Michael Sporn Animation
was an American animation studio based in New York. While serving in the United States Navy for five years, Sporn studied animation and drawing by mail. Afterwards in 1972, he started to work with veteran animator John Hubley. He then moved to London to work at Richard Williams Studio for a few years. After returning to New York, Sporn founded his own independent studio in 1980.
Sporn produced and directed various half-hour specials for broadcast outlets. He created spots & shorts for Sesame Street and Between the Lions as well as syndicated PSAs, music videos, documentary and film titles, commercial logos and industrial spots for other clients.
In creating animation, Sporn always drew by hand. His wife Heidi Stallings said, "He felt that the computer was once removed. To him, it was important that there was a transference direct from the artist to the paper."
His company's productions received numerous awards, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Doctor DeSoto, and several Cable ACE Awards for The Story of the Dancing Frog and Ira Sleeps Over. His short film, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers won the 2005 Audience Choice award for Short Film at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, and "Best Short Animation Made for Children" at the 2006 Ottawa International Animation Festival.
Sadly, Sporn passed away from pancreatic cancer on January 19, 2014, which led to the studio becoming inactive. At the time of his death, Sporn was producing and directing Poe, an animated feature based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Despite this, their website is still online.
Shows and films worked on by Michael Sporn:
- American Masters (animated segments; 1 episode)List
- Baby's Storytime
- Between the Lions (27 segments)
- Bingo & Molly (26 segments)
- Braingames (20 segments)
- Byron Blackbear & The Scientific Method
- The Country Mouse and The City Mouse: A Christmas Tale
- Courage the Cowardly Dog (1 episode)List
- Champagne
- A Child's Garden of Verses
- Deathtrap (main title animation)
- The Emperor's New Clothes
- Family Business (main title animation)
- Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales
- GoodTimes Entertainment/Michael Sporn Animation videos (with Hong Guang)
- The Ten Commandments
- White Fang
- Gertrude On The Beach
- Gregory & Me
- HBO Storybook Musicals (8 specials)List (plus the opening sequence)
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (art direction and creative consultant)
- Happy To Be Nappy & Other Tales
- How Do You Spell God?
- I Am Fire
- I Can Be President
- In a Minute (main title animation)
- Jabberwocky
- Jazztime Tale
- Ketut de Bali (titles & inserts)
- Kids Are Punny
- The Land of the Four Winds
- Long Ago and Far Away (2 episodes)List
- Made-In-China (animation)
- Magic Hands (titles)
- Making Mr. Right (main title animation)
- Mona Mon Amour
- Mozart
- Nonsense and Lullabyes
- Once Upon A Birthday
- Pabs' First Burger
- Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas
- Pilu
- Prayer Bear
- Prince of the City (titles & inserts)
- Running on Empty (main title animation)
- Santabear's High Flying Adventure
- Saving Our Planet
- Sesame Street (37 segments)List
- A Sparkle Adventure
- Tales of the Old Piano: Mozart
- 'Twas The Night
- UNICEF shorts:
- A Time of Adventure
- Off to a Good Start
- Off to School
- Pathways To Learning
- Growing & Changing
- The Silent Shout
- Weston Woods shorts:
- Abel's Island
- The Amazing Bone
- The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate The Wash
- Doctor DeSoto
- Emily's First 100 Days of School
- Read To Your Bunny
- The Hunting of the Snark
- Lewis Carroll's Nonsense Poems: Glimmers of a Life
- I Crocodile
- Leo The Late Bloomer
- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
- Max's Chocolate Chicken
- Max's Christmas
- Monty
- Morris's Disappearing Bag
- The Mysterious Tadpole
- Yo! Yes?
- What's Under My Bed?
- Whitewash
- Why We Need Doctors
