Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Animation and key members of the filmmaking team behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem — writer/producer/actor Seth Rogen, writer/producer Evan Goldberg (Point Grey Pictures), producer James Weaver and cinematographer Kent Seki — returned to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank for a special debut screening of Tree’s Blood.
The new animated short is a production of non-profit after school program Reel Start and the Exceptional Minds studio-academy, launched in partnership with the studios and filmmakers of the latest Turtles adventure. The film also features the voices of TMNT:MM stars Rose Byrne and Ayo Edebiri.
Reel Start is a non-profit organization co-founded by Goldberg (Superbad, The Boys, Gen V) and educator Adrienne Slover. Reel Start focuses on introducing career paths in entertainment to the next generation of diverse creators and craftspeople. Since 2016, Reel Start has served over 125 public school students in Los Angeles and Toronto via its 22-week afterschool program. Through the classroom, students learn from and collaborate with industry volunteers while developing and producing a professional-level short film.
Exceptional Minds is an academy and studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation, visual effects and other related fields in the entertainment industry.
Both organizations are committed to developing the next generation of creators and craftspeople serving communities underrepresented in the entertainment industry. A partnership between both organizations has resulted in Exceptional Minds providing animation services for two short films produced by Reel Start students.
reelstart.org | exceptional-minds.org
