Ben Gluck - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ben Gluck is an American storyboard director, film director, and screenwriter. Gluck was a director and head of story at Disney Animation studios.

Benjamin “Ben" Gluck was born in St. Louis, Missouri. After presenting his art portfolio to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston during their book tour for Bambi: The Story and the Film, they encouraged Gluck to apply to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) character animation program. After being accepted, Gluck earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Character Animation from CalArts. Gluck's student film Man's Best Friend won the Walter Lantz Award.^[1] at the CalArts Producers Show, where Gluck had the opportunity to thank Thomas and Johnson personally.

Following this recognition, the film premiered globally on MTV,^[2] and was featured in Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. After submitting his portfolio, Gluck received a rare offer from Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios to fund his education and receive a storyboard artist contract position upon graduation.

Upon graduating CalArts, Gluck immediately obtained a job as a storyboard and visual development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he contributed as a storyboard artist on the theatrical films Dinosaur, The Emperor's New Groove, and Home on the Range. Before Disney, Gluck was part of DreamWorks Animation first story trainee class, working on The Prince of Egypt.

Gluck was invited to join Disney Television, where he served as the divisions first Head of Story on Bambi II, and helped to adapt A.A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner into Piglet's Big Movie, both of which received theatrical releases. Gluck also directed Brother Bear 2,^[3] which was animated at Disney’s Sydney Australian animation studio. During the films twelve-month development and production schedule, Disney decided to close the Sydney studio and informed its 250 employees of the closure.^[4] The film was completed even with the studio’s shutdown.

After Disney, Gluck pursued opportunities to explore different genres and advance animation storytelling. He became Head of Story on the Tim Burton-produced 9 for Focus Features, where he shaped characters and oversaw the story animatic. Roger Ebert gave the film three our of four, contrasting it with the works of Hayao Miyazaki and saying that, the visuals are entrancing."^[5] Gluck was also a segment storyboard artist on the acclaimed adaptation of Kahlil Gibran's, The Prophet (2014 animated film).

Gluck served as Head of Story for the Peanuts holiday special Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne, where he significantly influenced the plot and depicting Lucy’s character with greater introspection. Chuck Wilson from The Village Voice praised the special, saying, Lucy is transformed from a character of nostalgia into a girl as self-reflective and searching as any young person watching the special might be. Her crisis of self is sure to resonate."^[6], .

Gluck also served as Head of Story for the award-winning Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love. For this project, Gluck was instrumental in promoting the idea that all families should be celebrated, which earned the special a nomination for a Humanitas Prize. Both specials were produced in collaboration with Apple TV +.

Gluck has emphasized the significance of diverse representation and content in family entertainment.^[7] Throughout Gluck's career, his body of work has consistently demonstrated his commitment to exemplifying related themes.^[8][9][10]

• Man's Best Friend (TV) (1996)
• Rugrats (TV) (2000)
• Clerks: The Animated Series (2001)

• Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Ben Gluck on IMDb