Tods Bio

Tod Polson was raised in a small ranching community in the high Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. During the long, cold winters, members of the community would come together and continue a very old tradition of swapping stories and "tall tales" to keep each other entertained. When Tod left Wyoming for art school in Los Angeles (Otis/Parsons & California Institute of the Arts), animation seemed the perfect vehicle to combine his love of drawing and storytelling. While still in school, Tods flair for design and color was discovered by the Academy award winning team of Chuck Jones, and Maurice Noble. Tod helped design several film projects for Jones, including the "Emmy" award winning effort "Peter and the Wolf." After graduation, Tod worked for several years as a freelance artist, before returning to school to continue on for his Masters degree. As a master's student, Tod was fortunate enough to fall under the mentor ship of legendary filmmaker, Jules Engel. Tods Masters Thesis project, "Al Tudi Tuhak" (Long, Long, Ago), was based on the art and culture of the Northwest coast people. It has screened in festivals around the world, and recently won the "Student Academy Award".

While working and studying, cultural themes have found their way into Tod's personal work again and again. While an undergraduate, Tod lived and worked in the Korean-American community of Los Angeles. Boarding with a Korean minister and his family for several years, Tod made three animated shorts based on the experiences of the people he came in contact with. As a graduate student Tod received a grant from the Durfee foundation to research and re-trace the steps of wood block artists in central China. Professionally Tod has spent over half of his career working in the Philippines, India, China, and Thailand as an overseas animation director. All the while collecting experiences, stories, and art for his own work.

Currently Tod is developing several exciting personal projects. "Topaz Diary" is a short animated film based on the life of Fred Hoshiyama, and his experiences in the "Topaz" relocation camp in WWII. The film will show how the camp and Fred's faith changed his life in ways he would have never imagined. "Noble Tales", a series of folktales collected from around the world , was the pet project of Tod and partner Maurice Noble. Maurice has recently passed away, but Tod in association with NobleTales Productions, is hoping to finish six of the "NobleTales" shorts in the near future.