View source for Jennifer Yuh Nelson

{{Short description|American film director (born 1972)}}
{{distinguish|Jennifer Nelson (filmmaker)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = 
| image              = Jennifer Yuh Nelson.jpg
| caption            = Jennifer Yuh Nelson in May 2012 at the C2-MTL business conference
| birth_name         = Jennifer Yuh
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1972|05|07}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Yuh, Jennifer|url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006025883.html|work=Library of Congress|access-date=September 10, 2013|archive-date=May 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511013232/http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006025883.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| birth_place        = South Korea
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| death_cause        = 
| nationality        = American
| alma_mater         = [[California State University, Long Beach]]
| occupation         = Story artist, character designer, television director, illustrator, film director
| yearsactive        = 1994–present
| notable_works      = ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]''<br />''[[Kung Fu Panda 3]]''<br />''[[The Darkest Minds]]''
}}

'''Jennifer Yuh Nelson''' ({{née}} '''Yuh'''; born May 7, 1972) is an American story artist, character designer, illustrator, and film and television director. She is best known for directing the films ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]'', ''[[Kung Fu Panda 3]]'', and ''[[The Darkest Minds]]''. Yuh is the first woman to solely direct and the first [[Asian American]] to direct a major American animated film,<ref name=time>{{cite news|last=Yuh Nelson|first=Jennifer|title=TIME Firsts Women Leaders: Jennifer Yuh Nelson|url=https://time.com/collection/firsts/4898583/jennifer-yuh-nelson-firsts/|access-date=January 8, 2022|newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=|archive-date=January 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108163920/https://time.com/collection/firsts/4898583/jennifer-yuh-nelson-firsts/|url-status=live}}</ref> and has been recognized as a commercially successful Asian American director.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kim |first1=Elaine H. |title=The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media |date=2017 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-317-54084-7 |page=84 |chapter=Overcoming barriers to representation}}</ref>

She won an [[Annie Award]] for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production for directing the opening for ''[[Kung Fu Panda (film)|Kung Fu Panda]]'' and was the second woman nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature]], for her work on ''Kung Fu Panda 2''. The film proved to be one of the most financially successful films directed by a woman. As a supervisor director for her work on ''[[Love, Death & Robots]]'', she won [[Emmy Award]]s two consecutive times.

== Biography ==
Yuh was born in 1972 in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with her parents and two sisters when she was four years old. She started sketching and drawing at a young age, while developing an interest in 1980s action movies and anime. Her favorite filmmakers were [[James Cameron]], [[Ridley Scott]], and [[Katsuhiro Otomo]].  Yuh spent her childhood in [[Lakewood, California]], where she enjoyed watching [[martial arts]] movies, playing with cars, and drawing. "I have been drawing since age 3 and making movies in my head for almost as long. In fact, drawing for me was a way to express those films when I had no other means of doing so," said Yuh.<ref name=www>{{cite web | url=http://www.womenworthwatching.com/jennifer-yuh-nelson/ | title=JENNIFER YUH NELSON • DREAMWORKS | work=WomenWorthWatching.com | date=April 18, 2011 | access-date=July 11, 2011 | archive-date=October 30, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030192950/https://womenworthwatching.com/jennifer-yuh-nelson/ | url-status=live }}</ref> As a young girl, she would sit at the kitchen table for hours and watch her mother draw, copying her every stroke. As a kid, she would fancy stories with her sisters and was learning to draw to get down those stories. Yuh traces the lineage of her career to those formative family experiences.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Interested in art, Yuh followed her sisters to [[California State University, Long Beach]],<ref name=TAG>{{cite news|last=Hulett|first=Steve|title=The Jennifer Yuh Nelson Interview -- Part I|url=http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/jennifer-yuh-nelson-interview-part-i.html|access-date=January 23, 2012|newspaper=The Animation Guild Blog|date=January 23, 2012|archive-date=May 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524101303/http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/jennifer-yuh-nelson-interview-part-i.html|url-status=live}}</ref> where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration.<ref name=latimes>{{cite news|last=Sperling|first=Nicole|title=Tough enough|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-may-25-la-et-jennifer-yuh-20110525-story.html|access-date=June 8, 2011|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 25, 2011|archive-date=May 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530080518/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/25/entertainment/la-et-jennifer-yuh-20110525|url-status=live}}</ref> There she got introduced to animation, "When I was in college years later, a veteran storyboard artist came to talk to my class. He showed us how he drew movies for a living. My mind exploded. And that led to a career in animation."<ref name=www /> Jennifer then followed her sisters into the animation industry, at first working as a cleanup artist at [[Jetlag Productions]], where she worked on various direct-to-video features.<ref name=www /> Following a brief stint at [[Hanna-Barbera]] Productions on ''[[The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest]]'' for [[Cartoon Network]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Inoa |first1=Christopher |title=Darkest Minds director Jennifer Yuh Nelson is a quiet force making history in Hollywood |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/darkest-minds-director-jennifer-yuh-nelson-is-a-quiet-force-making-history-in-hollywood |access-date=November 14, 2019 |work=[[Syfy#Syfy Wire|Syfy Wire]] |publisher=[[NBCUniversal]] Media, LLC |date=August 14, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805214822/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/darkest-minds-director-jennifer-yuh-nelson-is-a-quiet-force-making-history-in-hollywood |url-status=dead }}</ref> she was later hired as a storyboard artist on [[HBO]]'s ''[[Todd McFarlane's Spawn]]'' series in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nusair|first=David|title=Jennifer Yuh Bio|url=http://movies.about.com/od/animatedmovies/a/jennifer-yuh-biography.htm|work=About.com|access-date=February 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526222407/http://movies.about.com/od/animatedmovies/a/jennifer-yuh-biography.htm|archive-date=May 26, 2011}}</ref>

