Steve Loter Explained

Steve Loter
Birth Name:Steven Edward Loter
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Animator, storyboard artist, producer, director
Years Active:1993–present

Steven Edward Loter is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, and producer. His work includes Kim Possible and developing Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Biography

Loter's earliest works were as a character designer for Disney Consumer Products and at Jim Henson Productions.[1] He started his work as a director directing episodes of The Ren & Stimpy Show, where he learned from the team about helming an animated production.[2] He later worked as a director and producer on Kim Possible starting on season 2, as well as on Brandy & Mr. Whiskers and . Loter also directed the Happy Monster Band, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and Disney's The Legend of Tarzan series, as well as episodes of Duckman and Stressed Eric.[3] In 2001, he was hired as an additional director for Kevin Smith's Clerks The Animated Series. Unusual for a 6-episode series at that time to have more than two directors, Loter was hired due to fellow directors Chris Bailey and Nick Fillipi being too busy with their episodes to focus on episodes 4 and 6, which he ended up directing. Loter applied his experience on Ren & Stimpy and Duckman for his work on the show.[4]

In 2008, he directed a music video for the song "Hidden in the Sand", for the indie rock band Tally Hall.[5] He was also an animation director for The Penguins of Madagascar, which won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2012 for Outstanding Animated Program.[6]

Loter announced he was directing the feature film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast from DisneyToon Studios, at the D23 Expo on August 9, 2013. The film is from the Tinker Bell film series and is executive produced by John Lasseter. It was released direct-to-video on March 3, 2015.[7] Loter, who was approached by Lasseter to pitch a Tinker Bell film, drew inspiration for the film's story on his daughter's love for animals and his own experiences as a father. According to himself, Loter practiced pitching the project to his wife. He worked with the production teams for Secret of the Wings and The Pirate Fairy to ensure continuity within the films.

Starting on 2021, Loter works as an executive-producer on The Ghost and Molly McGee, having joined the series due to long time collaborators Bill Roth and Bob Motz serving as showrunners.[8] As of 2023, Loter serves as showrunner and an executive producer on Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, based on the comic book characters of the same name. Loter was contacted by actor Laurence Fishburne to serve as an executive-producer on the series due to his work on Kim Possible. Having been a fan of Marvel comics since childhood and excited at the idea of working with Fishburne, Loter accepted.[9] [10] Loter and the team pitched the series to Disney with a roller-skating sequence featuring Childish Gambino's "Sweatpants", which was approved by Disney. From this position, he approached musician Raphael Saadiq to compose the score and provide songs for the series, being a fan of his; the two were previously set to collaborate on the cancelled Cars spin-off film Metro.[11]

Personal life

Loter is married, and has a daughter and a son. Loter was born and raised in New York City and moved to Los Angeles.

As a child, he used to watch Looney Tunes shorts and "a very poorly subtitled" bootleg of My Neighbor Totoro, which he credited as inspirations for his work on animation. He also cited Lilo & Stitch as a personal inspiration.[12]

Loter is a fan of anime, particularly Cowboy Bebop, and often references it in his animation work, something he described as "one of the things [he's] known for". He is a fan of Marvel Comics, and noted some Inhumans to be among his favorite characters.[13]

Filmography

Films

YearFilmCredited as
DirectorProducerWriterNotes
2002Tarzan & JaneDirect-to-video film
2003Television film
2005
2015Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverbeastDirect-to-video film

Television

YearTitleCredited asNotes
DirectorProducerAnimation
department
1993-1995The Ren & Stimpy ShowLayout supervisor
1994-1997DuckmanRetake supervisor (episode: "Das Dub")
1994-1995The Baby Huey Show
1998-2000Stressed Eric
1998-2004Rocket PowerUnaired pilot only
2000-2002
2001-2002Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
2001-2003The Legend of Tarzan
2002-2007Kim Possible
2006Brandy & Mr. Whiskers
2006-2007
2008-2015The Penguins of Madagascar
2021–2024The Ghost and Molly McGee
2023–presentMoon Girl and Devil DinosaurAlso developer and showrunner[14]

