Marvel-ous Noah Sterling
Noah Sterling (M.F.A., motion media, 2017; B.F.A., film and television, 2015) tells stories millions of people love to see. The producer, director, and writer has collaborated with some of the world’s biggest names, from Noah Cyrus to Captain America to the Los Angeles Galaxy. As a digital video intern at Marvel in 2015, Noah created “Marvel TL;DR”, Marvel’s highest-performing digital content and most-viewed webseries. This year, Sterling and his team won a Webby Award for the animated video series “Today in Marvel History.” Sterling’s work reflects his dedication to learning all facets of his craft, and his ability to tell a beautiful story through the art of animation.
Noah Sterling:
I will always be grateful to Marvel for the opportunity they gave me as a 19-year-old. I had the chance to work on and develop my own animated web series, where I was the director, producer, and writer. I understand the trust they placed in me. I can’t imagine that level of creative control was easy to give to a young artist.
At first the Marvel team was a little unsure of the viability of my ‘Marvel TL;DR’ series, but after we saw the initial response from the fans, it was easy to see this was going to be a success. We completed three seasons of the show, touching on everything from “Spider-Verse” to “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.”
And it all started as a class project at SCAD.
SCAD professors helped me become a better storyteller and producer. Professors Michael Cheney and Austin Shaw expanded my palate and my knowledge of different forms of design and mixed media. They helped me push the boundaries to make movement exciting, which really came in handy when I started working with Marvel.
At first, I had limited assets to work with. My budget was small, and my team was not the same as on a Marvel blockbuster. I was faced with the challenge of having to create dynamic movement without traditional animation. That’s when my SCAD motion design training really kicked in.
My professors at SCAD got me comfortable working within different styles, and understanding how to create something memorable within scope. The series really took on a unique style and I think the initial restraints actually helped us create something special.
SCAD was also the right place for me because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I graduated. I was interested in live action film, animation, visual effects, and motion graphics. Those don’t all fall neatly into one discipline, but that didn’t matter. At SCAD, I was able to explore different fields within the arts, and that’s been a huge advantage as I work on different projects.
My most recent projects have been music videos. I am the director for Noah Cyrus’s latest single “Young and Sad” and the art director for Doja Cat’s “Like That.” I’m going to focus on producing going forward. I love leading a team and seeing an idea come to life from the page. I am currently developing an animated series. Hopefully I will have exciting news to share soon!
See more at www.noahsterling.com.
By Robert Almand
