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Northwestern School of Communication

Eric Patrick

Associate Professor; Director, MFA in Documentary Media
My current work explores the possibility of an animated ethnography. "Elevated Loop" uses a rotoscope technique of animation to capture the residue of live action motion on Chicago's El train. "Meridians" is a 360ยบ film that uses live action postcards in a 360 space with drawn animation characters occupying otherwise empty space. Both films explore ideas and structures of ethnography in the unlikely medium of animation.

Department

Radio/Television/Film

Area(s) of Expertise

Childhood Education, Data Visualization, Documentary, Visual Arts
Eric Patrick

Eric Patrick has been creating short animated films, infographics and children's media for over 30 years, both independently and commercially. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and over 100 grants, fellowships, and awards at international film festivals and arts organizations. His design work in industry has won Clio Awards, a Peabody Award, several Emmy nominations, and a grant from the National Institute of Health. He has screened extensively both domestically and internationally at festivals, museums and on television, including screenings at the Rotterdam Film Festival, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. He was an animator for the seminal Nickelodeon program “Blues Clues,” and writes about information design, educational media, and animated documentary.

Education

  • BUS, Studio and Media Arts, University of New Mexico
  • MFA, Experimental Animation, California Institute of the Arts

Recent Work

  • "Climber, Walker" (Animated video installation) March 2015
  • "The Citizen Primer Project (Animated Infographics) June 2014
  • "The Progressive Tax Code"
  • "The Deficit"
  • "Securities Regulation"
  • "Social Security"
  • "Medicare"
  • "The Affordable Care Act"
  • "Retrocognition" (Animated short film) June 2012

Recent Awards and Honors

  • Lines of Exile (2020) Short Film Director/Animator, Black Maria Film Festival. Hoboken, NJ. February 20, 2021 (Travelling festival). Juror’s Choice Award.
  • VII edition Short Movie Club Film Festival “Nefiltravanae Kino.” Minsk, Belarus. March 12-14, 2021. Best Documentary Film.
  • 16 International Film Festivals. Jaipur, India. August 26, 2021. Best Animation Short.
  • Stop Motion Film Festival. Barcelona, Spain. September 30, 2021. Best Design.
  • New Delhi International Film Festival. New Delhi, India. March 25, 2022. Special Jury Mention.
  •  NIH Center for Reproductive Health After Disease grant for reproductive health educational animations (in progress), April 2013
  • Chicago Digital Media Production Fund, June 2013
  • Best Experimental Film, Tolfa Short Film Festival, Tolfa, Italy, June 2013
  • Best Animated Film, Cape Fear Independent Film Festival, Wilmington, NC, May 2013
  • Best Experimental Film, Humboldt Film Festival, Arcadia, CA, April 2013
  • Best Animated Film, Victoria Independent Film Festival, Victoria, Australia, March 2013
  • Golden Earwax Award, Cinesonika, Londonberry, North Ireland, February 2013
  • Director’s Choice Award, Black Maria Film Festival, Jersey City, NJ, January 2013
  • Best Short Film, Audience Choice Award, Flipside TV Festival, December 2012
  • Best Sound Design, Distinctive Achievement Award (Animation), Wild Rose Independent Film Festival, November 2012
  • MashPrime Award, MashRome, Rome, Italy, June 2012

Courses

  •  
  • 2D Digital Animation
  • Analogue Animation Techniques
  • Storyboarding
  • Conceptual Design
  • Projection Mapping/Real-time Video Performance
  • Stop Motion Animation
  • Children's Media Production
  • Information Design
  • Visual Communication
  • Experimental Media