Bio
From Detroit, Michigan, Brian initially was a mechanical engineer and industrial designer for companies and organizations such as Chrysler, NASA, Apple Computer, and a medical device startup. After winning a film competition while working at Apple Computers, Brian decided to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker by attending the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Cinematic Arts in Animation and Digital Arts. His thesis, “ Mosquito: The Bite of Passage” was a BAFTA finalist.
Since, Brian worked for Disney / Blue Sky Studios as a storyboard artist on Spies in Disguise, in addition to co-directing a development feature with Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age, Rio). Brian also had led creative roles on projects for Apple TV, Netflix, the Sundance Film Festival, and The Grammys.
Recently, Rhodes was storyboard artist on the Netflix/ MACRO feature They Cloned Tyrone and the Netflix/Annapurna feature NImona. He also co-directed the Annie Nominated animated short Pacemaker in London, UK and Los Angeles.
Brian is also a stand-up comic.
PDF RESUME
WORK
PACEMAKER London, UK
Director of independently produced short animated musical. Lead production teams in London, France,
Los Angeles and Ukraine. 6/2022 - 7/2023
DISNEY TELEVISION Los Angeles, CA
Storyboard Artist of development TV pilot “The Brew”, an animated sitcom from Bruce Smith and Ralph Farquhar (The Proud Family).
Responsibilities include developing story sequences and pitching to the director. 11/2021 - 6/2022
BUD NOT BUDDY Los Angeles, CA
Co-Director of development of animated feature film “Bud, Not Buddy” with Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belleville). Responsibilities include leading story and vis dev teams to build the pitch for the film. 6/2021 - 2/2022
THEY CLONED TYRONE Los Angeles, CA
Lead Storyboard Artist of live-action feature “They Cloned Tyrone”. Responsibilities include working with
director Juel Taylor (Creed II) to storyboard all visual effects and complex action scenes. 7/2020 - 2/2021
BLUE SKY STUDIOS (20th century fox) Greenwich, CT
Co-Director of production of the animated feature film “Foster” with Carlos Saldanhas (Ferdinand).
Responsibilities include script development, managing character designers, and storyboard artists. 7/2020 - 2/2021
FX NETWORK (20th Century Fox) Los Angeles, CA
Writer / Producer for an original animated television show. Responsibilities include pilot writing. 2/2017 - 2/2021
BLUE SKY STUDIOS (20th Century Fox) Greenwich, CT
Storyboard Artist for the feature film “Spies in Disguise,” directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno. Responsibilities include developing story sequences and pitching to the director. 6/2017 - 5/2018
WONDROS STUDIOS Los Angeles, CA
Previs Artist for “Target Grammys Live Music Video with Gwen Stefani.” 2/2016
5D GLOBAL STUDIOS Los Angeles, CA
Designer / Animator for 3D interactive “The Leviathan Project” 5/2013 - 1/2016
Designed assets (ships, mechanisms, etc.) and characters. Debuted at 2016 Sundance New Frontier Festival.
NETFLIX Los Angeles, CA
Storyboard Artist for “True Memoirs of An International Assassin”. 7/2015 - 10/2015
MECHANICAL SIMULATION (carsim.com) Ann Arbor, MI
Creative Director - 1/2011 to 5/2013
Designed their new brand direction and web execution.
Lead Industrial Designer/Mechanical Engineer - 1/2011 to 8/2012
Innovated the design and mechanics of the company’s first actuated driving simulator.
Innovative Health Technologies DETROIT, MI
Chief Design Engineer - 11/2007 to 11/2010
Designed a patented medical device to regrow bone in the mouth of missing tooth patients for dentistry and designed a medical wrench to activate the previously mentioned medical device.
GlobalHue Advertising Detroit, MI
Senior Art Director - 8/2004 to 11/2007
Led the creation and management of production/post-production for nine (9) national and international broadcast campaigns for clients such as Jeep, Dodge, Corona, and Bermuda Tourism.
EDUCATION
UCLA Extension Course Los Angeles, Ca
30 Minute Television Pilot Writing - 2021
Upright Citizen’s Brigade Los Angeles, CA
Diversity Fellowship Program - 2017
The University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts Los Angeles, CA
MFA Animation and Digital Arts - 2015
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, mi
BFA Industrial Design - 2004
BS Mechanical Engineering - 2004
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Cambridge, Mass
Summer Venture in Management Program - 2001
INTERNSHIPS
Nickelodeon animation studios Burbank, ca
Development Intern, Sanjay and Craig - Spring 2014
Apple Computer Inc. cupertino, ca
Product Design Intern, iMac - Summer 2003
Nat. aeronautv Space Admin. (nasa) Cape canaveral, fl
Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) Engineering Intern - Summer 2002
AWARDS
AMERICAN FILM SHOWCASE RECIPIENT (US STATE DEPT) - 2018-2019
British Academy of film and television arts (baFTA) - Student Award - SHORTLIST - MOSQUITO: THE BITE OF PASSAGE - 2017
Palm Springs International Animation Festival - BEST VFX and ROTOSCOPED SHORT - 2017
Baltimore International Black Film Festival - best animated film - mosquito: Bite of Pas.- 2017
Telly Award - local television and cable - MOSQUITO: THE BITE OF PASSAGE - Student - 2016
Haryana International Film Festival - best animation - Mosquito: the bite of passage - 2016
Telly Award - local television and cable - Harold’s fish sticks - Student - 2014
Muller Family Scholarship - Univ. of southern california - 2012
Frank Volpe Endowed Scholarship - univ. of southern california - 2012
SKILLS
Manual
Skilled in storyboarding, live action/VFX integration, MOCAP, animation, storyboarding, sketching and rendering.
Digital
Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, Premiere, Audition, Flash), Storyboard Pro,
Autodesk (Maya, Inventor, Motionbuilder, Mudbox), Motive, ZBrush, Nuke, Syntheyes, Rhino, Alias, Sensable Freeform, Solidworks, and all Microsoft Office