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Dean Wellins
Dean Wellins
Dean Wellins
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Dean Wellins (born March 24, 1971) is an American film director, storyboard artist, screenwriter, and animator. He is best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, including directing the short film Tick Tock Tale (2010), co-directing the feature film Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and directing several episodes of the streaming series Baymax! (2022).

Key Information

Early life

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Dean Wellins was born in Zaragoza, Spain, on March 24, 1971.[2][1] From 1990 to 1992, he was enrolled at CalArts.[3]

Career

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In 1990, he began his career at Turner Feature Animation's internship program as a character breakdown artist for The Pagemaster (1994).[3] In 1994, he worked at Renegade Animation as a character animator on Gargoyles: The Game (1995).[3][5] In 1996, he moved to Warner Bros. Animation where he worked as an animator on The Iron Giant (1999), which got him nominated at the 27th Annie Awards for "Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production" and "Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production".[6] In 1999, he served as a supervising animator on Osmosis Jones (2001) and Duck Dogers (2003).[3]

In August 2000, he moved to Walt Disney Animation Studios where he served as a character animator on Treasure Planet (2002) and a story artist on Chicken Little (2005).[3][7] In 2006, he served as a story artist on Bolt (2008).[8] In April 2007, he signed on to direct the Disney animated film Tangled (2010), alongside Glen Keane.[6] However, in October 2008, it was reported that he had left the film as director, but remained as a story artist, prior to pitching "three new ideas for one of [Disney's] future feature projects".[9][10] By 2009, he directed the short film Tick Tock Tale (2010) and served as a character animator on The Princess and the Frog (2009).[8][11]

During the 2010s, he served as a story artist on several Disney films, including Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Tomorrowland (2015), Big Hero 6 (2014), Zootopia (2016), Moana (2016), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018).[12][7][10][11] In October 2018, he was set to direct a film titled Dragon Empire, alongside Paul Briggs.[10][13][14] In August 2020, Disney announced that Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada replaced Wellins and Briggs as directors on the film, retitled Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), with Wellins and Briggs demoted to co-directors.[15] In 2022, he made his directorial debut when he directed 3 episodes of the Disney+ streaming series Baymax!.[16][17] In the same year, he left Disney to join SPA Studios where he worked on an undisclosed feature film.[18][19][20] By 2023, he moved to PaperGames where he would direct an upcoming feature film based on the Nikki Nuannuan video game series.[21][20][22][23]

Filmography

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Feature films

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Year Title Director Story Artist Story Writer Animator Other Notes/Ref(s)
1994 The Pagemaster No No No No Yes Character breakdown artist[3]
1998 The Iron Giant No Yes No Character Yes Music: "Duck and Cover"[6]
2001 Osmosis Jones No No No Character No "Thrax"[3]
2002 Treasure Planet No No No Character No "Jim Hawkins"[3]
Eight Crazy Nights No No No Yes No [12]
2004 Fat Albert No No No Yes No [24]
2005 Chicken Little No Yes No No No [7]
2008 Bolt No Yes No No No [8]
2009 The Princess and the Frog No No Additional story material Character No "Dr. Facilier"[11]
2010 Tangled Replaced Yes Additional story material No No Replaced during development[9][10]
2012 Wreck-It Ralph No Yes No No No [12]
2013 Free Birds No No No No Yes Character designer[7]
Frozen No Yes No No No [11]
2014 Big Hero 6 No Yes No No Yes Creative leadership[16]
2015 Tomorrowland No Yes No No No [7]
2016 Zootopia No Yes No No No [10]
Moana No Yes No No Yes Creative leadership[7]
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet No Yes No No Yes Additional voices
Creative leadership[7]
2021 Raya and the Last Dragon Replaced No Yes No Yes Replaced during production
Studio & creative leadership[15][12]
Encanto No No No No Yes Creative leadership[12]
TBA Untitled Nikki Nuannuan film † Yes TBA TBA TBA TBA In production[21][22][23]

Short films

[edit]
Year Title Director Animator Writer Voice Role Notes/Ref(s)
1997 Pullet Surprise No Yes Story N/a [6]
2010 Tick Tock Tale Yes No Yes Thief / Bobby [8]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Director Story Artist Other Notes/Ref(s)
1997 What a Cartoon! No No Yes Composer and animation consultant
Episode: "Strange Things"[25]
101 Dalmatians: The Series No No Yes Character designer
Episode: "Artist Formerly Known as Spot" / "Nose Knows"[12]
1998–2000 Histeria! No Yes No 12 episodes[12]
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command No Yes No Episode: "Strange Invasion"[12]
2003 Duck Dogers No Yes Yes Additional story material
2 episodes[3]
2022 Baymax! Yes No No 3 episodes[16]

Video games

[edit]
Year Title Notes/Ref(s)
1995 Gargoyles: The Game Character animator: "Goliath"[3][5]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date Category Title Result Ref(s)
Annie Awards November 6, 1999 Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production The Iron Giant Nominated [6]
Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production The Iron Giant Nominated [6]
November 11, 2001 Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production Osmosis Jones Nominated [26]
February 4, 2017 Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production Zootopia Won [27][28]
Children's and Family Emmy Awards December 16–17, 2023 Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program Baymax! Nominated [29]
Visual Effects Society Awards February 19, 2011 Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short Tick Tock Tale Nominated [30]

References

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Dean Wellins

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Dean Wellins is an American animator, storyboard artist, and film director known for his extensive work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he contributed to major animated features and co-directed the 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon. His career spans roles in animation, story development, and creative leadership on films including Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and others. Wellins began his professional career after studying art and design at the University of California, Davis, and attending the Character Animation Program at CalArts. His early work included positions as a directing animator and story artist on The Iron Giant (1999) and supervising animator on Osmosis Jones (2001) at Warner Bros. Feature Animation. He transitioned to Walt Disney Animation Studios in the early 2000s, where he animated characters and contributed story material to projects such as Treasure Planet (2002) and The Princess and the Frog (2009). Over the following decades, Wellins advanced into higher creative roles, serving as a story artist and creative leader on Disney's modern animated slate before directing the short film Tick Tock Tale and later co-directing Raya and the Last Dragon, a fantasy adventure drawing from Southeast Asian cultures. His contributions helped shape several critically acclaimed and commercially successful Disney animated features throughout the 2010s and early 2020s.

