by Sheldon Cohen

Sheldon Cohen, the Animator and Illustrator

2009-05-23T22:44:00.036-04:00

If you've Googled my name to get here, you will have found me between Sheldon Cohen, the Psychologist and Sheldon Cohen, the Lawyer. Farther down the list is Sheldon Cohen, the Insurance Agent, the Philosopher, the Social Scientist, the Manager Consultant and even another cartoonist. Never thought there'd be so many of us!
Above clip from the NFB film "Dreams Come True"
Flash animation by Greg Houston

Please scroll down the side-bar list on the right to see an overview of the work I've done over the past 40 years.

IF YOU WISH TO DISCUSS COLLABORATIONS, CONSULTATIONS OR DIRECTING POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR PROJECTS, PLEASE VISIT http://consultingstories.blogspot.com/

Happy to receive any of your questions or comments.

sheldon@bysheldoncohen.com

A LITTLE FEATURE (1 minute 35 seconds)

2009-04-04T22:35:00.054-04:00

My personal tribute to John and Yoko and one very devoted fan, inspired by a trip to the museum.

1969 A MOMENT IN TIME

FILM CLIPS

2009-03-27T15:55:00.036-04:00

In spite of the fun I had using all the brown paint in this scene, PIES is a very important film, one that has gone mostly unnoticed. Author Wilma Riley wrote a "spicy" parable about bringing people together from the throes of prejudice and hatred - and now that the NFB has put it on its website for public viewing, I hope that its message can make its way to wider audiences. For the complete film please visit http://www.nfb.ca/film/pies/

The fingerpaint style of animation in SNOW CAT was developed by Jeami LaBrosse who created every animated frame himself. Also, sitting in the same studio with actress Maureen Stapleton and listening to her tell Dayal Kaur Khalsa's story was an experience I will never forget.

Her genius shone through as she gave this brilliant narration. So many other people also contributed to the making of this film that I can't begin to mention everyone properly - but thanks Normand Roger, Tim-Wynne Jones, Daniel Schorr, Elaine Gasco, Chelsea Cohen, and Linda Morrison who wrote and sang so beautifully "Dreams Come True" (love that song!)

Doo-wop bliss from beginning to end thanks to the amazing soundtrack by composer Zander Ary. It's addictive, be careful. I am so grateful that Neko Case agreed to sing the title song, I WANT A DOG. I can't imagine the film without her vocals, adding the perfect match to Marnie McPhail's voice-over narration of another of the stories by the remarkable Dayal Kaur Khalsa. Again so many others who contributed - thanks especially Jo Meuris, Jon Gasco, Geoff Mitchell - and Penny Will for her song.

Finally, I wish to include a note of appreciation to the many talented producers I worked with on these films over the years:

Marrin Canell, Kenneth Hirsch, Wolf Koenig, Derek Lamb, Caroline Leaf, Marcy Page, David Verrall (and May Cutler, Catherine Mitchell in the book world)

2009-03-25T22:19:00.021-04:00

I made this film with GREG HOUSTON based on an idea I had about a moose who auditions for the lead role in the Broadway play, Man of La Mancha. The design and animation are Greg's and the storyline was a joint venture.

Below is a 45-second clip out of 4 minutes

Made with a Bravo!FACT grant
(A good source for those seeking funding of Canadian independent short films)

Produced by PMA PRODUCTIONS INC
(Headed by Kenneth Hirsch, a Montreal producer who takes on interesting projects and is great to work with)

UNLEASHED (GIVE DOGS A CHANCE)

2009-03-22T16:11:00.007-04:00

An earlier film Greg Houston and I co-directed, using my concept with his design and animation (and as always, additional funny stuff he throws in there). Zander Ary's brilliance as a songwriter underlies the smack-on Bono impersonation by radio personality Andre Maisonneuve.