Nominations and awards

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef
200229th Daytime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Special Class Animated Program The Legend of Tarzan
200532nd Daytime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Children's Animated ProgramKim Possible[15]
200835th Annie AwardsBest Animated Television Production[16]
201239th Annie AwardsDirecting in a Television ProductionThe Penguins of Madagascar[17]
Daytime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Directing in an Animated Program[18] [19] [20]
2022Children's and Family Emmy AwardsOutstanding Main Title and GraphicsThe Ghost and Molly McGee[21]
2023TCA AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Family ProgrammingMoon Girl and Devil Dinosaur[22]
Children's and Family Emmy AwardsOutstanding Children's or Young Teen Animated Series[23] [24]
Outstanding Special Class Animated Program
2024GLAAD Media AwardOutstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Animated[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: INTERVIEW: Producers Steve Loter & Rodney Clouden Discuss Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur From Disney & Marvel . 2023-05-07 . Monkeys Fighting Robots . 4 May 2023 . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2022-06-05 . Interview mit KIM POSSIBLE Regisseur Steve Loter: über Staffel 5, Anekdoten und mehr! DisneyCentral.de – dein Disney Fan Portal . 2023-01-27 . de-DE.
  3. Web site: Liu . Ed . 2015-03-03 . Building a Better NeverBeast with "Tinker Bell" Director Steve Loter and Producer Michael Wigert . 2023-01-27 . Anime Superhero News . en-US.
  4. Web site: Roffman . Michael . 2020-05-31 . An Oral History of Clerks: The Animated Series . 2023-05-10 . Consequence . en-US.
  5. Web site: Tally Hall - Hidden in the Sand. YouTube. 28 May 2010 .
  6. [Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]
  7. News: D23 Expo: New Art From the Upcoming Disney, Pixar and Disneytoon Movies. August 10, 2013. ComingSoon.net. August 9, 2013. August 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130811225649/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/d23exponews.php?id=107609. live.
  8. Web site: Cap . Damon . 2021-09-28 . The Ghost and Molly McGee Interview With Bill Motz, Bob Roth And Steve Loter – Exclusive . 2023-03-31 . BSCkids . en-US.
  9. Web site: Double Trouble . 2023-01-26 . pocketmags.com.
  10. Web site: White . Abbey . 2022-10-10 . 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' Team on New York-Inspired Animation Style, Diversity in Marvel Series . 2022-10-17 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. Web site: https://twitter.com/steveloter/status/1592313296862212096 . 2023-01-27 . Twitter . en.
  12. Web site: Murphy . Jackson . 2021-09-27 . Guests: 'The Ghost and Molly McGee' Creators Bill Motz & Bob Roth and EP Steve Loter . 2023-05-10 . Lights Camera Jackson . en-US.
  13. Web site: https://twitter.com/steveloter/status/1646350097830285313/ . 2023-06-08 . Twitter . en.
  14. Web site: Jackson . Destiny . 2023-02-11 . 'Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' Bosses Discuss Bringing The First Black Female Superhero Animated Series To Life: "It's Black Girl Magic" . 2024-01-31 . Deadline . en-US.
  15. Web site: 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards: Winners . . 2007-03-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20070317025301/http://www.emmyonline.org/emmy/32nd_daytimewinners_a.html. 17 March 2007 . live.
  16. Web site: 35th Annual Annie Awards Legacy Past Nominees & Awards . June 19, 2021 . . January 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210120042422/https://annieawards.org/legacy/35th-annie-awards . live .
  17. News: Beck. Jerry. "Rango" tops Annie Award Winners. February 6, 2012. Cartoon Brew. February 4, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120603222731/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/top/rango-tops-annie-award-winners.html. June 3, 2012. mdy-all.
  18. Web site: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations . National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . May 9, 2012 . May 10, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402190121/http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/_pdf/day_1112_nominees_anounced_v11.pdf . April 2, 2015 . mdy-all .
  19. Web site: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Winners for the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards . National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . June 17, 2012 . June 18, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131021132407/http://cdn.emmyonline.org/day_39th_winners_creative.pdf . October 21, 2013 . dead .
  20. Web site: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announced the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. June 25, 2012. 4. June 23, 2012.
  21. Web site: Schneider . Michael . 2022-11-01 . Netflix Leads Nomination Tally for First-Ever Children's & Family Emmys . 2022-11-01 . Variety . en-US . November 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108022519/https://variety.com/2022/tv/awards/childrens-amp-family-emmys-nominatons-netflix-1235419791/ . live .
  22. Web site: Hailu . Selome . June 30, 2023 . TCA Award Nominations: 'The Bear,' 'Succession,' 'The Last of Us' Lead With Five Nominations Each . July 1, 2023 . Variety . en-US.
  23. Web site: 2nd Children's & Family Emmy Awards Announce Nominees . 2023-11-02 . 2023-11-03 . Animation Magazine.
  24. Web site: Zahed . Ramin . December 8, 2023 . Exclusive: Children's and Family Emmy Winners for Individual Achievement in Animation Are Announced. December 9, 2023 . . en-US.
  25. Web site: 2024-01-17 . 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Nominees GLAAD . 2024-01-17 . glaad.org . en-US.