Second-grade students at Love Creek Elementary School recently had an exciting opportunity to learn about the world of professional animation and filmmaking from Dave Rosenbaum.

This event was part of a series of visits from students’ families and community members supporting their English language arts unit, Jobs in Our Community.

Rosenbaum, who lives in Lewes, is chief creative officer of Cinesite and former vice president of talent for Illumination. He spent time with students sharing stories and behind-the-scenes details from his career working on popular animated films, including "Kung Fu Panda," "Despicable Me," "Lorax," "Minions," and "Animal Farm."

During the presentation, Rosenbaum explained the lengthy and collaborative process of creating animated films, sharing that it often takes nearly two years to complete one movie, with approximately 500 people working on each production. He also discussed how studios frequently begin developing new films every six months to keep projects moving through production.

In a highlight, Rosenbaum explained how the Minions were created. Students learned that the original idea for "Despicable Me" came from Sergio Pablos of Spain and initially did not include Minions. As the creative team developed the story, they realized the film needed comedic side characters, leading to the evolution of the Minions.

Rosenbaum also shared that actor Steve Carell helped name several of the minions characters.

To demonstrate the different careers that support the making of an animated movie, students created a fictional Love Creek Production Company. Each participant took on a different role, such as screenwriter, storyboard artist, character modeler, scene painter, animator, actor, editor, composer, director and producer, helping their classmates learn about the many careers involved in making an animated film.

“Having someone with Dave’s experience speak with our students was incredibly inspiring,” said Lisa Tanikawa-Brown, second- grade Spanish immersion teacher. “He showed students that creativity, teamwork and imagination can lead to exciting career opportunities. Our students were very excited about this visit and loved hearing how some of their favorite characters and movies were created.”

Rosenbaum concluded his presentation by reminding students that all of the tools they need to work in the animated film industry are being given to them inside their classrooms each day. The memorable experience connected creativity, technology, storytelling and career exploration in an exciting and meaningful way.