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Mark L. Dindal is a Actor, Director, Writer, Art Designer and Visual Effects Supervisor American born on 31 may 1960 at Columbus (USA)
Mark L. Dindal (born in 1960 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American effects animator and director, who created The Emperor's New Groove and Cats Don't Dance. He worked in many Disney projects as an effects animator, and also led the special effects for several classic movies such as The Little Mermaid and The Rescuers Down Under.
After these projects, Dindal left Disney briefly to work on outside projects. He returned to the studio in 1987 and got his first head role as an animator for Disney's The Little Mermaid. He later worked as head animator for the movie The Rescuers Down Under. He directed the animated effects for the live-action 1991 film The Rocketeer, and got a job in the 1992 animated film Aladdin.
Dindal's directorial debut was Cats Don't Dance, which was released in 1997, three years before The Emperor's New Groove was released in 2000. In Cats Don't Dance Dindal voiced a minor character. Although the film wasn't publicly successful, it won the Annie Award for Best Animated Film and Dindal was nominated for directing. The Emperor's New Groove was initially expected to be a classic Disney musical feature called Kingdom of the Sun. However, that idea didn't work out, and Dindal, along with Chris Williams and David Reynolds, drastically changed the script to a comedy. During the six-year production, he started to work on Cats Don't Dance, a Turner Broadcasting (since merged into Warner Bros.) animated musical production.
Dindal worked on Chicken Little, another Disney production, which needed a huge animation team. The movie was a moderate financial success, yet received negative reviews, and is currently the worst rated film of the Disney animated canon at Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 36%. Dindal had two small voice roles in the film. The movie was nominated to several Annies, but Dindal was not nominated as a director. During the movie's production, Disney produced Kronk's New Groove as a direct-to-video feature. Dindal was working on Chicken Little, so he didn't get a position on the staff. Later, Dindal created The Emperor's New School.
In March 2006, Dindal left Disney to pursue his own projects, expressing an interest in a film combining live action with animation. In December 2010, it was announced that he was directing a 3D animated feature film at DreamWorks Animation titled Me and My Shadow. In January 2012, it was reported that he was no longer directing the film, and that he was replaced by Alessandro Carloni.
(2005)
(Director)
(1989)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)
(2000)
(Director)
(2019)
(Story Artist)
Source : Wikidata
Mark L. Dindal
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Biography
Dindal learned animation at CalArts. He began working at Disney in 1980. He worked on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and The Great Mouse Detective, following a very similar animation style in all movies. This style consisted of similar backgrounds with delicated animation and complex character effects, and was well received.After these projects, Dindal left Disney briefly to work on outside projects. He returned to the studio in 1987 and got his first head role as an animator for Disney's The Little Mermaid. He later worked as head animator for the movie The Rescuers Down Under. He directed the animated effects for the live-action 1991 film The Rocketeer, and got a job in the 1992 animated film Aladdin.
Dindal's directorial debut was Cats Don't Dance, which was released in 1997, three years before The Emperor's New Groove was released in 2000. In Cats Don't Dance Dindal voiced a minor character. Although the film wasn't publicly successful, it won the Annie Award for Best Animated Film and Dindal was nominated for directing. The Emperor's New Groove was initially expected to be a classic Disney musical feature called Kingdom of the Sun. However, that idea didn't work out, and Dindal, along with Chris Williams and David Reynolds, drastically changed the script to a comedy. During the six-year production, he started to work on Cats Don't Dance, a Turner Broadcasting (since merged into Warner Bros.) animated musical production.
Dindal worked on Chicken Little, another Disney production, which needed a huge animation team. The movie was a moderate financial success, yet received negative reviews, and is currently the worst rated film of the Disney animated canon at Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 36%. Dindal had two small voice roles in the film. The movie was nominated to several Annies, but Dindal was not nominated as a director. During the movie's production, Disney produced Kronk's New Groove as a direct-to-video feature. Dindal was working on Chicken Little, so he didn't get a position on the staff. Later, Dindal created The Emperor's New School.
In March 2006, Dindal left Disney to pursue his own projects, expressing an interest in a film combining live action with animation. In December 2010, it was announced that he was directing a 3D animated feature film at DreamWorks Animation titled Me and My Shadow. In January 2012, it was reported that he was no longer directing the film, and that he was replaced by Alessandro Carloni.
Best films
(2005)(Director)
(1989)(Visual Effects Supervisor)
(2000)(Director)
(2019)(Story Artist)
Usually with
Filmography of Mark L. Dindal (11 films)
Actor
Add to a movie listChicken Little (2005)
, 1h17Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation, Comic science fiction
Themes Films about animals, Comedy science fiction films, Film d'animation mettant en scène un animal, Films about pigs, Films about birds, Musical films, Children's films, Disaster films, American disaster films
Actors Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, Amy Sedaris, Mark Walton
Roles Morkubine Porcupine / Coach (voice)
Rating57%
In the small town of Oakey Oaks, Chicken Little rings the school bell and warns everyone to run for their lives, allowing the whole town into a frenzied panic with much damage ensuing. Eventually, the Head of the Fire Department calms down enough to ask him what's going on and Little explains that a piece of the sky shaped like a stop sign had fallen on his head when he was sitting under the big oak tree in the town square; however, he is unable to find it. His father, Buck Cluck, assumes that this "piece of sky" was just an acorn that had fallen off the tree and had hit him on the head, making Little the laughing stock of the town.