FOR THE COLLECTOR

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Many of the original illustrations and first-run proofs are available for purchase from the following books:

THE BOXING CHAMPION

THE LONGEST HOME RUN

THE BASKETBALL PLAYER

PIES

There are 3 ways to view artwork:

1. click on ART GALLERY (there are more that are not listed here)

2. refer to the children's books, themselves, and pick your favourites

3. contact me for a full catalogue with prices

All the original paintings from THE HOCKEY SWEATER children's book are sold out, but original book proofs are still available. For viewing these proofs and animation cels please visit:

THE HOCKEY SWEATER site:
http://www.thehockeysweater.blogspot.com/

HELLO AND WELCOME

2007-02-21T12:09:00.051-05:00

Those of you who love animated films and/or picture books will understand the fascination have for seeing stories come alive on the screen and page. My job as animator and illustrator relies on the words of authors. I've had the honour of collaborating with many of Canada's great literary talents over the past 30 years. I offer here a brief overview of my work and I invite you to contact me with your questions or comments.

Please visit my other site THE HOCKEY SWEATER

A coffee table book featuring the art from the animated film
including behind-the-scene anecdotes...

A personal account of my experience animating and directing Roch Carrier's ever-popular short story about Maurice "Rocket" Richard and his number 9 hockey sweater. As an English-speaking filmmaker, I learned from the author, himself, what I needed to know in order to tell this thoroughly French-Canadian tale with my art.

and a new children's book is in the works...

What would happen if you were granted magic powers? When it happened to Koppel and his wife, they learned an unexpected lesson - one from which everyone can benefit. This children's book is based on the ancient folktale of THE THREE WISHES written with a contemporary twist by Aubrey Davis (recipient of the Sydney Taylor Book Award)

Made with a Bravo!FACT grant
Produced by PMA Productions

2006-12-03T13:25:00.001-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CV

Born in Montreal in 1949, I received a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University and went on to Sheridan College in Ontario to study Art. In 1972 I joined the NFB as a student trainee and continued in the animation department as a freelance director for many years. My special focus has been on adapting literary works, first into animated films, and from there, into picture books.

Interested in helping students develop their own film ideas, I have given courses at Concordia University in Montreal and spent the 1998-1999 academic year teaching film animation at Harvard University. Along with my wife and son, a variety of family pets have shared our home over the years, many of them finding their way into my films and books.

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DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AN ARTIST, AND WHEN DID YOU START ILLUSTRATING?

I never thought that when I grew up I would be an artist. In college I studied science. At the age of 20, I decided to change directions and do what I always loved doing - which was drawing. Soon after, I began to make animated movies.

WHY DO YOU MAKE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN?

Luckily for me there are writers who need someone to take their words and imagine how they could be turned into paintings. I enjoy very much the collaborative teamwork in creating picture books.

ARE ROCH AND YOU FRIENDS, AND DO YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH ROCH?

When we’re doing a book together I meet with Roch to discuss details of the story. There's always a very good feeling between us. He’s a very generous man and I’m thrilled he wanted me to recreate his childhood with my illustrations. It's a great honour that he trusts me to visualize what he puts into words. I have great respect for him.

DO YOU DO RESEARCH?

Yes. I went to Ste. Justine village with Roch and he showed me all the places where his story took place. I saw the house where he grew up, and the skating rink where he played hockey and I even met his mother. I carried a sketch book with me and made drawings so I could remember everything, and I also took photographs. Then when I went back to Montreal, I could look at all these details to know how to make my illustrations. But, of course, a lot of it came from my imagination, as well.

HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SEE THINGS THE WAY ROCH SEES THINGS?

I don’t think about it too much. I just read the things he describes in his stories and then find my own way to make them into pictures. But I always hope I'm expressing it how the author meant it to be. It's a great feeling when Roch looks at something I show him and says "Yes, yes, that's it! It was just like that."

DO YOU LIKE SPORTS LIKE ROCH, AND ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER SPORTS BOOK WITH HIM?

The truth is, I can animate someone scoring a goal better than if I had to do it myself on the ice. Lucky for me I get to score as many goals as I want on paper. Roch wrote one specific sports story for each season, making a total of 4 in the series.

ARE ALL YOUR BOOKS PUBLISHED BY TUNDRA?

