Catchin’ Z

Director’s bio:

Hi! My name is Natalie Baumann. I grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey. As a child, my family would always go to the movie theatre- it was one of our favorite things to do together. I fell in love with the animated films by studios like Pixar and Dreamworks, in awe of how they could tug at the world’s heartstrings and bring joy to audiences. I have always been an artist at heart, drawing characters and giving them names and stories since I was in elementary school. My love for creating these worlds through art grew, along with my passion for animation. I realized in middle school that I wanted to be someone who helps bring enriching stories to life with animation. I wanted to make audiences feel the same sense of inspiration and awe that I felt growing up watching these films.

I discovered Ringling College of Art and Design before I even knew what it was, watching senior thesis films on YouTube, stunned by the level of skill they demonstrated. Once I found out it was an art school that taught computer animation, a place that I could attend and learn the medium I’ve been so obsessed with since I could walk, I was sold. Through my four years studying at Ringling, I was constantly surprised by how encouraging and close-knit the animation community is- though learning 3D animation was a very intimidating task and still constantly has its struggles, my peers have always been there for support and remind me why I started. Thanks to the amazing education I’ve received at Ringling, I was able to land an animation internship at EA Sports as a rising junior, where I did clean-up animation on Madden NFL 24 and College Football 25. I also worked at The Coca-Cola Company as a Multimedia Intern the following summer and did contract work for them throughout my senior year, during which I created 3D assets and animations for immersive onboarding curricula. My senior thesis film “Catchin’ Z” is a story very near to my heart, and I was so grateful for the chance to create it all on my own, from storyboarding to animating to compositing. After graduating, I hope to join a studio that encompasses the same passion for creating and sense of community that Ringling has always represented for me.