The Sweatbox (2002)
Directed by Trudie Styler
Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Animation
Themes Films about films, Musical films, Children's films
Actors John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Marc Shaiman, David Spade, Sting, Owen Wilson
Roles Self
Rating70%
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Pregnancy films, Films about sexuality, Musical films, Buddy films, Children's films
Actors David Spade, John Goodman, Michael Herbig, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick
Roles Kitty Yzma (voice) (uncredited)
Rating74%
The film opens with narration from Kuzco, a teenage Inca emperor who has been transformed into a llama. He tells the story of how his life as a ruler used to be and how it was ruined "for no reason". However, in his flashback he is shown to have been rude and narcisissitic, albeit charismatic. He even goes so far as insulting the appearances of potential brides and throwing an old man out the window for "throwing off his groove." After Kuzko fires his conniving advisor, Yzma, for abusing her power, she comes up with a scheme to usurp the throne with the help of Kronk, her dim-witted but jovial henchman. Meanwhile, Kuzco meets with Pacha, a kind peasant and village leader, and tells him that he wants to demolish his hilltop family home to build himself a lavish summer home called "Kuzcotopia". Pacha protests, but is dismissed.
Cats Don't Dance (1997)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about religion, Films about cats, Musical films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Ashley Peldon, Jasmine Guy, John Rhys-Davies, Natalie Cole
Roles Max (voice)
Rating69%
In 1939, Danny, an optimistic cat, dreams of Hollywood stardom, so he travels from Kokomo, Indiana to Hollywood in hopes of starting a career there. He is selected by Farley Wink to feature in a film called Little Ark Angel that is in production alongside a cat named Sawyer. Upon meeting Tillie, Cranston, Frances, and T.W., he is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries to weasel his way into more time in the limelight. Danny winds up angering Darla Dimple, a popular, extremely spoiled child actress and star of the film, so she assigns her Valet Max to intimidate Danny into no longer trying to enlarge his part.
Director
Chicken Little (2005)
, 1h17Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation, Comic science fiction
Themes Films about animals, Comedy science fiction films, Film d'animation mettant en scène un animal, Films about pigs, Films about birds, Musical films, Children's films, Disaster films, American disaster films
Actors Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, Amy Sedaris, Mark Walton
Rating57%
In the small town of Oakey Oaks, Chicken Little rings the school bell and warns everyone to run for their lives, allowing the whole town into a frenzied panic with much damage ensuing. Eventually, the Head of the Fire Department calms down enough to ask him what's going on and Little explains that a piece of the sky shaped like a stop sign had fallen on his head when he was sitting under the big oak tree in the town square; however, he is unable to find it. His father, Buck Cluck, assumes that this "piece of sky" was just an acorn that had fallen off the tree and had hit him on the head, making Little the laughing stock of the town.
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Pregnancy films, Films about sexuality, Musical films, Buddy films, Children's films
Actors David Spade, John Goodman, Michael Herbig, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick
Rating74%
The film opens with narration from Kuzco, a teenage Inca emperor who has been transformed into a llama. He tells the story of how his life as a ruler used to be and how it was ruined "for no reason". However, in his flashback he is shown to have been rude and narcisissitic, albeit charismatic. He even goes so far as insulting the appearances of potential brides and throwing an old man out the window for "throwing off his groove." After Kuzko fires his conniving advisor, Yzma, for abusing her power, she comes up with a scheme to usurp the throne with the help of Kronk, her dim-witted but jovial henchman. Meanwhile, Kuzco meets with Pacha, a kind peasant and village leader, and tells him that he wants to demolish his hilltop family home to build himself a lavish summer home called "Kuzcotopia". Pacha protests, but is dismissed.
Cats Don't Dance (1997)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about religion, Films about cats, Musical films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Ashley Peldon, Jasmine Guy, John Rhys-Davies, Natalie Cole
Rating69%
In 1939, Danny, an optimistic cat, dreams of Hollywood stardom, so he travels from Kokomo, Indiana to Hollywood in hopes of starting a career there. He is selected by Farley Wink to feature in a film called Little Ark Angel that is in production alongside a cat named Sawyer. Upon meeting Tillie, Cranston, Frances, and T.W., he is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries to weasel his way into more time in the limelight. Danny winds up angering Darla Dimple, a popular, extremely spoiled child actress and star of the film, so she assigns her Valet Max to intimidate Danny into no longer trying to enlarge his part.
