Chel White (born May 30, 1959) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...

artist. In his independent films and music videos, White is known for his stylized, often experimental use of images, unusual animation and narratives depicting an outsider's perspective. He often adopts darkly humorous and poetic sensibilities to explore topics of love, obsession and alienation; with dreams and the subconscious being his greatest influences. He describes his own work as “stories and images that reside on the brink of dreams, or linger on the periphery of distorted memories.” A

Rockefeller Fellow The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller ("Seni ...

, Chel White has made three films based on the work of

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

-winning writer and radio personality

Joe Frank Joe Frank ( Joseph Langermann; August 19, 1938 – January 15, 2018) was an American writer, teacher, and radio performer best known for his often philosophical, humorous, surrealist, and sometimes absurd monologues and radio dramas he recorde ...

(''

Dirt Dirt is any matter considered unclean, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Du ...

'', ''Soulmate'', ''

Magda Magda may refer to: * Magda (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of persons with the name) * Marinko Magda (born 1963), Serbian mass murderer * Magda, São Paulo, Brazil, a municipality * Heimat (play), ''Heimat'' (play), commonly ...

''). Chale Nafus of the

Austin Film Society The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1985 to exhibit independent, experimental, foreign and various other non-mainstream art films, the film society has grown from just film exhibition to fo ...

says, "I have been amazed at the stylistic and thematic diversity in (Chel White’s) films. Surreal, ethereal, wistful, and witty, I just allow my imagination to be taken into his complex, mysterious worlds.” The

Austin Chronicle Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

says, "(Chel White's) work seems to dispatch itself in some secret, subversive code, flashing messages amid animation, obscure stock footage, and actors with crazy eyes." Chel White has directed music videos for Radiohead's

Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. ''Rolling Stone'' desc ...

The Melvins ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

, Tom Brosseau, Chrystabell &

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

, and collaborated with the

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the "Portland Symphony Society" in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. It ...

. He has worked extensively with film director

Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician. He has earned acclaim as an independent film, independent auteur. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures. His ...

, creating visual effects on several of Van Sant's projects. White began directing commercials in 1992, and with a focus in

stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...

, began directing television programs in 1999, including two parodies for

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

. Along with Ray Di Carlo and David Daniels, Chel White is a co-founder of the international production company Bent Image Lab in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

Early life and education

Chel White was born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

and grew up in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, and

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

where his father was a

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

professor and his mother a schoolteacher. White cites his earliest influence as being the

Surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

paintings he was exposed to in grade school when visiting the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

. He began making films in high school where, studying under instructors Peter Kingsbury and Kevin Dole, he was introduced to the films of

Norman McLaren William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish-Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...

Harry Everett Smith Harry Everett Smith (May 29, 1923 – November 27, 1991) was an American polymath, who was credited variously as an artist, experimental filmmaker, bohemian, mystic, record collector, hoarder, student of anthropology and a Neo-Gnostic ...

Bruce Conner Bruce Conner (November 18, 1933 – July 7, 2008) was an American artist who worked with assemblage, film, drawing, sculpture, painting, collage, and photography. Biography Bruce Conner was born November 18, 1933, in McPherson, Kansas. His w ...

Maya Deren Maya Deren (; born Eleonora Derenkovskaya; ; Kenneth Anger Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927 – May 11, 2023) was an American Underground film, underground experimental filmmaker, actor, and writer. Working exclusively in short films, he produced almost 40 works beginning i ...

, Will Hindle,

Len Lye Leonard Charles Huia Lye (; 5 July 1901 – 15 May 1980) was a New Zealand artist known primarily for his experimental films and kinetic sculpture. His films are held in archives including the New Zealand Film Archive, British Film Institute, ...

and

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

. White recalls, "When I was 16, I realized animation was the bridge between being an artist and a filmmaker. At that point I never looked back." In 1984, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts, with a central focus on experimental film, from

Antioch College Antioch College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection and began operating in 1852 as a non-secta ...

. During his time in Antioch College, he was in a band named The Blackouts, with

John Flansburgh John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an American musician. He is half of the long-standing Brooklyn, New York–based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants with John Linnell, for which he writes, sings, and plays rhythm guitar. Earl ...

