John Leslie Coven (born August 27, 1958) is an American storyboard artist, film director, educator and the author of several comics and children's picture books. He is currently the director of the department of animated film at the Gobelins School of the Image in Paris, France.
Career Coven graduated in 1980 from The College of William and Mary in Virginia with a Bachelor of Science and from the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, France with a diploma in illustration. He began writing and illustrating children's books while completing his studies. His first book was published in France by Galllimard.
His career as a storyboard artist started in Hollywood in the 1990s and spans more than three decades and includes over 80 feature films such as the blockbusters The Lion King, Jurassic World, Venom, Logan, Captain America: Civil War, and the X-Men.
In 1995, Coven became a member of the Art Directors Guild, and began teaching storyboarding, illustration and filmmaking in various Art Schools around the world such as the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, the École Émile-Cohl and the Atelier de Sèvres in France as well as animation schools such as the Gobelins School of the Image in Paris, France and The Animation Workshop in Denmark.
In 2022, Coven became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; in the same year, he was appointed director of the department of animated film at Gobelins School of the Image in Paris, France.
Filmography (selected)
Storyboard Artist
Year Title RoleProduction company 1992 Candyman IllustratorPropaganda Films 1994 Reality Bites Storyboard artistJersey Films 1995 The Usual Suspects Storyboard artistPolyGram Filmed Entertainment1998Apt PupilStoryboard artistTriStar Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, Bad Hat Harry1999Stir of EchoesStoryboard artistArtisan Entertainment2000The Million Dollar HotelStoryboard artistIcon Productions, Road Movies2000X-MenStoryboard artistMarvel Enterprises200413 Going on 30Storyboard artistColumbia Pictures, Revolution Studios2005Walk the LineStoryboard artistFox 2000 Pictures2006Stick ItStoryboard artistTouchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment2009I Love You Philip MorrisStoryboard artistEuropaCorp, Mad Chance Productions2009The Men Who Stare at GoatsStoryboard artistWinchester Capital Partners, BBC Films, Smokehouse Pictures2011The Green Hornet Storyboard artistColumbia Pictures, Original Film2011Crazy, Stupid, Love.''''" |Storyboard artist |Carousel Productions, Di Novi Pictures |- |2013 |The Wolverine |Storyboard artist |Marvel Entertainment |- |2014 |Godzilla |Storyboard artist |Legendary Pictures |- |2015 |Jurassic World |Storyboard artist |Amblin Entertainment, Legendary Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Pictures |- |2016 |Capitain America: Civil War |Storyboard artist |Marvel Studios |- |2016 |Alice Through the Looking Glass |Storyboard artist |Walt Disney Pictures |- |2017 |Logan |Storyboard artist |20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment |- |2017 |Godless (TV mini series) |storyboard artist (6 episodes) |Casey Silver Productions |- |2018 |Smallfoot|Storyboard artist |Warner Animation Group |- |2018 |Venom |Storyboard artist |Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment |- |2019 |X-Men: Dark Phoenix |Storyboard artist |20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment |- |2019 |The Lion King |Storyboard artist |Walt Disney Pictures |- |2019 |Charlie's Angels |Storyboard artist |Columbia Pictures |- |2019 |Jumanji: The Next Level|Storyboard artist |Columbia Pictures |- |2022 |Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers |Storyboard artist |Walt Disney Pictures |- |2023 |The Little Mermaid |Storyboard artist |Walt Disney Pictures |- |2024 |Mufasa: The Lion King''Head of storyWalt Disney Pictures
Other
Year Title FormatRole 1995 Night Train Short film Director, writer 2001 Out There Short film Director, writer, producer 2002 Repossessed Short film Director, writer2002Talk 5.0Short filmDirector, writer2001Drum SoloShort filmco-producer2004Game Box 1.0Feature filmco-executive producer2004On the RunShort filmproducer2004LostFeature filmvoice actor
Bibliography
Children's Books + Title Year of firstpublication First edition publisher Role Treasure Island 1990 Balburry Publishing Illustrator L’Autre Moitié 1989 Gallimard Publishing, Paris Author, Illustrator A Tail of Two Cities 1987 Balburry Publishing Illustrator
Comics + Title Year of firstpublication First edition publisher Role Le Nouveau Spectacle 2009 Spirou Magazine Author, Illustrator Pas Le Genre 1995 Fluide Glacial Magazine Author, Illustrator
References
External links
John Coven at MovieBuff. John Coven at IMDb. Official website.