Early life

Birth and family background

Dean Wellins was born on March 24, 1971, at a U.S. Air Force Base near Zaragoza, Spain, to parents Stan and Ellen Wellins. His father's service in the U.S. Air Force accounted for the family's temporary residence in Spain during that period. Around the age of three, the family relocated from Spain. Wellins grew up with an older brother, Mike Wellins, who is six years his senior and later also entered the animation industry as a director and artist.

Education and training

Dean Wellins studied art and design at the University of California, Davis, before being accepted into the prestigious Character Animation Program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He attended CalArts from 1990 to 1992, where he was part of an exceptional class that included future animation luminaries such as Craig McCracken, Genndy Tartakovsky, Lou Romano, Rob Renzetti, and others. This group distinguished itself through strong self-motivation, with every student completing a finished film by the end of their first year, culminating in a lengthy student showcase. Wellins completed the program in 1992. Upon completing his second year at CalArts, Wellins transitioned to professional animation by joining the internship program at Turner Feature Animation, marking the start of his industry career.

Career

Entry into animation

After completing the California Institute of the Arts Character Animation program, Dean Wellins entered the professional animation industry in the early 1990s. He began his career working in roles such as storyboard artist, animator, and character designer on feature animation projects. Wellins is a member of the Animation Guild (Local 839 IATSE), where his listed professional roles include animation director, writer, character designer, and storyboard supervisor. As of the mid-2020s, he has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the animation industry. His early work focused on non-Disney projects and foundational contributions, building skills in storyboarding and character development before transitioning to larger feature productions.

Early feature work

Wellins entered feature animation following his time at the CalArts Character Animation Program, starting with work as a character breakdown artist on the hybrid live-action/animated film The Pagemaster (1994). His early professional experience demonstrated foundational skills in character cleanup and breakdown work, preparing him for more prominent roles in hand-drawn animation. Wellins' first major feature contribution came as character animator and storyboard artist on The Iron Giant (1999), directed by Brad Bird at Warner Bros. Feature Animation. In these roles, he handled animation sequences and storyboarding duties, helping integrate the film's hybrid 2D/CG aesthetic while focusing on character performance and narrative flow. His work earned nominations for two Annie Awards: Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production and Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production. Wellins later described the project as one of the best experiences of his career, crediting directors Brad Bird, Jeff Lynch, and Tony Fucile for providing extensive education in filmmaking and animation. He followed this with supervising animator duties on the villain Thrax in Osmosis Jones (2001), again at Warner Bros., where he received another Annie nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation. In the early 2000s, Wellins transitioned to Walt Disney Animation Studios, beginning as character animator on Treasure Planet (2002), where he animated the lead character Jim Hawkins. These early feature credits showcased his growing expertise in character animation, storyboarding, and complex performances.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Dean Wellins joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in the early 2000s. He contributed as a character animator on Treasure Planet (2002), helping to bring key characters to life in the sci-fi adventure. Over the next decade, Wellins served in story artist roles on numerous Disney animated features, including Tangled (2010), where his contributions supported the film's retelling of Rapunzel with dynamic character moments and visual storytelling. His progression within the studio led to story leadership contributions, including as a story artist on Frozen (2013), in which he helped refine the narrative structure around sisterhood and self-discovery. Wellins continued in story roles on Big Hero 6 (2014), working to develop the film's blend of superhero action and emotional depth, and on Zootopia (2016), helping to shape its themes of prejudice and inclusion through intricate story sequences. These projects earned widespread acclaim, with Frozen and Zootopia each receiving the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. His consistent involvement across these films helped define the studio's creative output during a period of renewed commercial and critical success in the 2010s.

Directing projects

Dean Wellins transitioned from a long career as a storyboard artist and creative leader to directing roles at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He joined the director ranks beginning with the short film Tick Tock Tale in 2010, which he wrote and directed. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Tick Tock Tale is a comedic animated short about a quirky mantle clock that becomes an unlikely hero by foiling a thief in an antique clock shop. Wellins went on to co-direct the animated feature film Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) alongside Paul Briggs. He also served as director of pre-production on the project, contributing to its development at Walt Disney Animation Studios. More recently, Wellins directed three episodes of the Disney+ animated series Baymax! (2022), further expanding his work in directing for the studio.

Personal life

Family and interests

Dean Wellins is married to Teresa Wellins. He has a brother, Mike Wellins, who is also active in animation as a director. Little public information is available regarding Wellins' personal interests or hobbies outside his career in animation.

Current activities

Since completing work on the Disney+ series Baymax! in 2022, Dean Wellins was developing a non-Disney feature project in collaboration with his longtime associate Sergio Pablos and SPA Studios in Spain, as of 2022. This work followed his extended tenure at Walt Disney Animation Studios. No further details on the project's status or additional recent professional activities have been publicly verified from primary industry sources.
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