, who later formed the band

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

Independent filmmaker

Chel White began making independent short films after college, starting with a

drawn-on-film animation Drawn-on-film animation, also known as direct animation or animation without camera, is an animation technique where footage is produced by creating the images directly on film stock, as opposed to any other form of animation where the images or ...

titled ''Metal Dogs of India'' (1985). In 1991, White completed '' Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)'', an animated film created solely by using the unique photographic capabilities of a photocopier to generate sequential pictures of hands, faces, and other body parts. The film is widely considered the first noteworthy animated film using this technique. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' describes it as “(a) musical frolic which wittily builds on ghostly, distorted images crossing the plate glass of a copier.” The films that followed include ''

'' (1998), ''Soulmate'' (2000), ''Passage'' (2001), ''

'' (2004), ''A Painful Glimpse Into My Writing Process in Less Than 60 Seconds'' (2005), ''Wind'' (2007), the feature film ''Bucksville'' (2011), the Donald Trump horror parody ''Little Donnie'' (2017), and ''Dreams of a Fallen Astronaut'' (2020) part of the Gratzfilm omnibus ''The One Minute Memoir''. In 2002, as a poetic response to the tragedies of September 11, Chel White created ''New York'' to be part of the omnibus collection ''Underground Zero''. The

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

called White's film "an eerie paean to the city itself," and Bill Stamets of the

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...

said, “Chel White’s ''New York'' makes a ruined city enchanted again: jets ascend in twilight, framed by silhouetted rooftops and cranes, and droplets sparkle like tiny diamonds as kids delight in the spray of fire hydrants." White's 2007 short film, ''Wind,'' was commissioned by

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...

’s creative director Dilly Gent and the climate change awareness group

Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase Environmentalism, environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Live Earth 2007 The 1st series ...

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...

describes it as “(a) beautiful film, very moving, set to a poem by Antonio Machado and narrated by Alec Baldwin.” Using a

Robert Bly Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ...

translation of the poem, ''Wind'' creates a metaphor for humanity's lack of planet stewardship. Along with eight other Live Earth commissioned films, "Wind" made its world premiere in the opening night program of the 2007

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

with keynote speaker

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

. The films of Chel White have screened in the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

IFFR International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

Ottawa International Animation Festival The Ottawa International Animation Festival is an annual animated film and media festival that takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The OIAF was founded in 1975, with the first festival held from August 10 to 15 in 1976. Initially organized b ...

, Annecy Festival, Hiroshima International Animation Festival, HKIFF, SIFF, and the

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...

. 2012 saw the release of ''Bucksville'', Chel White's directorial

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

debut. Written and produced well before the Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the 2016 Trump presidential election, ''Bucksville'' is a dark but eerily beautiful and prescient story about a young man who struggles to escape the reality of being bound for life to a disenfranchised, small town radical

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

started 20 years ago by his father. Distributed by

Phase 4 Films Phase 4 Films was a Canadian film distribution company headquartered in Toronto. It had two branches in the U.S.: Los Angeles, California and Fort Mill, South Carolina. Its subsidiary, Kaboom! Entertainment markets children's entertainment with c ...

, ''Bucksville'' stars Thomas Stroppel,

Ted Rooney Ted Rooney is an American actor and educator, known for his role as Morey Dell on ''Gilmore Girls'', neonatologist Dr. Tabash on '' ER'', and John McGarrigle on the HBO series ''Boardwalk Empire''. Early life and education Rooney was born and ...

and Allen Nause, with a cameo role by

Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing ...

as The Patron of Justice. The

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

is by Laura McGie and Chel White, with music by Tom Brosseau. Jamie S. Rich of

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

calls Bucksville, “An insightful portrayal of an extreme point of view without the expected self-righteous critique.” White's museum screenings include the

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened o ...

The Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Fla ...

, The

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

and The

High Museum The High Museum of Art (colloquially the High) is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia (on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district), the High is 312,000 square feet (2 ...

in Atlanta. His retrospective presentations include the

Ann Arbor Film Festival The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the fourth-oldest film festival in North America (after the Yorkton Film Festival, 1947; Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 19 ...

(1999 and 2002), Southern Circuit (2002), the

(2003), a 20-year career retrospective at the

Northwest Film Center PAM CUT–Center for an Untold Tomorrow, formerly the ''Northwest Film Center'' is a regional media arts resource and service organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States that was founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilizat ...

(Portland Art Museum) (2012), and a Bent Image Lab retrospective and masterclass at the

(2018). Chel White is the recipient of media arts

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

ships from The

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...

The

Regional Arts & Culture Council The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city� ...

, Portland Oregon, and project grants from

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has co ...

