Lauren Eve Montgomery (born May 4, 1980) is an American storyboard artist, director, character designer, producer and writer.

Lauren Montgomery
Born
Lauren Eve Montgomery

(1980-05-04) May 4, 1980 (age 44)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Storyboard artist, television director, film director, character designer, film producer, television producer, television writer
Notable workSuperman: Doomsday
Wonder Woman
Green Lantern: First Flight
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Batman: Year One
Justice League: Doom
Voltron: Legendary Defender

Early life

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Lauren Montgomery became interested in drawing as a youngster and developed an interest in animation.[1] In 1998 she enrolled in the animation program at Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television where she graduated in 2002.[2]

Style

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According to Montgomery, "I was definitely influenced by the Disney films. Those were the drawings I was tracing and sketching during my early years. I would study each and every one of the princesses and draw them until I had them all down by heart. My facial features are still influenced somewhat by Disney characters. As I got older, I was definitely influenced by Bruce's style in Batman (referring to Bruce Timm and Batman: The Animated Series), and I started getting into anime, and some of the more subtle styles in anime drawing. The clothing is a little more detailed than the typical American animation – it's more believable, yet still simplified. It's the way they draw bodies and cloth that I kind of incorporate into my drawings, as well as certain aspects of how they would draw hair. So I'd say I have a few different influences in my art style."[1]

Career

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Montgomery got her start on the 2002-2004 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated by Mike Young Productions.[2] Montgomery has done storyboards for animated television series' such as Ben 10 from Cartoon Network Studios.[3] She also worked on the Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow and Hulk Vs animated features, based on Marvel Comics properties by Lions Gate Entertainment. Moreover, she worked on the G.I. Joe features for Reel FX Creative Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Montgomery was heavily involved in the animated series Voltron: Legendary Defender, released between 2016 and 2018. She served as executive producer as well as a director on the first four episodes and storyboard artist and writer on others. Her role as executive producer resulted in death threats against her due to the series' final seasons controversy around its LGBT characters.[4] Following the conclusion of Voltron, she worked as a supervising producer on Santiago of the Seas.

DC animation

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In television, Montgomery has done storyboard work for the television series Justice League Unlimited, for which producer Bruce Timm praised her work as being quite versatile.[3] Montgomery made her directorial debut by directing several episodes of the Legion of Super Heroes series.

Montgomery was involved with most DC Universe Animated Original Movies that were released between 2007 and 2013. Her first DC film property was as a storyboard artist for the second DC Universe film production, Justice League: The New Frontier, based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke, DC: The New Frontier. She made her film debut as was one of the three directors for the direct-to-video feature film Superman: Doomsday, directing the second act of the movie. In March, 2008, it was announced that she would be the director for the direct-to-video Wonder Woman film from Warner Premiere. The animated feature was released on March 3, 2009.[5] She continued her directorial film career with the studio, directing Green Lantern: First Flight in 2009, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse in 2010, and co-directing Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Batman: Year One alongside Sam Liu.[6]

Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Montgomery provided storyboard work on eight episodes for season 3 of the original animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. She went on to serve as a supervising producer and storyboard artists on all episodes of the sequel series The Legend of Korra.[7] In 2021, it was announced that Montgomery would direct the first animated movie in the franchise, set to release in 2026, for Paramount Pictures.[8][9]

Illustration

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Montgomery has released a sketchbook with comic book/animation artist Eric Canete entitled Beauty and the Beast published by Black Velvet Studios. She has also done various freelance illustration work such as illustrating a cover for Nickelodeon Magazine[10] and a press release illustration for the Avatar series.[11]

Filmography

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Year Film Role
2006 Curious George animator (uncredited)
Superman: Brainiac Attacks storyboard artist
2007 The Invincible Iron Man storyboard artist
Superman: Doomsday director, storyboard artist
Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix storyboard artist
2008 Kung Fu Panda storyboard artist (uncredited)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa storyboard artist (uncredited)
Turok: Son of Stone storyboard artist
Justice League: The New Frontier storyboard artist
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow storyboard artist
2009 Hulk vs. Thor storyboard artist
Wonder Woman director, storyboard artist, character design
Green Lantern: First Flight director, storyboard artist, character design
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies storyboard artist
Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo storyboard artist
2010 Planet Hulk storyboard artist
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths director, storyboard artist
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse director, producer, storyboard artist
Batman: Under the Red Hood storyboard artist
2011 Catwoman director, producer, storyboard artist
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights director, producer
Batman: Year One director, producer
All-Star Superman storyboard artist
Thor: Tales of Asgard storyboard artist
2012 Wreck-It Ralph storyboard artist (uncredited)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 1 storyboard artist
Justice League: Doom director, producer
2013 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns storyboard artist
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox storyboard artist
2014 Penguins of Madagascar storyboard artist (uncredited)
2015 Batman vs. Robin storyboard artist
Justice League: Gods and Monsters storyboard artist
2016 Batman: Bad Blood storyboard artist
2025 Aang: The Last Airbender director
Year TV-series Role
2002–2004 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe storyboard artist, 11 episodes
2003–2005 Clifford's Puppy Days storyboard artist, 25 episodes
2004–2006 Justice League Unlimited storyboard artist, 19 episodes
2006–2007 Legion of Super Heroes director, storyboard artist, 4 episodes
Ben 10 storyboard artist, 2 episodes
2007–2008 Avatar: The Last Airbender storyboard artist, 8 episodes
2009 G.I. Joe: Resolute storyboard artist, 11 episodes
2010–2012 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated director, 4 episodes
Young Justice director, storyboard artist, 24 episodes
2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold director, storyboard artist, 1 episode
2012 The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes storyboard artist, 26 episodes
2012–2014 The Legend of Korra producer, storyboard artist, 51 episodes
2013 Thunder and Lightning storyboard artist, 1 episode
Green Lantern: The Animated Series storyboard artist, 1 episode
2016–2018 Voltron: Legendary Defender director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, 76 episodes
2020–2021 Santiago of the Seas producer, 12 episodes
2021 Star Trek: Prodigy storyboard artist, 2 episodes

References

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  1. ^ a b Wonder Woman Interview Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 December 2008
  2. ^ a b Linkedin
  3. ^ a b www.movieweb.com https://web.archive.org/web/20090219113225/http://movieweb.com/news/NEKhdMKOGU9lON. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  4. ^ "GeekDad". geekdad.com. October 3, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  5. ^ World's Finest
  6. ^ www.movieweb.com https://web.archive.org/web/20090503093443/http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEGsLPLK8ajMKJ. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2009. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  7. ^ "Bryan konietzko". 16 February 2012.
  8. ^ Galuppo, Mia (2022-06-15). "Three 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Films Set at Paramount, Nickelodeon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  9. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (2024-04-18). "'Aang: The Last Airbender' Delayed to 2026, 'Transformers One' Moves Back a Week". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  10. ^ "Nickmag_comics: Avatar Magazine #2". Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2008-12-16. Retrieved 15 December 2008
  11. ^ http://notthepornstar.deviantart.com/art/Day-of-Black-Sun-Press-Art-72027790 Archived 2012-02-19 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 December 2008
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