Travis Andrew Knight (born September 13, 1973) is an American animator, producer, director, and former rapper who has worked as the lead animator and current CEO for the stop-motion animation studio
Laika
Laika (russian: link=no, Лайка; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 space ...
, and directed the films ''
Kubo and the Two Strings
''Kubo and the Two Strings'' is a 2016 American stop-motion animated action fantasy film produced by Laika. It is directed by Travis Knight (in his feature directorial debut) with a screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler from a story by Sh ...
'' (2016) and ''
Bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
'' (2018).
Early life
Knight was born in
Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. He is the son of
Phil Knight
Philip Hampson Knight (born February 24, 1938) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the co-founder and chairman ''emeritus'' of Nike, Inc., and was previously chairman and CEO of the company. As of October 3, 2022, Knight was ranke ...
(co-founder of
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
), and grandson of publisher
William W. Knight. He attended
Jesuit High School, near
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Oregon with a small portion bordering Portland in the Tualatin Valley. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was 97,494 at the ...
. He is a graduate of
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
.
[McNichol, Tom. 2009. "Hollywood Knights," ''Portland Monthly'', February.]
Accessed: May 24, 2012.
Career
Music career
Knight began his career as a
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
under the name "Chilly Tee". Using a recording studio built in his father's mansion, Knight self-produced a five-song
demo album
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
* Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhe ...
.
[ The demo caught the attention of Bernie Singleton, president of MCA, who passed the demo to producer ]Hank Shocklee
The Bomb Squad were an American hip hop production team known for its work with hip hop group Public Enemy.
The Bomb Squad is noted for its dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. The ...
, who liked the demo and agreed to produce Knight's debut album with his production team, The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad were an American hip hop production team known for its work with hip hop group Public Enemy.
The Bomb Squad is noted for its dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. T ...
.
Knight moved into his parents' Manhattan penthouse for six months while recording the album. The Bomb Squad helped him develop fleshed out choruses, as Shocklee felt that Knight was very skilled at writing verses, but his choruses were weak.
In 1993, Knight released the album ''Get Off Mine''. According to Knight, the record did not sell well and he disliked performing. According to Shocklee, "One of the reasons why it didn't catch on was because it was one record that came out of nowhere, and rap is about building momentum."[ However, Shocklee is proud of the album, saying, "this record still holds up. You can play it now and it doesn't sound dated."]
Animation
After Travis Knight graduated from Portland State University, Knight's father had become an investor in Will Vinton
William Gale Vinton (November 17, 1947 – October 4, 2018) was an American animator and filmmaker. Vinton was best known for his Claymation work, alongside creating iconic characters such as The California Raisins. He won an Oscar for his wor ...
Studios, and persuaded the company to hire Travis as an intern.[ He worked on the television series '']The PJs
''The PJs'' is an American adult animated stop-motion black sitcom created by Eddie Murphy, Larry Wilmore, and Steve Tompkins. It portrayed life in an urban public housing project, modeled after the Cabrini–Green housing projects in Chicago. ...
'' for Fox Studios and ''Gary & Mike
''Gary & Mike'' is an American adult animated buddy comedy sitcom that aired on UPN in 2001 and Comedy Central in 2003. It was Big Ticket Television’s first animated show. The show was produced in stop motion clay animation and lasted only on ...
'' on UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
, as well as television commercials and promo spots.
By 2003, Phil Knight became a controlling shareholder in Will Vinton Studios, and Travis Knight was promoted to the board of directors, despite having no management experience himself.[ Following the firing of Vinton, the Knights began to reorganize the failing studio, which was rebranded as ]Laika
Laika (russian: link=no, Лайка; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 space ...
.
Since 2005, Travis Knight has served as Laika's vice president of animation. He was a producer and lead animator for ''Coraline
''Coraline'' () is a dark fantasy horror children's novella by British author Neil Gaiman. Gaiman started writing ''Coraline'' in 1990, and it was published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and HarperCollins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best ...
'' (2009), ''ParaNorman
''ParaNorman'' is a 2012 American stop-motion animated comedy horror film directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler (the latter's feature directorial debut), and written by Butler. Produced by Laika, the film stars the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, J ...
'' (2012) and ''The Boxtrolls
''The Boxtrolls'' is a 2014 American stop-motion animated fantasy comedy film directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi (in their feature directorial debuts) loosely based on the 2005 novel ''Here Be Monsters!'' by Alan Snow. It is produc ...
'' (2014). He also sits on the Laika board of directors. Along with Anthony Stacchi
Anthony Francis Stacchi (born August 21, 1961) is an American effects animator, storyboard artist, screenwriter, and film director.
Stacchi graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Film then went on to be an Animator and Co ...
and Graham Annable
Graham Annable (born June 1, 1970) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator. He is the creator of ''Grickle'', published by Alternative Comics, and one of the founders of the ''Hickee'' humor anthology (also published by Alternative Comics). Annable ...
, Knight was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, for ''The Boxtrolls''.
He is the current president and CEO of Laika, along with serving on the board of directors of his father's company, Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...
, a position he assumed in 2015.
Directorial career
In 2014, Shannon Tindle pitched to Knight a fantasy project based on samurais, which Knight, a fan of fantasy films, approved for development. The film was announced in December, 2014, as ''Kubo and the Two Strings
''Kubo and the Two Strings'' is a 2016 American stop-motion animated action fantasy film produced by Laika. It is directed by Travis Knight (in his feature directorial debut) with a screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler from a story by Sh ...
'', while Knight was revealed to be producing and directing the film, marking his directorial debut. The film was released in 2016. Along with Arianne Sutner, Knight was again nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, for ''Kubo and the Two Strings''.
On March 2, 2017, Knight was revealed to be directing the live-action film ''Bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
'', a reboot of the ''Transformers'' film series, marking Knight's first time working on a live-action film, and his first time working in a film without acting as a producer. Knight, a fan of the ''G1'' version of the franchise, used many elements from the ''G1'' version in the film. ''Bumblebee'' was released on December 21, 2018, to a positive reception from both critics and ''Transformers'' fans, with many calling it the best film in the franchise.
In April 2019, he was set to direct an adaptation of ''Six Million Dollar Man
''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...
'' starring Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
. In September 2021, Knight was announced to direct a film adaptation of '' Wildwood'', with Chris Butler writing the screenplay. In April 2022, he was announced to direct a new Laika stop-motion neo-noir film titled ''The Night Gardener''.
Personal life
Knight is married to fellow PSU
PSU may refer to:
Organizations Military
*Police Support Unit, a paramilitary wing of the Zimbabwe Republic Police
*Port Security Unit, a U.S. Coast Guard expeditionary force protection unit
Political parties
* Parti Socialiste Unifié (disambig ...
graduate Donna Huyssoon and they have three children.
Filmography
;Animator only
Awards
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Travis
1973 births
American chief executives
American animated film directors
Stop motion animators
American animated film producers
Annie Award winners
Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon
Jesuit High School (Beaverton, Oregon) alumni
Laika (company) people
Living people
Musicians from Hillsboro, Oregon
Portland State University alumni
Rappers from Oregon
Animators from Oregon