Interview With Ron Tippe

Where were you residing before coming to Roger Williams University?

- I live in Los Angeles full-time with my wife, costume designer, molly maginnis and my son, sam, 17. my daughter, annie, 21 is a senior this sept at NYU Tisch .


What is your film/production background?

-PRODUCER: Imagi Entertainment. GATCHAMAN. January 2008 – Aug. 15, 2008. Creative supervisory pre-production responsibilities included all story and character development, visual design, music and EFX, marketing, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties.
-PRODUCER: - 20th Century Fox. EVERYONE’S HERO. Creative supervisory responsibilities included all story and character development, visual design, music and EFX, marketing, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managing a crew of 200 artists, technicians and managers. September 2004 – September 2006.
-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sony Music Soundtrack Album – EVERYONE’S HERO. September 14, 2006 release.
-PRESIDENT/CO-FOUNDER: Woof! Entertainment. Oversaw all creative aspects of company specializing in branded projects. September 2002 – September 2004.
-VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT: Route 66 Productions, Inc. Oversee creative development for film production and event producing company that specializes in marketing for the major Hollywood Studios. January 2001 – 2004.
-EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE AFFAIRS/CO-FOUNDER: Digital Character Group – an animation studio that specialized in CGI animation and development of new properties. January 2000 – January 2002.
-PRODUCER: Universal Pictures and Industrial Light & Magic. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Oversaw production for digitally animated (CGI) feature film. Supervisory responsibilities include story and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managing a crew of 100 artists, technicians and managers. January 1999 – January 2000.
-PRODUCER: Warner Bros. - Supervised pre-production of THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, a combination live action, visual fx and CGI feature length film. Supervisory responsibilities included story and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managed a crew of 45 artists and technicians. January 1998 – January 1999.
-PRODUCER: DreamWorks SKG - Supervised pre-production of SHREK, a CGI feature length film, including voice casting, script and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managed a crew of 70 artists, including a software development team and supporting technicians. January 1997 – August 1997.
-PRODUCER: Warner Bros. Feature Animation - Produced 2D and CGI animation for the hit movie, SPACE JAM. Creative supervision included story, casting, character development, visual design, dialogue recording, music composition, sound fx, visual and special fx, editorial, post production supervision and marketing. Managed film production in a highly accelerated eight-month production period with 1,485 crew members, working at 15 separate studios in 5 different countries. 1996.
-PRODUCER: Walt Disney Feature Animation - Produced the Academy Award-nominated Mickey Mouse short, RUNAWAY BRAIN. Creative input included story, casting, character development, visual design, dialogue recording, music composition, sound fx, 2-D and CG animation, special fx, editorial and post production supervision. Simultaneously managed Disney’s Paris, France, animation studio for eight months while producing the film with a crew of over 400. Duties included general day-to-day studio management, international recruitment, artist training, finance and human resources.
1994 -1995.
-SCREENWRITER: Wrote screenplays, situation comedies, MOW’s, episodic tv shows for various Hollywood companies. Worked for Imagine Films Entertainment, Danny Arnold, Steve Tisch, Jack Harris, Saban-Sherrick, among others. 1988 - 1994.
-FILM DIRECTOR: Freelance Director of over 100 industrial, educational, documentary and rock video productions. Clients included, Pan Am, Volkswagen of America, Citizens Bank, AFL-CIO, IBEW, the Four Tops, to name a few. Extensive experience in film and video production, and post production. 1981 - 1988.
-ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: IN A SHALLOW GRAVE, an American Playhouse, PBS feature length film. 1987.
-PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/WRITER: CLOSE CALL. A fifteen-minute, 35mm dramatic short - on location in Newport, R.I. 1986.
-STAGE DIRECTOR: Freelance Director of 25 stage productions in London, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. 1979 - 1981.
-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: The Incredibly Far Off-Broadway Ensemble Theatre. Founded and artistically guided a non-profit, experimental theatre company that specialized in producing new and classic plays in environmentally compatible locations. Directed 25 theatrical productions. Responsible for all casting, script, set, costume, sound and music decisions. In addition, oversaw all financial, fund raising and administrative tasks for a company of 55 artists and technicians. 1974 - 1979.


What Productions have you been involved in?

-SPACE JAM, SHREK, EVERYONE'S HERO to name a few


What is your affiliation with Roger Williams University?

-Alumnus and Visiting Professor of Communications 2008/09 school year.


Did you feel this years first ever RWU Roving Eye Film Festival was a success?

-yes, since we were able to introduce the school to what a film festival might might do for the university and students.


What are your career plans for the future, either in the production world or at Roger Williams?

-I hope to be producing another movie when i return to LA in 3 weeks. no further plans to teach at RWU yet.