The 2015 Pixar production Inside Out earned Ronnie del Carmen an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, marking the first time a Filipino writer received this recognition. His trajectory from a background painter on a Francis Ford Coppola set to a primary creative force in global animation studios spans over four decades of industry shifts.
Early Work and Technical Foundation
Born in Cavite City in 1959, del Carmen pursued higher education at San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite and later graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising. His initial exposure to large-scale film production occurred during the filming of Apocalypse Now in the Philippines, where he worked as a set painter. Following his graduation, he spent his early career as an art director for television and print advertising campaigns before relocating to the United States in 1989.
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Upon arriving in the United States, del Carmen contributed to Batman: The Animated Series as a storyboard artist. His tenure at DreamWorks Animation from 1997 to 2003 included serving as a story supervisor for several features, including The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. In 2000, he transitioned to Pixar Animation Studios, where his credits included story supervisor roles on Finding Nemo and Up, production design for One Man Band, and storyboarding for Ratatouille and WALL-E.
Directorial Debut and Expanding Portfolios
His directing career began with the short film Dug's Special Mission in 2009, which accompanied the release of Up. Beyond feature animation, del Carmen maintained a consistent career in comics and illustration. He provided illustrations for the Batman Adventures: Holiday Special, winning an Eisner Award for Best Single Issue in 1995. His written and illustrated works include the Paper Biscuit series, the children’s book My Name Is Dug, and the volume titled And There You Are. In 2021, he moved to Netflix to develop an animated feature based on Philippine folklore.
Fast facts
- Born: 1959, Cavite City, Philippines
- Education: University of Santo Tomas
- Pixar tenure: 2000-2021
- DreamWorks tenure: 1997-2003
- 1995 Eisner Award: Best Single Issue
- 2015 Academy Award Nomination: Best Original Screenplay
Questions readers ask
What was his first major role in a Pixar film?
He served as a story supervisor on the 2003 film Finding Nemo.
Which Philippine-born animator was nominated for an Academy Award?
Ronnie del Carmen received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Inside Out.
Achievements
- Worked as animator, screenwriter and film director
