DAVID, Tissa

This posting is a stub. You can contribute to this entry by providing information through the comments link at the bottom of this post. Please organize your information following the main category headers below....

Birth/Death

January 5, 1921


Occupation/Title

Animator


Bio Summary

Tissa David was born in Transylvania on January 5, 1921. She received her education at the Academy of Beaux Arts, as well as co-owning an animation studio at the same place. After beginning her animation career in 1943 in Budapest, David escaped to Paris in 1950 in order to escape the Communist takeover of Hungary. During her stay in Paris, she worked for Jean Image and Paul Grimault (producers) and directed the feature animation Bonjour Paris. In 1955, she moved to New York to work for UPA and became Grim Natwick's assistant. Since then, David has been working in the east coast area as an animator and director for various companies such as UPA, Hubley's Storyboard Films, Inktank, and Michael Sporn. She is mostly known for animating Raggedy Ann on Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure in 1977 along with Art Babbitt, Grim Natwick, and Emery Hawkins.


Early Life/Family

Education/Training

Academy of Beaux Arts in Budapest, Hungary


Career Outline

Directed Bonjour Paris in 1953
Worked as Grim Natwick's assistant at UPA in New York from 1955
Animated Of Men and Demons (short film for IBM) in 1969, was nominated for an Oscar
Animated most of Upkeep (another short film for IBM) for Hubley's in 1973/1974
Animated Raggedy Ann & Andy in 1977
Begins work with R. O. Blechman in 1978 for PBS
Works for Michael Sporn on a number of films, past to very recent (2005)
Has animated a number of other works (see Filmography), has had an animation career for over 60 years animating commercials and entertainment shorts


Comments On Style

UPA Pictures describes David to have a "distinctive European style." Appropriate, as she has had her art education in Europe and worked in Paris until 1955.


Influences

Art education in Europe (Budapest, Hungary)
Animation director in Paris (1953)
Worked as Grim Natwick's assistant from 1955


Personality

"She knows perfectly well why she does something. She's an artist, that woman."
-Dick Williams

"I'm a loner. I always was. It's a disciplined life in a way. But I think anyone who does any kind of creative work has to have discipline."
-Tissa David


Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Bonjour Paris (1953) (director)

Zuckerkandl (1968) (animator)

Of Men and Demons (1969) (animator)

Eggs (1970) (animator)

Dig (1972) (animator)
pkeep (1974) (animator)

Cockaboody (1974) (animator)

Everybody Rides the Carousel (1975) (animator)

People, People, People (1976) (animator)

Simple Gifts (1977) (TV) (animator)

Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977) (animator)

The Doonesbury Special (1977) (animator)

A Soldier's Tale (1984) (animator)

The Cosmic Eye (1986) (animator)

Abel's Island (1988) (V) (animator)

The Story of the Dancing Frog (1989) (animator)

The Marzipan Pig (1990) (V) (animator)

The Land of the Four Winds (1995) (V) (animator) (layout artist)

"Kablam!" (1996) TV Series (animator)

Life (2000) (animator)

"Between the Lions" (2000) TV Series (animator)

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2005) (animator)

Filmography as: Miscellaneous Crew, Art Department

Art Department - filmography

1. Ira Sleeps Over (1993) (storyboard artist)


Honors

Annie Award: Winsor McCay Award (1988)
Golden Award (2005)


Related Links

http://www.thedeeparchives.com/products.php?studio=tvc3&ctgy=aa


Bibliographic References

http://www.animationguild.org/_Home/GA2005/pages/David.htm
http://inklingstudio.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/10/tissa_david_an_.html
http://www.upapix.com/pages/interviews.htm#davidt
http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/SourceFiles/Bios/TissaDavid.html
http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=804


Contributors To This Listing

Knight
Helen Cho

To make additions or corrections to this listing, please click on COMMENTS below...

You can contribute to this listing. Click on COMMENTS below to submit information.