It is a dodgy   feat for an animator to transition to live - action filmmaking . It is a immense leap to go from one filmmaking spiritualist to another . But that seems to be the trend withHow to cultivate Your Dragondirectors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois helm directorial elbow grease forCall of the WildandMicronauts , severally .

So , it is worth acknowledging the music director that started from animation and made a seamless transition to exist - action , where they easily employ their aesthetics with real - life elements . Here are the ten good animation directors who transitioned to live - action movies and TV shows .

Rob Minkoff

Rob Minkoff got his starting in Walt Disney Animation Studios as an in - between creative person forThe Black Cauldron(1985 ) . He got his first directorial cause inStuart LittleandStuart Little 2 , which receive a positive reception . He bring back to Disney with directing the Eddie Murphy - comedyThe Haunted Mansion .

Though he directed less successful live - action films withThe Forbidden KingdomandFlypaper , he returned to animation with the DreamWorks time - traveling adventureMr . Peabody & Shermanto limited succeeder .

Seth MacFarlane

TheFamily Guycreator , who had a background in animation from his Hanna - Barbera days , apply the success of his Fox show for his first live - action effort withTed , which advance monumental vital and boxful berth success . He then follow that success withA Million Ways to Die in the WestandTed 2 , which accomplish middling - to - damaging reception .

But ever since then , Seth MacFarlane equilibrize out his try in bothFamily GuyandAmerican Dadwith thescience - fabrication satireThe Orville , to vital plaudit till itssecond season . The show will return for athird season in Hulu . And he even served playing roles in the Steven Soderbergh rip-off movieLogan Luckyand the Roger Ailes - pore Showtime miniseriesThe Loudest Voice . He also produced the sci - fi docudrama seriesCosmos .

Travis Knight

The Einstein who reorganized the stop - move marketer Will Vinton Studios to become the critically hail Laika , Travis Knight had a tolerant role as manufacturer for the studio apartment ’s splendid strike likeParanormanandThe Boxtrolls . He achieved decisive acclaim withKubo and the Two Strings , which nominate him for an Oscar and granted him a BAFTA for Best Animated Film .

Even with his crucial engagement in Laika , Knight directed theTransformersspinoffBumblebeetopositive acclaimand goodish box part return , making it the best - received motion-picture show of the dwindling franchise . That became a calling carte du jour for him to be knock for next live - action at law projects like theUnchartedfilm adaptation , star Tom Holland , and the heavy - screenadaptation ofThe Six Million Dollar Man , starring Mark Wahlberg .

Andrew Stanton

The Pixar veteran had a long account with the iconic company . Being one of the first animators for the studio , he helm the directorial efforts forA Bug ’s Life , WALL - E , Finding Nemo , and its sequelFinding Doryand also co - writtenMonsters Inc.and the entireToy Storyseries .

But in 2012 , he direct the massive - scale space operaJohn Carter , establish on the rule book by Edgar Rice Burroughs . The picture was abox office flop , losing Disney about $ 200 million , thelargest writedown for a studio , by far . But even with that effort , Stanton got tapped to direct episodes for hit TV shows likeStranger Things , Better Call SaulandLegion . He has since bounced back to brio as a creative adviser for Disney and Pixar .

Mike Judge

The voice of Cleveland Brown had his career start in liveliness , as well as being the mastermind behind the cult hitBeavis and Butt - Headfor MTV . He also directed its feature - distance movieBeavis and Butt - Head Do America . Thanks to its success , he co - created the other cult hitKing of the Hilland a serial of drawers entitledMilton .

After that , Judge pennedOffice Space , intended to be an ensemble piece and a funniness that feature the Milton quality . Going through several studio obstruction , the cinema was expel to limited success but find out itself as a fad gain and a timely satire of workplace political relation . Despite this , Judge hated the third act . He soon directed two movies , IdiocracyandExtract , and   create the   HBO showSilicon Valley .