In 1998, Yuh joined [[DreamWorks Animation]] as a storyboard artist, where she worked on ''[[Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron]]'', ''[[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas]]'', and ''[[Madagascar (2005 film)|Madagascar]]''. As a big fan of martial arts movies, she asked to work on the first ''[[Kung Fu Panda (film)|Kung Fu Panda]]'' film, where she served as head of story and director of the opening [[Traditional animation|hand-drawn]] dream sequence.<ref name=TAG /> After the release of ''Kung Fu Panda'', [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]], DWA's CEO at the time, approached Yuh about directing ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]''.<ref name=Cinemovie>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemovie.tv/cinemovie_new/interviews/72-celebrity-interviews-movies-new-box-office-articles/1467-kung-fu-panda-2-director-jennifer-yuh-nelson-interview |title=Interview with KUNG FU PANDA 2 Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson |work=CineMovie.tv |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=July 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616232203/http://www.cinemovie.tv/cinemovie_new/interviews/72-celebrity-interviews-movies-new-box-office-articles/1467-kung-fu-panda-2-director-jennifer-yuh-nelson-interview |archive-date=June 16, 2011 }}</ref> Although she hadn't expressed interest in directing the sequel to the film, Producer Melissa Cobb stated that she should direct the second film due to her excellent work on the first, to which the rest of the crew supported the decision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caamedia.org/blog/2016/01/25/qa-with-jennifer-yuh-nelson-director-of-kung-fu-panda-3/|title=Q&A with Jennifer Yuh Nelson|date=January 25, 2016|website=CAAM|access-date=December 13, 2016|archive-date=February 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205184143/http://caamedia.org/blog/2016/01/25/qa-with-jennifer-yuh-nelson-director-of-kung-fu-panda-3/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film proved a major critical and international box office success with a worldwide gross of $665.6 million, making it the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman until director [[Jennifer Lee (filmmaker)|Jennifer Lee]]'s ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' two years later. She held the record for highest-grossing film by a solo female director until the release of [[Patty Jenkins]]' 2017 film ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]''. She eventually became the first woman to be nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature]] Film (since 2007's ''[[Persepolis (film)|Persepolis]]'') and to win the [[Annie Award for Best Directing in a Feature Production]]. Yuh returned to co-direct ''[[Kung Fu Panda 3]]'' alongside [[Alessandro Carloni]], which was released in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last=Young|first=John|title='Kung Fu Panda 2' becomes highest-grossing film directed by a woman|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/29/kung-fu-panda-jennifer-yuh-nelson/|access-date=September 2, 2011|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 29, 2011|archive-date=October 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010205443/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/29/kung-fu-panda-jennifer-yuh-nelson/|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2016, she was also added as one of the board of Governors by [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/news/academy-appoints-jennifer-yuh-nelson-governor-large|title=Academy Appoints Jennifer Yuh Nelson Governor At Large|website=Animation World Network|access-date=December 13, 2016|archive-date=December 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224221838/http://www.awn.com/news/academy-appoints-jennifer-yuh-nelson-governor-large|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Yuh announced that she would be making her live action directorial debut with an adaptation of [[Alexandra Bracken]]'s ''[[The Darkest Minds]]'' for [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/darkest-minds-jennifer-yuh-nelson-kung-fu-panda-young-adult-1201704925|title='Darkest Minds': Jennifer Yuh Nelson of 'Kung Fu Panda' to Make Live-Action Directorial Debut with Ya Adaptation|publisher=Indiewire|last=Nordine|first=Michael|date=July 12, 2016|access-date=July 13, 2016|archive-date=July 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713173005/http://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/darkest-minds-jennifer-yuh-nelson-kung-fu-panda-young-adult-1201704925/|url-status=live}}</ref> Producer [[Shawn Levy]] praised Jennifer for her visual sensibility as well as her natural narrative qualities. She described herself as soft-spoken, contrary to what contemporary directors are often personified as; instead, she used storyboards to help pitch her ideas to Shawn Levy and 21 Laps.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/spotlight/darkest-minds-jennifer-yuh-nelson-kung-fu-panda-1202883313/|title=Billion Dollar Filmmaker: Jennifer Yuh Nelson Moves From Toontown to 'Darkest' Side|last=Barker|first=Andrew|date=July 26, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=November 16, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116085936/https://variety.com/2018/film/spotlight/darkest-minds-jennifer-yuh-nelson-kung-fu-panda-1202883313/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2019, Yuh was hired as supervising director of the second season of the [[Netflix]] animated anthology series, ''[[Love, Death & Robots]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maas |first1=Jennifer |title='Love, Death and Robots' Renewed at Netflix, Adds 'Kung Fu Panda 3' Director |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/love-death-robots-renewed-at-netflix-jennifer-yuh-nelson-joins-1216997 |access-date=June 10, 2019 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=June 10, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=June 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612042628/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/love-death-robots-renewed-at-netflix-jennifer-yuh-nelson-joins-1216997 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Filmography ==
===Director===
'''Film'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]''
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Kung Fu Panda 3]]'' 
| Co-directed with [[Alessandro Carloni]]
|-
| 2018
| ''[[The Darkest Minds]]''
|
|}

