning both traditional and computer animation, the latter of which was just beginning to become a major facet of the animation industry. Balda won an internship with LucasArts, a video game producer headquartered in San Francisco that was founded in 1982 as an outgrowth of George Lucas’s film production company. Balda worked on the video game Day of the Tentacle, which was released in 1993. He also interned with Pacific Data Images (PDI), a computer-animation production company that was later bought out by DreamWorks in 2000. There Balda was mentored by animators Tim Johnson and Rex Grignon, who helped him learn many of the nuances of 3-D computer-generated animation. Balda graduated from CalArts in 1993 with a degree in film and video animation.
Career
Balda began his professional career as an animator at the film production company Industrial Light and Magic. Balda’s early animation work included The Mask (1994), Jumanji (1995), and Mars Attacks! (1996). Balda also did animation work for Weta Digital in New Zealand, working with director Peter Jackson on the film The Frighteners (1996). After joining the studio Pixar, Balda worked as an animator on the film A Bug’s Life (1998).
Balda next served as the directing animator on Toy Story 2 (1999), the hit sequel to the 1995 animated film featuring the voice talents of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The directing animator is responsible for supervising all other animators working on a project and coordinating with the director to oversee a project’s development. Balda took a step back from the directorial role after the completion of Toy Story 2 to work as a character animator for the 2001 hit film Monsters, Inc.
Following Monsters, Inc. Balda decided to spend some time traveling around Europe. Balda settled in Paris, where he worked with renowned French animator Pierre Coffin. Balda and Coffin worked on several commercials and short film projects in Paris and also began teaching courses in both computer and traditional animation. Eventually Balda developed his teaching program into a two-day master class, which he has presented to students across Europe and Asia. Balda has also served as a guest lecturer and conducted animation workshops at several prestigious art and film schools, including Les Gobelins in Paris, France; the Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark; the Art Academy of San Francisco, California; and the Filmakademie Baden-Wüerttemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
After years working as an animation teacher and consultant, Balda returned to production. He worked as a layout supervisor for Illumination Entertainment on the 2010 film Despicable Me, which was directed by Coffin and Chris Renaud, an animator who had previously worked for Marvel Entertainment.
Following their work together on Despicable Me, Renaud and Balda codirected the 2012 animated film The Lorax, based on the 1971 children’s story by Dr. Seuss. The Lorax marked Balda’s directorial debut of a feature film.
The film version of The Lorax differed considerably from the source material, instead focusing on the life of a young boy, voiced by Zac Efron, who seeks information about the environmental destruction of his hometown, Thneedville. The characters Ted and Audrey were named in honor of Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, and his wife Audrey. Reviews for The Lorax were mixed, but the film had a successful opening, earning $70.2 million in its opening weekend and grossed a total of $348.8 million.
Following his first full-length directorial effort, Balda began developing an animated spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise, titled Minions. The story, a sort of prequel, follows the evolution of the Minions and their various evil masters throughout time. Released to mixed reviews, it enjoyed strong box-office sales, grossing $1.1 billion worldwide. Balda went on to direct further entries in the related franchises: Despicable Me 3, released in 2017, and Minions: The Rise of Gru, beginning in 2018. As with Minions, Despicable Me 3 made over $1 billion, despite receiving tepid reviews and modest audience approval.
Balda continues to work in 3-D production animation as a supervising animator and director at the visual-effects studio Illumination Mac Guff.
Impact
Through his work on some of the most popular contemporary animated films and his teaching in Europe, Asia, and the United States, Balda is playing an important role in shaping the future of film animation. Despite his initial directorial projects receiving tepid critical reception, Balda has been offered a number of high-profile projects in addition to his work on the Despicable Me franchise.
Personal Life
Balda lives in Paris, France, and divides his time between Europe and the United States.
Principal Works
A Bug’s Life, 1998
Toy Story 2, 1999
Monsters, Inc., 2001
Despicable Me, 2010
The Lorax, 2012
Minions, 2015
Despicable Me 3, 2017
Bibliography
“About Kyle Balda.” Kyle Balda Official Website. KyleBalda.com, 2013. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Balda, Kyle. “Interview with Animation Director and Mentor Kyle Balda.” Interview by Anand Gurnana. AnimationXpress. AnimationXpress, 22 Sept. 2007. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Edelstein, David. “The Badness of The Lorax Is a Shock.” Rev. of The Lorax, dir. Kyle Balda and Chris Renaud. Vulture. New York Media, 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Robinson, Tasha. “The Lorax.” Rev. of The Lorax, dir. Kyle Balda and Chris Renaud. A.V. Club. Onion, 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Fraser, Paul. “Alumnus Kyle Balda’s Co-directed Film The Lorax Opens Strong.” 24700. California Inst. of the Arts, 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.