Lauren Ashton

Managing Editor

Lauren Ashton is a Los Angeles-based writer. She has also taught stop-motion animation and film history since 2020, and holds a BFA in Acting from The California Institute of the Arts. Lauren has previously worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, and since graduating from CalArts, she has worked at Spellbound Inc. (a YouTube Production Company), Gnomon School of Animation, and written plays and sketch comedy for various theaters.

Articles By Lauren Ashton

Why Minions and Monsters Is Worth Watching, Especially for Movie Lovers

Earlier this month, Minions and Monsters opened to a lower-than-expected box office. Personally, I found this installment to be one of my favorites in the Despicable Me universe. This made me wonder: does my love of movies and line of work make me especially receptive to its historical Hollywood setting and references? Below, Pierre Coffin and Chris Meledandri share […]

STEPS: A Fresh Spin on Cinderella With Heart, Humor, and Delicious Visual Details

Steps, one of Netflix’s exciting upcoming animated features, reimagines the fairy tale of Cinderella in unexpected ways. Directors Alyce Tzue and John Ripa spoke about the personal and visual inspirations behind the project, their approach to creating a fresh retelling, and the themes at the heart of the story. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited […]

Ray Gunn: Brad Bird on Storytelling in the Age of Distraction

Brad Bird is undoubtedly one of the “greats.” He’s directed some of the most riveting and visually captivating moments in animation, and his films feature incredibly rich characters that we resonate with deeply. Rather than spelling it all out, Brad Bird’s films invite us into the world and trust us to keep up. We laugh, […]

INTERVIEW: Nick Kroll on the Raunchy and Emotional World of Mating Season

The team behind Big Mouth returns with Mating Season, an all-new adult animated romantic comedy set in the world of forest animals. The series explores themes of love, sex, friendship, and the instinctive need of all animals to find connection and companionship. Ahead of the series premiere, I had the opportunity to speak with Nick Kroll about balancing […]

Animation Educators Forum to Host Salon with Animation Industry Veteran Tom Sito

ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum (AEF) will host its 10th Salon Zoom meeting, A Personal Journey through the Toon Renaissance of the 1990s with animation industry veteran Tom Sito on Thursday, May 28th, 6 p.m. Pacific Time. To join this program, please click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81881511353?pwd=KYc5lQVUaYitxpO2IyvzX8yymaxcC1.1 In the 1980s, animated cartoons were seen as an art […]

Lauren Ashton

Managing Editor

Articles By Lauren Ashton

Why Minions and Monsters Is Worth Watching, Especially for Movie Lovers

STEPS: A Fresh Spin on Cinderella With Heart, Humor, and Delicious Visual Details

Ray Gunn: Brad Bird on Storytelling in the Age of Distraction

INTERVIEW: Nick Kroll on the Raunchy and Emotional World of Mating Season

Animation Educators Forum to Host Salon with Animation Industry Veteran Tom Sito

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Lauren Ashton

Managing Editor

Articles By Lauren Ashton

More From Animation Scoop

Why Minions and Monsters Is Worth Watching, Especially for Movie Lovers