Ackerman Films, LLC is an animation & Film/Video production studio owned and operated by filmmaker Daniel Ackerman in Portland, Oregon’s Pearl district. For information about stage rental click here.
Ackerman is a Director/DP who has been lighting and shooting all manner of subjects for over 30 years. His specialty is stop-motion animation and time lapse photography with emphasis on product lighting. From his beginnings as cartoonist, graphic artist, and photographer, Ackerman developed his skills in animation and cinematography attending Cal Arts School of Film and Video from 1980-84.
Here are some early works visible on VIMEO
Portal, a 4.5 min. experimental animation created at Cal Arts, won a Silver at the Chicago International Film Festival and was selected for the “Best of Show” tour reel at SIGRAPH 1985. Ackerman respectively declined to allow his film to tour as no part of the film was created with a computer. From 1984 to 1986 Ackerman lived in Los Angeles working as technical director on features, shorts and commercials, creating motion graphics and animations on animation stand and optical printer.
In 1986 Ackerman started Dan Ackerman Productions, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, producing animated commercials, time-lapse films and corporate videos. In 1992 the name was changed to Ackerman Films shooting primarily time-lapse and animated film elements. Earth vs. the TV, a high-speed film demonstrating the effects of “earth” on television was created in 1993. Also at that time Supercomputing-93, an all-time-lapse trade-show film was created which won first place honors for Image, Sales, Marketing & Motivation at the regions’ Cascade Awards. It also won the Judges’ Excellence In Craft Award. Recognition of such unique shooting methodology led to annual time-lapse coverage of Sony Computer Entertainment, America’s PlayStation Booth at E-3 for 8 years.
Concurrent with time-lapse productions, Ackerman contributed regularly to Vinton Studios including camera and lighting work on 3 seasons of the PJ’s, Vinton’s stop-motion animated TV series starring the voice talents of Eddie Murphy.
Meet the Owls, a 3.5 min. stop-motion and “cut-out” animation was produced, directed and lit by Ackerman for Owl Pals, Inc. in 2007. View it here
. Ackerman Films continues to play a vital role in film production here in the Northwest. Call or visit Ackerman Films studio to learn more. 04.09.09
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