'''Television'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Episodes
|-
|rowspan=4| 1998–1999
|rowspan=4| ''[[Todd McFarlane's Spawn]]''
| "Home, Bitter Home"
|-
| "Send in the KKKlowns"
|-
| "The Mindkiller"
|-
| "Hunter's Moon"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2021–present
|rowspan=2| ''[[Love, Death & Robots]]''
| "Pop Squad"
|-
| "Kill Team Kill"
|}

=== Other credits ===
'''Film'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Dark City (1998 film)|Dark City]]''
| Production illustrator/Story artist
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron]]''
| Story artist
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas]]''
| Head of story
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Madagascar (2005 film)|Madagascar]]''
| Story artist
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Kung Fu Panda (film)|Kung Fu Panda]]''
| Head of story
|-
| 2019
| ''[[How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World]]''
| Additional story artist
|-
|}

'''Television'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
| ''[[The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest|Real Adventures of Jonny Quest]]''
| Character designer, [[background artist]], storyboard artist
|-
| ''[[Extreme Ghostbusters]]''
| Storyboard artist
|-
| 1997–1999
| ''[[Todd McFarlane's Spawn]]''
| Storyboard artist and character designer
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Spicy City]]''
| Head of story, visual effects
|-
|2008
|''[[HBO First Look]]''
|rowspan=4|Herself
|-
|2012
|''IC Places Hollywood''
|-
|2016
|''[[Tavis Smiley (TV series)|Tavis Smiley]]''
|-
|2018
|''Kore Conversations''
|-
| 2021–present
| ''[[Love, Death & Robots]]''
| Supervising director
|}

'''Direct-to-video'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
|1994
|''Cinderella''
|rowspan=8|Assistant designer
|-
|rowspan=3| 1994
| ''Happy, the Littlest Bunny''
|-
| ''Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle''
|-
| ''A Christmas Carol''
|-
|rowspan=4| 1995
| ''Alice in Wonderland''
|-
| ''Magic Gift of the Snowman''
|-
| ''Jungle Book''
|-
| ''Heidi''
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas#Cyclops Island|Sinbad and the Cyclops Island]]''
| Story writer
|-
| 2008
| [[Secrets of the Furious Five|''Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five'']]
| Storyboard artist
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
* [[Annie Awards#Individual achievement|Annie Award for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production]] at [[36th Annie Awards]]
* [[Annie Awards#Individual achievement|Annie Award for Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production]] at [[39th Annie Awards]]
* [[Primetime Emmy Awards#Individual achievement|Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming More Than One Hour)]] at [[51st Primetime Emmy Awards]]
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program]] at [[73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards]]
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program]] at [[74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards]]
* [[LA Femme International Film Festival#Individual achievement|Maverick Award]] at [[2011 LA Femme International Film Festival]]
*Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature
*[[KoreAm]] Award for Director of the Year
*In May 2023, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, [[California State University, Long Beach]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0950775}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes person|jennifer-yuh-nelson}}
* [https://animationguild.org/oral_history/jennifer-yuh-nelson/ Jennifer Yuh Nelson] on the Animation Guild

{{Jennifer Yuh Nelson}}
{{Annie Award for Storyboarding in a Feature Production}}
{{Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production 2011–2030}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuh Nelson, Jennifer}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American film directors of Korean descent]]
[[Category:American storyboard artists]]
[[Category:American women film directors]]
[[Category:American animated film directors]]
[[Category:Women animated film directors]]
[[Category:American women animators]]
[[Category:Annie Award winners]]
[[Category:Artists from California]]
[[Category:Background artists]]
[[Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Animation people]]
[[Category:Hanna-Barbera people]]
[[Category:Film directors from California]]
[[Category:People from Lakewood, California]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:South Korean emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Character designers]]