Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Birmingham.
Hi Jacob, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up loving cartoons. Through the support of my family of origin, and now my wife and children, I have been able to pursue my love for telling great stories with quality craftsmanship through the medium of animation.
I received my BFA in Film & Media Arts at the University of Oklahoma, where I met my amazing wife. We returned to Texas, where I worked for 7 years. For 6 of those years, I worked at Dallas College under the leadership of an Emmy Award Winning Editor for his work on the show “Wishbone.” This mentorship, along with the creative freedom within my job to learn whatever new skills I sought to learn, widely expanded my artistic and professional capabilities.
In 2022, I was faced with the decision to pursue an MFA in Animation at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Across the plains of Texas, to the hills of Tennessee… my wife, our four children and I set out on our new adventure. The opportunity to study under former Disney animators and be part of a particularly talented cohort of fellow MFA students, has launched one of the fastest seasons of personal and professional growth I have experienced to date.
The most pivotal of these experiences so far, has been the opportunity to direct the original animated short film, “The Legend of Bill,” share it with our crew and our families, and then watch it move audiences across the world as it travels the international film festival circuit winning multiple awards. An honor, for which we are all incredibly grateful.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The best stories always include a protagonist who overcomes large obstacles either within or outside of themselves. And, because this is ‘my’ story, I suppose you would think that makes ‘me’ the protagonist… however, because my family has always been right there by my side, that makes ‘us’ the protagonist.
I had the most fortunate of childhoods, having parents who were supportive and grandparents who lived across the street: all of whom encouraged my artistic pursuits along the way. The greatest challenge in those formative years was the dry artistic landscape of North Texas, which is predominately a large tech hub. Even though this was far from the creative oasis I wished I could be a part of, looking back I see how it taught me to have grit in pursuing my passion. Having no other artists in my community to grow with, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And so, I would go about learning what I wanted to know “the hard way.”
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, marrying my wife, and landing my first job out of school, we found out we were expecting our first baby! It felt like everything in our life was “lining up”, yet we soon found out how different God’s plans would be. Within 2 weeks of this news, I experienced my first layoff. My grandma graciously offered to take us in while we got back on our feet. We spent the next 2.5 years living with her and getting to hear her stories as we lived life together. We welcomed our first baby, a son, to everyone’s delight, and joy filled our home.
Our next bump in the road came just 21 months later, when we excitedly welcomed our first daughter into our family. We brought her home from the birthing center but landed in the hospital the next day due to seizures. Her subsequent Cerebral Palsy and Cortical Visual Impairment diagnoses, among others, have shaped me and our family in tremendous ways. She is a joy to everyone she meets. My wife and I have been blessed with two more daughters, each of them uniquely bursting with their own personalities. Watching our children grow up together and interact with each other has been one of our greatest joys. Each of our children have influenced the types of stories I want to tell, and the audiences I want to reach.
The most recent challenge, however, has been the Masters program itself. Moving 615 miles away from our supportive family and church, with a wife and four kids- one of whom has needed full support in daily living- immediately dropped us into a new and challenging season. We have had to learn how to live life without family who could show up at the drop of a hat, and we have learned to lean on each other in new ways. Our marriage has grown stronger, and so has our faith in God.
As we near commencement in May, we can see how much this season has grown each person in our family. Even in the midst of serving as a husband and dad and overcoming the inherent challenges of grad school, I was granted the opportunity to direct an amazing short film with an incredible crew. I will forever be grateful for the trust and sacrifice of everyone involved to make that dream happen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
By trade, I am a story architect, world-builder, character designer, writer, and 2D animator. I am most well known for writing and directing the award-winning animated short film, “The Legend of Bill,” about a duck in a truck who goes up against the track favorite in a Texas desert race.
I work digitally and traditionally, remote, and in-person. At this stage of the game, I am most interested in leading creative teams in narrative storytelling endeavors across the emerging media landscape.
I would have to say at this moment, outside of the love and support of my wife and children, I am most proud of the work our crew did together on “The Legend of Bill,” and the impact the film has had. Not only did they offer their time and talents through the rigor of production, they excelled in bringing the story and characters to life, and in so doing, enabled the story of ‘Bill’ to touch audiences around the world.
What sets me apart from others is the ability to see what is not there and make it a reality. I have developed the tenacity to stick to a vision even when others can’t quite see it yet. To create a story, a scene, a character, and bring it to life requires a steady hand. I’ve learned how to be flexible in style, and stay true to the story. Trusting the process, I also like to iterate often so we can “fail fast” and early so our stories have depth and richness before heading into production.
My directorial sensibilities encapsulate a wide range of comedy and drama, grounded by real stakes, and resonant stories with heart.
I am currently developing multiple animated TV series and story worlds, and my work in character design and animation can be found at mrbirm.com.
If you are in the market for story and production, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I recently had the opportunity to visit downtown Knoxville when our film was selected at Film Fest Knox. The city was beautiful at night, and everyone we interacted with was friendly and welcoming. With the grad program coming to a close soon, we look forward to further opportunities to visit Knoxville and experience all the city has to offer.
The only thing we don’t like is how far away it is!
Pricing:
- Contact for Services
- Don’t hesitate to reach out
- jacob@mrbirm.com
Contact Info:
- Website: mrbirm.com
- Instagram: @legendofbillfilm @mrbirm
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbirm/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LegendOfBill ;; https://www.youtube.com/@MrBirm