Rob Letterman

suffer his start on an renovate short calledLos Gringos , Rob Letterman was hired by DreamWorks Animation for its first CGI - revive hitShrek . He was shortly give co - directorial duties forShark TaleandMonsters vs. Aliensto box office achiever but miscellaneous critical reply .

Letterman had his first live - natural process effort with hisShark Talestar Jack Black inGulliver ’s Travelsto minus response yet worldwide box seat bureau success . He soon reunited Black for the first flick version of R.L. Stine ’s book seriesGoosebumps , withBlack playing Stine himself . The repugnance family film was a surprise for critic and audiences that it spawn a subsequence on 2018,Goosebumps 2 : Haunted Halloween . The year after , he directedPokémon Detective Pikachu , thesecond highest - gross videogame film adaptation .

Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi was an Iranian subject whose class hold up under oppression during the Iranian Revolution . She before long shared about her war - torn puerility through the graphic novelsPersepolis and The Sigh , which were critically acclaimed . Thanks to its reception , it received the animation treatment , on which she co - directed with Vincent Paronnaud .   The resulting animated film was also universally hail , with Satrapi being appoint for an Academy Award for Best Animated Film , the first representative a woman was nominated for that category .

After the success ofPersepolis , Satrapi venturing to lead live - military action films , startle withChicken with Plumswith Paronnaud . She continued on withGang of the Jotas , the Ryan Reynolds darkness comedyThe Voicesand a Marie Curie biopicRadioactive , star Rosamund Pike as Curie .

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Back when they are synonymous with meta smash hit , Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had their start in liveliness with the less successfulClone High , which subsequentlybecame a furore hit . After that brief stretch , the duo was tapdance to adjust the children ’s bookCloudy with a Chance of Meatballsfor Sony , receiving positive kudos and loge federal agency success .

Deciding to go on a different instruction , Lord and Miller assigned themselves to direct the21 Jump Streetfilm adaption , starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum , to enormous achiever . They followed it up with an as successful sequel22 Jump Street . Yet after21 Jump Street , Lord and Miller helmed a Lego - themed movie , which soon becameThe Lego Moviethatspawned a moving-picture show enfranchisement . Currently , the successful directorial duo had been helming producer credits for invigoration and live - action , with the prominent beingSolo : A Star Wars StoryandSpider - Man : Into the Spider - Verse .

Brad Bird

Brad Bird had loved animation since his childhood days . That passion result in him being an energiser for Disney for their filmsThe Fox and the HoundandThe Black Cauldron . He shortly helmed a essential role as a originative advisor forThe Simpsons , with directorial credits on the music video for “ Do the Bartman ” , the entry of Sideshow Bob “ Krusty Gets tear ” and the launching of Rabbi Krustofsky “ Like Father , Like Clown ” .

He soon grab his first directorial travail for a characteristic - distance animated film inThe Iron Giant , which presently garnereduniversal praise in the industry . Thanks to the glowing brushup of the latter , he joined Pixar with three enormously successful exploit withThe Incredibles , RatatouilleandIncredibles 2 . And In 2011 , hedirected the fourthMission : Impossiblemovie inGhost Protocol , which collect praise for his direction . He followed it up with 2015 ’s sci - fiTomorrowlandtomixed results .

Tim Burton

The gothic filmmaker catch his humble offset when Disney take bill of his blockade - motion shortAttack of the Celery Monsterthat get him a job for the Disney animated filmThe Fox and the HoundandThe Black Cauldron , along with his fellow worker Brad Bird . He free another stop - motion inadequate entitledVincent . And he get his first efforts into alive - action via Disney withHansel & GretelandFrankenweenie .

Thanks to the latter short circuit , Burton get his directorial debut withPee - wee ’s Big Adventure . And from there , he is now associated withhis macabre styleinmasterpieceslikeBeetlejuice , Batman , Edward Scissorhands , andEd Wood , and   in reimaginings of classics likeCharlie and the Chocolate Factory , Alice in WonderlandandDumbo .

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animation directors feature

Rob Minkoff

Seth MacFarlane

Travis Knight

Mike Judge

Rob Letterman

Marjane Satrapi

Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Tim Burton

Movies