, the Pacific Pioneer Fund and the

Oregon Arts Commission The Oregon Arts Commission is a governor-appointed body of nine commissioners who allocate grants for artists based in the U.S. state of Oregon. It receives the bulk of its funding through the National Endowment for the Arts, the state, and the O ...

. ''Fever Dreams and Heavenly Nightmares'', a DVD compilation of Chel White's short

independent films An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, in ...

, was released in 2006 by Microcinema International. Chel White is featured as one of six interviewees in Martin Cooper's feature documentary ''History, Mystery & Odyssey: The Lives and Work of Six Portland Animators'' (2023). The other interviewees are Joan C. Gratz,

Jim Blashfield Jim Blashfield (born September 4, 1944, Seattle, Washington) is an American filmmaker and media artist, best known for his short films such as ''Suspicious Circumstances'' and ''The Mid-Torso of Inez'', and his music videos for musicians Talking He ...

, Joanna Priestley, Rose Bond and Zak Margolis.Six of Portland’s most gifted animators are the focus of a new documentary
/ref> The film premiered at the 2023

Professional career

Chel White started his professional career in 1986, working as an

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

for

on music videos for

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...

and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

. In 1991, he began creating visual effects for director

, starting with ''

My Own Private Idaho ''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's '' Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and '' Henry V''. The story follows two friends, ...

'' (1991). White went on to be

visual effects supervisor In the context of film and television production, a visual effects supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the pr ...

on Van Sant's '' Even Cowgirls Get The Blues'' (1993), '' Paranoid Park'' (2007), ''

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

'' (2008) and ''

Restless Restless or The Restless may refer to: Film and television * ''Restless'' (1998 film), a Chinese-American romance film * ''Restless'' (2000 film), a Finnish romantic film * ''The Restless'' (2006 film), a South Korean fantasy film * ''Restless'' ...

'' (2011), as well as title effects supervisor on director

Todd Haynes Todd Haynes (; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender ...

' film, ''

I'm Not There ''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oren Moverman, based on a story by Haynes. An experimental biographical film, it is inspired by the life and music of American singer-so ...

'', and the animation sequences in

David Oyelowo David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awar ...

's feature film, ''

The Water Man The Water Man () was the first Slovene art ballad. It was written around 1825 by the Slovene Romantic poet France Prešeren and published in 1830 in the first almanac of Krajnska čbelica. It is a narration about Urška, a flirt from Ljubljana ...

'' (2020). White directed two shorts for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

and Robert Smigel's Saturday TV Funhouse, ''The Narrator That Ruined Christmas'' (season 27, episode 9) and ''Blue Christmas'' (season 30, episode 8). Both are parodies of the ''

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on C ...

'' television special (1964). Airing first on December 15, 2001, ''The Narrator That Ruined Christmas'' was written by

Robert Smigel Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The pup ...

, Michael Gordon, Louis CK and

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

, with the voices of

Chris Parnell Thomas Christopher Parnell ( ; born February 5, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. First breaking through as a performer with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Parnell found wider success during his tenure as a cast member on ...

Maya Rudolph Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress and comedian. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). During her tenure on the show, she appeared in supporting roles in ...

Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...

, Doug Dale, and

. Airing first on December 18, 2004, ''Blue Christmas'' was written by Robert Smigel and Michelle Saks Smigel with additional material by

Rich Blomquist Rich Blomquist (born July 27, 1977) is an American writer, producer and occasional actor. He was a staff writer for ''The Daily Show'' in 2003–2006, 2009 and 2011. Career He has also contributed material to ''Saturday Night Live'', specifical ...

, Stephen Colbert, Scott Jacobson, and Matt O'Brien, and voices by Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Erik Bergmann, and

. The success of the SNL shorts led to other holiday themed

projects that White would direct through Bent Image Lab, including two children's television specials for

Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. ...

. In reviewing the 2011 television holiday programs, Mike Hale of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called ''

Jingle All the Way (TV special) ''Jingle All the Way'' is a 2011 American stop motion animated children's television special produced for Hallmark Channel, directed by Chel White and produced at Bent Image Lab. The show is inspired by Hallmark Cards' 2010 stuffed toy Jingle t ...