Five of my six books are published by Tundra but there's another book I illustrated, called PIES, written by Wilma Riley, and published by Coteau Books in Saskatchewan. Like THE SWEATER, it was an NFB movie before it became a children's book.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO DO AN ILLUSTRATION?

On the average, an illustration takes me a good 3 weeks minimum. Believe it or not, some books took almost a year to illustrate, while others, a couple of months. When I start an illustration, I make very rough drawings, then I clean them up adding more and more details, until finally everything is ready to be coloured. Until recently, I used coloured pencils and paints, but in my last book, THE FLYING CANOE, I used the computer to add colour

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

I can never answer that question, since I love each book for what it is, and they all become my favourites as I’m working on them. Even many years later, I never lose my strong connection to each project.

2006-08-20T21:21:00.000-04:00

Independent Filmmaker (Animation)

Consulting Director (Animation)

Professor (Animation)

Illustrator (Children’s Books)

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1971 McGill University, Montreal, QC

Bachelor of Science

1972 Sheridan College, Oakville, ON

Fine Arts Diploma with Honours

1973 National Film Board of Canada, Montreal, QC

Animation Studio, Student training

1982/83 Concordia University, Montreal, QC

Art Education and Art Therapy studies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Film Directing /Animating

7 films for NFB (freelance capacity)

2 films for Sesame Street, CBC

2 films for Bravo!FACT, Bravo TV

Consulting

5 films for the TALEPINNERS series, NFB

Teaching and Group Presentations

Harvard University, Visiting Professor in Film Animation, (1998-99 Fall/Winter Semesters)

Concordia University, Animation Instructor, (1984-89)

Guest Lectures (in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, San Francisco, Dubai, Abu Dhabi)

Illustrating Children’s Books

5 books for Tundra Books (division of McClelland and Stewart), Toronto, ON

1 book for Coteau Books, Regina SASK

ANIMATED FILMS BY SHELDON COHEN

1973 BOSSA BOP

Student film, Entrant: Annecy Film Festival, France

1974 DEATH BY STREETCAR

Based on a poem by Raymond Souster, Entrant: Ottawa International Film Festival

1980 THE SWEATER

Based on a short story by Roch Carrier

Awards:

British Academy Award (Best Animation)

Yorkton, Sask. (Certificate of Merit, Excellence in Animation)

Salerno, Italy (Silver Medal, Artistic Direction)

Toronto (Children’s Film Festival, Best Animation)

Cork, Ireland (St. Finbarr Statuette, Best Animation)

Los Angeles (Ruby Slipper, First Prize in Animation)

Columbus, Ohio (Learning A-V Awards, Best Film of the Year)

New York (American Film Festival, Red Ribbon)

American Library Association (Selected Film for Young Adults)

Menuires, France, (Best Animation, Grand Prize)

Best of 1991 Entertainment Weekly (Best Video List)

1984 PIES

Based on a short story by Wilma Riley

Entrant: Annecy, Hiroshima, New York Film Festival

Winner: Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival

1998 SNOW CAT

Independent co-production

Based on a short story by Dayal Kaur Khalsa

Columbus International Film Festival (Bronze Plaque Award)

Yorkton, Sask. (Golden Sheaf Award for Best Animation)

American Library Association (notable video)

Gemini Awards (nominee for Best Animated Film)

2003 I WANT A DOG
Based on a short story by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Awards in Zagreb, Zlin, Bloomington, Cleveland, New York, Chicago (CICFF adult jury, First Prize and children's jury, Second Prize), Columbus

2005 FROM BOOK TO FILM: ANIMATED CLASSICS BY SHELDON COHEN

DVD compilation

Distributed to libraries and schools across Canada as part of National Book Week

2006 THE THREE WISHES

PMA Productions/NFB co-production with Bravo!FACT, Bravo TV

based on the traditional folktale adapted by Aubrey Davis

Selected for Montreal WFF, Cinefest (Sudbury), Calgary

Distributed to libraries and schools across Canada as part of National Book Week

CHILDREN’S BOOKS ILLUSTRATED BY SHELDON COHEN

Published by Tundra Books and written by Roch Carrier

1984 THE HOCKEY SWEATER

1991 THE BOXING CHAMPION

1993 THE LONGEST HOME RUN

1996 THE BASKETBALL PLAYER

2004 THE FLYING CANOE

Published by Coteau Books and written by Wilma Riley

1991 PIES

Awards for Book Illustrations:

