Where Art Meets Science: Computer Graphics at Walt Disney Animation Studiios

Heather Pritchett, GVU Alumna and current Technical Director at Disney, will share her personal experiences in the digital animation industry, as well as some of the innovative approaches Disney takes in crafting modern animated feature films.

Bio: Heather Pritchett didn't plan on being with Walt Disney Animation Studios for 18 years. When she graduated with her MS in Computer Science from Georgia Tech back in 1993, she planned to work for some famous visual effects company. That was the plan!  But after seeing "The Lion King" and noticing a surprising amount of impressive computer graphics, she decided to include Disney on the list of potential employers and sent in an application.  As fate would have it, Disney was the company that came through with a solid job offer. 

During her years at the Studio, she has worked on theme park projects, videos games, shorts, live-action films, and animated films, both hand-drawn and digital. She recently finished her assignment on "Wreck-It Ralph," the highly anticipated 2012 holiday release from WDAS, and is currently working on "Frozen," due in theaters November 2013. Heather enjoys her job and continues to find it wonderfully fresh, even after 18 years. She is constantly learning and there's rarely a dull day.

Want to meet with Heather Pritchett?

Contact Vivian Chandler – chandler@cc.gatech.edu