'' "By far the best of the bunch. In addition to its charming art and pleasantly low-key storytelling, 'Jingle' stands apart from the other holiday programs by not focusing on the manufacturing or delivery of toys." In 2006, Chel White directed the

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for

's song '' Harrowdown Hill'' (Best Music Video, 2007

). Along with his team and co-founders at Bent Image Lab, he pioneered Smallgantics, a digital miniaturizing technique first used in the ''Harrowdown Hill'' video. In 2012, White directed the video for the Chrysta Bell &

song ''Bird of Flames'', which has been described as "a haunting and surreal vision." The

commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

Chel White directed have been honored with

Clio Awards The Clio Awards, also simply known as The Clios, is an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication, as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. The award ...

, a

D&AD Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. ...

Award, a

The One Club The One Club is an American non-profit organization that recognizes and promotes excellence in advertising.Dougherty, Philip H. (May 11, 1981). One Club Honors Agencies. ''New York Times'' Founded in New York City as The One Club for Art & Copy, T ...

Award, two

Association of Independent Commercial Producers Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

(AICP) Awards, and two are included in the permanent collection of the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

in New York. His personal favorite ads he directed are for the Washington State Department of Health in a campaign of surreal anti-smoking public service announcements aimed at children. Chel White's composer credits include Joan C. Gratz's

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winning animated short film ''

Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase ''Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase'' is a 1992 American animated short by Joan C. Gratz. Summary Consisting of 2-D claymation, it features famous paintings morphing into each other. List of artists featured The works of several artists are fe ...

'', Joanna Priestley and Joan C. Gratz's animated short '' Pro and Con'', '' Choreography for Copy Machine'' (as Citizen M), “A Bird Is Following Me” with Tom Brosseau, and the feature film ''Bucksville''. From 1981 to 1982, he was a member of the techno duo Process Blue (Dark Entries Records). 2019 saw the release of "Automaton", a vinyl record of White's experimental and soundtrack music from between 1985 and 1991 (Platform 23 Recordings). White's screenwriting credits include ''Bucksville'' (feature), ''Little Donnie'' (short), story development for ''

'', and the story adaptation based on the original ''

'' for the

SimEx-Iwerks SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment specializes in high-tech entertainment systems, films, film technologies, film-based software, Simulation Hardware Systems and services. The company has partnerships with various institutions, parks, and destinations. ...

4D attraction film of the same title. As an actor, Chel White had a role in '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'' (1993), playing a

brain surgeon Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, s ...

in a scene with

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...

Personal life

Since 1985, Chel White has lived in

Filmography

Compilations and feature-length film

*''The One Minute Mistake'', segment: ''My Perilous Journey Through A.I.'' (2023) *''The Retention Department of Perpetual Exhaustion'', segment: ''Mr. French's Secret'' (2022) *''The One Minute Memoir'', segment: ''Dreams of a Fallen Astronaut'' (2020) *''Filmmakers Unite (FU)'', segment: ''Little Donnie'' (2017) *''Bucksville'' (2012) *'' The Animation Show'', segment: ''Magda'' (2007) *''Fever Dreams and Heavenly Nightmares: The Short Films of Chel White'' (2006) *''Underground Zero: Part II'', segment: ''New York'' (2002) *''23rd Tournee of Animation,'' '' Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)'' (1991)

Short films

*''My One Minute Memoir: Dreams of a Fallen Astronaut'' (2020) *''Little Donnie'' (2017) *''Wind'' (2007) *''A Painful Glimpse Into MY Writing Process (In Less Than 60 Seconds)'' (2005) *''Magda'' (2004) *''Eclipse'' (2003) *''New York'' (2002) *''Passage'' (2001) *''Soulmate'' (2000) *''The Beats, the Bomb and the 1950s: Robert Briggs'' (1999) *''Dirt'' (1998) *'' Pro and Con'' (1993) *''Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)'' (1991) *''Machine Song'' (1987) *''Metal Dogs of India'' (1985)

Videography

* Dean Hurley - "No More" (2022) * Tom Brosseau - "Tami" (2014) *Chrystabell and

- "Bird of Flames" (2012) *

- " Harrowdown Hill" (2006) *

Season to Risk Season to Risk are an American noise rock/indie rock band hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Early History Season to Risk formed in late 1989 from Kansas City, Missouri punk bands Nine Lives and Curious George, who played togeth ...

- "Blood Ugly" (1994) *

Melvins Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with eith ...

- "Hooch" (1993) *

Candlebox Candlebox is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since its formation in 1990, the group has released eight studio albums, several charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD. Candlebox found immediate success with the release ...

