Animation for Platforms Competition

Noam Sussman is the co-owner and creative director of Homework Studio. We make playful content for tv, film, education and advertising.

Ali Kellner is the co-founder and creative producer of Homework Studio, a 2D animation studio based in Hamilton, Ontario. Alongside creative director and co-founder Noam Sussman, Ali leads the studio’s producing, business development, and original IP work, building a slate that spans educational kids’ content, branded animation, and original series development. Homework’s credits include TED-Ed, TVO and Universal Kids, with work recognized by ASIFA East and OIAF. Ali brings a background in animation direction, production, grant writing, and creative development, with a long-term vision rooted in quality storytelling that respects both kids and the adults who love them. Ali was also the 2019 winner of the Ottawa Animation Festival Pitch This! competition as well as the 1st place winner 2020 edition of the TAAFI pitch competition.

Homework is a boutique 2D hand-drawn animation studio. We make animation that moves frame by frame & by hand. Driven by our shared passion for great storytelling, thoughtful design, and expressive animation, Homework Studio is made up of award-winning director duo Ali Kellner and Noam Sussman. We are a full service animation studio that can take on the full scope of your creative vision and handle everything from pre to post.

Travis Pelto
My Bio (in easy bullet format)

• I’m a 32-year-old writer, performer, and improv teacher

• I currently live in Ferndale, MI with my wife and our cat, Catrick Swayze AKA Bobo

• I’ve been performing improv since I was 13, and I’ve taught it since 2015. You can see me perform every Sunday night at Go Comedy! Improv Theater

• Interests: Sketch comedy, hot sauce, genre-bending video and board games, hip-hop

Joe Hingelberg
Joe Hingelberg is a comedian, musician, writer, and voice over actor from Michigan. He started doing improv and sketch comedy in 2004, and has been performing live shows around the Metro Detroit area ever since. He also enjoys creating various types of music, character voices, and assorted sound effects on his computer, usually in his living room. He’s one part of the animated sketch trio Big Big Baby, created with his very talented friends Shawn Golden and Travis Pelto.

Shawn Golden
Writer, comedian, illustrator, animator.

Currently,

• Making shorts for Adult Swim Smalls.

• Writing/animating/illustrating for Big Big Baby.

• Making nonsense for myself.

Pendleton Ward, is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, director, and voice actor who has worked for Cartoon Network Studios, Frederator Studios, and Netflix Animation. He created the television series Adventure Time, the web series Bravest Warriors, and the adult animated interview streaming series The Midnight Gospel.

Writer, artist and songwriter for Adventure Time and the creator of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar is known for her emotionally authentic animated characters and stories, and for her platinum single, “Love Like You.”

Ian Jones-Quartey is an Emmy- and Annie-nominated showrunner, director, animator and voice actor. He is the creator of the Cartoon Network animated series OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, and Co-Executive Producer of Steven Universe and Steven Universe: The Movie. He was also a supervisor on Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and animation director on Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros. He loves funny drawings.

Patrick McHale is an American animator, storyboard artist, screenwriter, director, and musician. He created the miniseries Over the Garden Wall, worked on the series Adventure Time and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, and co-wrote the script for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Mike L. Mayfield is an American animator, director and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio who has worked on various animated projects including Midnight Gospel, Big Mouth, Mr. Pickles, China, IL, and more.

Beto Irigoyen is a Mexican director, art director, and illustrator artist working in animation, design, and visual storytelling with a focus on building cohesive worlds and memorable visual experiences.

Most recently, he co-directed The Elephant alongside Pendleton Ward for Adult Swim, while contributing across multiple departments including art direction, character design, visual development, backgrounds, and compositing. The television special also features segments by Rebecca Sugar, Ian Jones-Quartey, and Patrick McHale.

Throughout his career, Beto has collaborated with artists, directors, and studios on projects for Google, Adult Swim, Twitch, HBO and MTV. He enjoys working across disciplines, helping ideas evolve from early concepts into finished productions, and finding visual solutions that support both storytelling and production needs.

Based in Mérida, Mexico, he is passionate about animation, tropical ecosystems, and creating work that brings people together through imagination and a sense of wonder.

Remus Buznea & Kyriaki Kyriakou are a London-based animation duo. After creating the RTS Award-winning short and Vimeo Staff Pick Dateless, they’ve directed various projects for clients such as Adult Swim, Coachella, Warner Bros, and TED.