1984 Communication Jeunesse, Children’s Jury Prize: The Hockey Sweater

1985 Finalist, Ruth Schwartz Children’s Literature: The Hockey Sweater

1985 Finalist, Amelia Frances-Gibbon Award: The Hockey Sweater

1985 American Institute of Graphics, Certificate of Excellence: The Hockey Sweater

1991 Finalist, Amelia Frances-Gibbon Award: The Boxing Champion

1991 Finalist, The Mr. Christie Book Award: Un champion

1991 Governor-General’s Award for Illustration: Un champion

1993 Short list, Governor-General’s Award for Illustration: Le plus long circuit

2005 Aesop’s Accolade: The Flying Canoe

2006 IBBY Honour List: The Flying Canoe

Other Honours:

1991 Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books: The Hockey Sweater

1992 Canadian Children’s Book Centre, A Choice Book: Pies

1992 Canadian Library Association, Notable Picture Book: The Boxing Champion

1992 Official gift from Ontario Government to Princess Diana: The Hockey Sweater

2006 Picture Perfect! Toronto Public Library (Osborne Collection virtual exhibit)

Exhibitions:

1982 Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, ON: paintings

1984 Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, QC: Treasure Hunt Contest, runner-up

1984 McCord Museum, Montreal, QC: The Hockey Sweater illustrations

1986 Cinematheque Quebecoise, Montreal, QC: painting

1993 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Sert Gallery: book illustration

1998 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Carpenter Center: animation cels

2006-05-12T15:44:00.012-04:00

AVAILABLE THROUGH
THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
http://www.nfb.ca/

The Three Wishes

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1992 Princess Diana presented with THE HOCKEY SWEATER as an official Government gift for Prince William and Prince Harry while visiting Canada.

1994 Leonard Maltin includes THE SWEATER as one of his favourite Canadian animated shorts.
1996 Oscar, Tony, Emmy winner, Maureen Stapleton, records her powerful narration of SNOW CAT.

2003 Singer, Neko Case, adds her magnificent vocals to the theme song for the animated movie I WANT A DOG.

2006 Invited to Abu Dhabi by the Canadian Embassy there to 'Celebrate Canada' in the UAE with other illustrators, authors and performers.

I'd like to include a small piece written by acclaimed Ottawa-based writer, Rachna Gilmore, who attended this uplifting event and expressed so eloquently what we all felt:

"We brought and shared stories from around the world because Canada is a nation of people from around the world...Sharing our stories is a way of making connections; it is as symbolic and powerful as sharing bread , and a celebration and affirmation of our common humanity."

2007 Working with the voice talent used in THE THREE WISHES soundtrack was a special treat for me. The "Koppel" character was played by veteran actor Paul Soles whose many note-worthy roles includes the voice of the original Spider-Man in the 1960's animated TV series

and the role of the"Yetta" character was played by Linda Kash, cast in many popular sitcoms (including Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond). She is currently seen in the Kraft Canada TV commercial as the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel.

2006-05-09T15:19:00.001-04:00

AVAILABLE THROUGH TUNDRA BOOKS
www.tundrabooks.com

AND THROUGH LOCAL AND ONLINE BOOKSTORES

2006-05-08T14:35:00.007-04:00

PAINTINGS AND COMMISSIONS

Pastels from THE SWEATER

Illustrations from THE HOCKEY SWEATER

Illustrations from THE BOXING CHAMPION

Illustrations from THE LONGEST HOME RUN

Illustration from THE BASKETBALL PLAYER

Illustrations from THE FLYING CANOE

"KISHKA FOR KOPPEL" click on images to order

2006-03-27T09:19:00.010-05:00

ILLUSTRATIONS FROM "KISHKA FOR KOPPEL"
Story by Aubrey Davis, Orca Book Publishers