Victoria Jenson (born March 4, 1960) is an American film director of both live action and animated films. Retrieved April 9, 2014. She has directed projects for DreamWorks Animation, including Shrek, the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature,Yoram Allon, Del Cullen, Hannah Patterson, Contemporary North American film directors: a Wallflower critical guide (2002), p. 2.Andrew Osmond, 100 Animated Feature Films (2010), p. 185.ACME filmworks page on Vicky Jenson. giving rise to one of Hollywood's largest film franchises.Michael Mallory, "Firsts Among Equals", Animation Magazine (March 6, 2014).
Career Biography and early work Jenson began painting cels at the age of 13.Hillary Atkin, "Vicky Jenson: Filmmaker", Variety (November 14, 2001). She attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and California State University Northridge, and learned to paint backgrounds on The Flintstones and The Smurfs at Hanna Barbera Studios where she worked summers to cover fall semesters. She later became a storyboard artist for Warner Bros., Marvel and Disney Television, and variously worked as a production designer, art director and co-producer". In the early 1980s, Jenson worked on the storyboard backgrounds on the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series for Filmation. She was also a design and color stylist on Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, John Kricfalusi's influential reboot of Mighty Mouse, in the 1980s. Due to her connections with Kricfalusi, she was offered a job as a painter at Spümcø to work on The Ren & Stimpy Show on its second season; she migrated to Games Animation with other background painters including Bill Wray after Kricfalusi's firing, working sporadically on the third and fourth seasons. In 1992, Jenson was the art director for FernGully: The Last Rainforest,Andrew Osmond, 100 Animated Feature Films (2010), p. 71. and the production designer for Computer Warriors: The Adventure Begins and Playroom.
DreamWorks In 2000, Jenson began working for DreamWorks as a production designer and story artist for The Road to El Dorado. After working on the film, the studio initially hired Jenson to work on Shrek as a story artist, with the directors to be Andrew Adamson (also a first-time director) and the late Kelly Asbury, who had joined in 1997 to co-direct the film. However, Asbury left a year later for work on the 2002 film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and Jenson was selected by producer Jeffrey Katzenberg to be the new director of the film. Jenson recalled her experience being brought into Shrek, and eventually tapped to direct, as follows:
Jenson described the directing process as one in which "we didn't try to figure out how to make adolescents laugh. You have to use yourself as the best judge and use your own instincts. We figured if we laughed at it, chances are good someone else would too". According to Adamson, the co-directors mutually decided to split the work in half, so the crew could at least know whom to go to with specific questions about the film's sequences: "We both ended up doing a lot of everything", "We're both kinda control freaks, and we both wanted to do everything." Following the success of Shrek, Jenson went on to co-direct Shark Tale with Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Rob Letterman. In 2003, while working on Shark Tale, Jenson received the first annual Kiera Chaplin Limelight award given at the Women's Image Network Awards.
Live-action work She directed a live-action short, Family Tree, which "premiered at Sundance, screened at countless festivals, including Sundance, SXSW, Aspen and Malibu and went on to win multiple festival awards". In 2009, she finished her first live-action feature directorial work for the Alexis Bledel-starring comedy, Post Grad. The film received generally negative reviews. Also in 2009, Jenson directed all of the spots for the year-long "Modelquins" ad campaign for Old Navy, including the "Supermodelquins Christmas" ads."Old Navy Supermodelquins Christmas", Inspiration Room (December 5, 2009). She was represented by the Anonymous Content agency for the campaign."Anonymous Content Launches Web and TV Campaign For Old Navy ".
In 2015, Jenson directed a stage production of the play, Time Stands Still, by Donald Margulies."Vicky Jenson to Direct TIME STANDS STILL at Secret Rose Theatre", Broadway World (December 17, 2014). By Whom? The Los Angeles Times wrote of Jenson's stage directorial debut: "the staging by Vicky Jenson successfully captures the script's broad contours",Philip Brandes, "Unrealized potential in 'Time Stands Still'", Los Angeles Times (January 23, 2015). and Broadway World praised the production, stating that "Vicky Jenson smoothly directs her uniformly skilled four-member cast".
Skydance Animation In July 2017, it was reported that Jenson was directing an untitled animated fantasy film. The film tells of a teenager who "comes of age using magical powers to defend her family when the opposing forces of light and darkness threaten to divide her kingdom. The untitled project was later titled Spellbound. In 2026, Jenson announced that she had lost her job with the studio during the previous year.
Personal life Jenson is the sister of classical violinist Dylana Jenson. Jenson owns a Border Collie.
Filmography Feature films Year TitleDirectorArtDirectorLayoutDesignStoryArtistProductionDesignerOtherNotes 1985 The Secret of the Sword 1987 Rock Odyssey Background Artist Slam Dance Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night 1988 She's Having a Baby Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw Design 1990 Playroom 1992 FernGully: The Last Rainforest Layout 2000 The Road to El Dorado Chicken Run Additional Story 2001 Shrek 2003 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 2004 Shark Tale 2005 Cerebral Print: The Secret Files Actress 2008 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Development 2009 Post Grad 2024 Spellbound Story, Voice of Old Blue-Haired Woman
Television Year Title Cel Painter1977The Flintstones 1981The Smurfs
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result2001Academy AwardsAcademy Award for Best Animated FeatureShrekBAFTA Awards 2001Children's Award, Best Feature FilmAnnie AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature ProductionCannes Film FestivalPalme d'OrL.A. Film Critics AssociationBest AnimationNational Board of ReviewBest Animated FeatureKarlovy Vary International Film FestivalAudience Award2002BAFTA Awards 2002Best Adapted ScreenplayCritics' Choice Awards 2002Best Animated FilmPeople's Choice AwardsFavorite Motion Picture.2003Aspen Shorts Fest 2003Audience Award, Glenwood Springs SectionFamily TreeSXSW 2003Special Jury Award, Narrative ShortDragon*Con Independent Film FestivalBest ShortDragon*Con Independent Film FestivalBest Magical RealismEmpire Film Festival 2003Audience Award, Best ShortMalibu Film Festival 2003Best of the FestMalibu Film Festival 2003Best Live Action ShortDeadCENTER Film FestivalGrand Jury AwardWine Country Film Festival 2003Best Short Film (Novela Form Film)2004Big Bear Lake Int'l Film Festival 2004Jury Award, Best Short Film2005Academy AwardsBest Animated FeatureShark TaleBAFTA Awards 2005Children's Award, Best Feature Film.ASCAP Awards 2005Top Box Office Film
References
External links
Chris Koseluk, "On Co-Directing Shrek: Victoria Jenson", AnimationWorld Network (May 10, 2001) Profile in "Women Directors Hollywood Should Be Hiring from Vulture.com Profile in "Hollywood's Most Inspiring Female Directors " Profile in "Best Women Film Directors and Movies " from Metacritic.com