SALT LAKE CITY, November 23, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Disney’s newest animated film, “Moana,” may take place in the South Pacific, but the movie has a very local flavor as its story artist and head animator are both from Utah.
David Derrick, who grew up in Salt Lake City, has been sketching since he was a boy. His first professional work was seen in the 2007 animated film “Flushed Away.” He has since added his talents as a story artist to the animated films “Bee Movie,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Megamind” and “Rise of the Guardians.”
Derrick is also the storyboard animator for the animated Marvel TV series “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”
Native Utahan Hyrum Osmond, the son of Virl Osmond, and nephew to Donny, is the head animator for “Moana.”
Osmond decided to become an animator after seeing “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.”
Along with “Moana,” Osmond’s animation resume includes, “Bolt,” “Tangled,” “Wreck-It-Ralph,” “Frozen” and “Zootopia.”
I chatted with the pair about the Moana project, which may very well be Disney’s next box office blockbuster.
