James Ryan ACE (He/Him)

Friday 10/23, 3:30PM-4:30PM

Movie Magic: Editing for Animated Films

Room 211 | ASIFA-Hollywood | Jennifer Jew | Nathan Schauf | James Ryan ACE | Bret Marnell | Darren Holmes, ACE | Nathan Schauf ACE

In animation, the edit is the movie. Long before final frames are rendered, editors shape story, timing, and emotion using storyboards, animatics, and scratch dialogue—working closely with directors to build the film from the ground up.

But how do you cut a scene that doesn’t exist yet? And how can understanding editorial make you a stronger, more hirable artist?

Tailored for LightBox Expo’s community of aspiring and professional animators, this panel explores how animated films are crafted in the edit—how sequences evolve, how decisions impact the entire pipeline, and what skills studios are looking for today.

Featuring Bret Marnell, ACE (Ultraman: Rising, Smurfs: The Lost Village), along with editors from Netflix, Disney, and Pixar.