Person
Will Vinton
Directing · 1947–2018 · McMinnville, Oregon, USA
Biography
Award-winning co-director of "Closed Mondays", the first Claymation (tm) film. Will Vinton was born on November 17, 1947 in McMinnville, Oregon, USA as William Gale Vinton. He was a producer and director, known for Claymation Easter (1992), Martin the Cobbler (1977) and Moonwalker (1988). He was married to Gillian Allred and Susan Shadburne. He was a Claymation artist who coined the term. His studio created numerous Claymation characters for ads, most notably the California Raisins, which gained fame in an ad set to the Motown hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". He died on October 4, 2018 in Portland, Oregon.
Known for
LIGHT & MAGIC
Self (archive footage)
The PJs
Executive Producer
Prisoners of Gravity
Self
The Wild
Executive Producer
Moonwalker
Producer
Return to Oz
Animation Director
Gary & Mike
Producer
The California Raisin Show
Executive Producer
Claydream
Self (archive footage)
God's Trombones
Director
Filmography
- 2022ClaydreamSelf (archive footage)
- 2022LIGHT & MAGICSelf (archive footage)
- 2021Remembering Return to OzSelf
- 2019Animation OutlawsSelf
- 2011Adventures in Plymptoons!Self
- 2006The WildExecutive Producer
- 2005The Morning AfterDirector
- 2002Día de los muertosExecutive Producer
- 2001Gary & MikeProducer
- 1999I Lost My M in VegasExecutive Producer
- 1999The PJsExecutive Producer
- 1998Klay's TVDirector
- 1997The Online Adventures of Ozzie the ElfExecutive Producer
- 1997Bride of ResistorProducer
- 1994Mr. ResistorProducer
- 1994Hammer TimeExecutive Producer
- 1994The World's Greatest AnimationDirector
- 1992Will Vinton's Claymation EasterExecutive Producer
- 1991Will Vinton's Claymation Comedy of HorrorsExecutive Producer
- 1990Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins IIDirector
- 1989The California Raisin ShowExecutive Producer
- 1989Prisoners of GravitySelf
- 1988Meet the Raisins!Producer
- 1988MoonwalkerProducer
- 1987Claymation Christmas CelebrationProducer
- 1987Dinosaurs: A Fun Filled Trip Back in TimeDirector
- 1987The Festival of ClaymationDirector
- 1986Shadow PlayProducer
- 1985Return to OzAnimation Director
- 1985The Adventures of Mark TwainDan'l Webster (voice)
- 1982The Great CognitoDirector
- 1981The CreationDirector
- 1981God's TrombonesDirector
- 1980A Christmas GiftDirector
- 1980Dinosaurs!Producer
- 1980DinosaurDirector
- 1979Legacy: A Very Short History of Natural ResourcesDirector
- 1979The Little PrinceDirector
- 1978Rip Van WinkleDirector
- 1978Claymation: Three Dimensional Clay AnimationDirector
- 1977Martin the CobblerDirector
- 1976Mountain MusicDirector
- 1974Closed MondaysDirector
- 1974Gone for a Better DealDirector
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