- "Change" (1992)

Television

*''

'' (2011) *

/ Saturday TV Funhouse ''Blue Christmas'' '' (2004) *

/ Saturday TV Funhouse ''The Narrator Who Ruined Christmas'' (2001) *

The PJs ''The PJs'' is an American adult stop motion-animated black sitcom created by Eddie Murphy, Larry Wilmore, and Steve Tompkins for Fox. It portrays life in an urban public housing project. The series starred Eddie Murphy, and it was produced by ...

/ ''Ghetto Superstars'' (2000)

Commercials and Public Service Announcements

American Indian College Fund The American Indian College Fund is a nonprofit organization that helps Native American students, providing them with support through scholarships and funding toward higher education. The fund provides an average of 6,000 annual scholarships ...

- ''One Percent'' (2015) *

Lux (soap) Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever. Lux is marketed primarily in South Asia, South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. It is also marketed in Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, Middle East and South Af ...

- ''Provocateur'' (2006) * Washington State Department of Health - ''Park'' and ''Rec Room'' (2005) *

OfficeMax OfficeMax is an American office supplies retailer founded in 1988. As an independent chain, it was the third-largest office supply retailer in the United States. Following a 2013 merger, it is currently a brand and subsidiary of Office Depot. ...

- ''Santa's Helper'' (2005) *

Reese's Pieces Reese's Pieces are a peanut butter candy manufactured by The Hershey Company; they are oblate spheroid in shape and covered in candy shells that are colored yellow, orange, or brown. They can be purchased in plastic packets, cardboard boxes, or c ...

- ''Center of Attention'' (2003) (co-directed with David Daniels) *

Fila Fila (; ) is a South Korean-owned athleisure brand headquartered in Seoul. The company was originally founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Italy. Fila Korea acquired the brand in 2007 and launched its initial p ...

- ''Mash'' (1994) * Memorial Blood Centers - ''Photocopy Jazz'' (1992)

Appearances

*''History, Mystery & Odyssey'', documentary feature film by Martin Cooper, interviewee (2023) *''

Live Wire Radio ''Live Wire Radio'' is a radio variety show that was launched in 2004 in Portland, Oregon, United States. ''Live Wire'' was initially hosted by Rob Sample, followed by Courtenay Hameister, with current hosting duties covered by Luke Burbank.Hu ...

'', Episode #198, interviewee (November 12, 2012) *''Art In Context'', PBS / KLRU, interviewee (March 15, 2010) *''The American Avant Garde'', interviewee (2004) *''Exposure, The Sci-Fi Channel ( SyFy)'', interviewee (2000) *'' Oregon Art Beat'', Season 2 Episode #219, interviewee (April 5, 2000) *'' Even Cowgirls Get The Blues'', acting role as brain surgeon (1993)

Other media

*''Animation Sketchbooks'', book, featured artist, Chronicle Books LLC, by Laura Heit (2013) *''Animation in Process'', book, featured artist, London: Laurence King, by Andrew Selby (2009)

Fellowships, grants and awards

*2008:

, Project Grant, feature film development, ''Stranded''. *2007:

, Media Artist Fellowship, feature film development, ''Stranded''. *2007:

, Best Music Video,

, '' Harrowdown Hill''. *2006: The AICP Show at

MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

, Office Max ''Santa's Helper'', included in ''The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial'', permanent collection,

New York. *2006: Bend Film Festival, Best Short Film, ''A Painful Glimpse Into My Writing Process (In Less Than 60 Seconds)'' *2005:

, Media Artist Fellowship, feature film development. *2005:

, EMPA Work Life Award, ''Magda''. *2004:

Florida Film Festival The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Overview The Festival includes narrative and documentary features and shorts, animation, midnight movies, and educational fo ...

, Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short, ''Magda''. *2001:

, feature film screenplay development, ''Path of Bees''. *1998:

Stockholm International Film Festival The Stockholm International Film Festival () is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year since then during the second half of November, and focuses on emerging and early career fil ...

, Best Short Film, ''Dirt''. *1994: The AICP Show at

, Fila ''Mash'', included in the program ''The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial'', permanent collection,

New York. *1992:

, Best Animated Film, '' Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)''. *1991:

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

, Nominated for Best Short Film, Winner Gold Plaque for Animation, '' Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)''.

References

External links

*
Official YouTube channelOfficial Chel White Vimeo channel
*
Bent Image Lab

Animation Show

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Chel Living people Film directors from Missouri American animated film directors American animated film producers American music video directors American male screenwriters 1959 births American experimental filmmakers Animation directors People with epilepsy