The Rocketeer (1991)
, 1h48Directed by Joe Johnston, Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, Tiny Ron Taylor
Rating65%
In 1938 Los Angeles, California, two members of mobster Eddie Valentine's (Paul Sorvino) gang steal a rocket pack from Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn). During their exciting escape they enter an airfield. Stunt pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and airplane mechanic, then find the mysterious rocket inside a biplane in their employer's hangar, where the getaway driver hid it. Meanwhile, Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton)for whom the rocket was stolen, sends his monstrous henchman, Lothar (Tiny Ron), to the hospital, where the injured getaway driver tells him that he hid the rocket at the airfield. Sinclair dispatches the mobsters to search for the missing device.
Scriptwriter
Wonder Park (2019)
, 1h25Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Actors Ken Hudson Campbell, Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Mila Kunis
Roles Story Artist
Rating58%
June Bailey, une fille à l'imagination brillante, et sa mère racontent l'histoire de Wonderland, un parc d'attractions magique dirigé par un groupe d'animaux: Boomer, un gros ours bleu qui accueille les invités; Greta, un sanglier; Gus et Cooper, frères de castor; Steve, un porc-épic responsable de la sécurité du parc et amoureux de Greta; et Peanut, le chef du parc et un chimpanzé qui a la capacité de créer des manèges en écoutant la voix de la mère de June.
Chicken Little (2005)
, 1h17Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation, Comic science fiction
Themes Films about animals, Comedy science fiction films, Film d'animation mettant en scène un animal, Films about pigs, Films about birds, Musical films, Children's films, Disaster films, American disaster films
Actors Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, Amy Sedaris, Mark Walton
Roles Story
Rating57%
In the small town of Oakey Oaks, Chicken Little rings the school bell and warns everyone to run for their lives, allowing the whole town into a frenzied panic with much damage ensuing. Eventually, the Head of the Fire Department calms down enough to ask him what's going on and Little explains that a piece of the sky shaped like a stop sign had fallen on his head when he was sitting under the big oak tree in the town square; however, he is unable to find it. His father, Buck Cluck, assumes that this "piece of sky" was just an acorn that had fallen off the tree and had hit him on the head, making Little the laughing stock of the town.
Kronk's New Groove (2005)
, 1h12Directed by Elliot M. Bour
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Musical films, Children's films
Actors Patrick Warburton, Tracey Ullman, Eartha Kitt, John Goodman, Wendie Malick, John Mahoney
Roles Characters
Rating58%
Emperor Kuzco (David Spade) narrates the story about Kronk Pepikrankenitz (Patrick Warburton), now chef and Head Delivery Boy of Mudka's Meat Hut, is fretting over the upcoming visit of his father. Kronk's father always disapproved of young Kronk's culinary interests and wished that Kronk instead would settle down with a wife and a large house on a hill.
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Pregnancy films, Films about sexuality, Musical films, Buddy films, Children's films
Actors David Spade, John Goodman, Michael Herbig, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick
Roles Story
Rating74%
The film opens with narration from Kuzco, a teenage Inca emperor who has been transformed into a llama. He tells the story of how his life as a ruler used to be and how it was ruined "for no reason". However, in his flashback he is shown to have been rude and narcisissitic, albeit charismatic. He even goes so far as insulting the appearances of potential brides and throwing an old man out the window for "throwing off his groove." After Kuzko fires his conniving advisor, Yzma, for abusing her power, she comes up with a scheme to usurp the throne with the help of Kronk, her dim-witted but jovial henchman. Meanwhile, Kuzco meets with Pacha, a kind peasant and village leader, and tells him that he wants to demolish his hilltop family home to build himself a lavish summer home called "Kuzcotopia". Pacha protests, but is dismissed.
Cats Don't Dance (1997)
, 1h15Directed by Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about religion, Films about cats, Musical films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Ashley Peldon, Jasmine Guy, John Rhys-Davies, Natalie Cole
Roles Story
Rating69%
In 1939, Danny, an optimistic cat, dreams of Hollywood stardom, so he travels from Kokomo, Indiana to Hollywood in hopes of starting a career there. He is selected by Farley Wink to feature in a film called Little Ark Angel that is in production alongside a cat named Sawyer. Upon meeting Tillie, Cranston, Frances, and T.W., he is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries to weasel his way into more time in the limelight. Danny winds up angering Darla Dimple, a popular, extremely spoiled child actress and star of the film, so she assigns her Valet Max to intimidate Danny into no longer trying to enlarge his part.
Art
Visual effects
The Rocketeer (1991)
, 1h48Directed by Joe Johnston, Mark L. Dindal
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, Tiny Ron Taylor
Roles Animation Director
Rating65%
In 1938 Los Angeles, California, two members of mobster Eddie Valentine's (Paul Sorvino) gang steal a rocket pack from Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn). During their exciting escape they enter an airfield. Stunt pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and airplane mechanic, then find the mysterious rocket inside a biplane in their employer's hangar, where the getaway driver hid it. Meanwhile, Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton)for whom the rocket was stolen, sends his monstrous henchman, Lothar (Tiny Ron), to the hospital, where the injured getaway driver tells him that he hid the rocket at the airfield. Sinclair dispatches the mobsters to search for the missing device.