Family Guy Pilot Episode Scandal and Lawsuit

Finally, here's the "Family Guy" Pilot Episode Database. This covers everything to date about Jim Keeshen's involvement in production of the Family Guy pilot pitch, including the AET students he allegedly employed and interned to work on this short animation project.

Previous SAVE SMC Family Guy Articles:
"Family Guy Pilot Pitch" provides background information on the pilot episode.
"Family Guy Pilot Credits" is the official list of missing credits.
"New PDF Documents Uploaded to SAVE SMC Blog" includes all the key legal pleadings filed in the Jim Keeshen Productions, et. al. v. Seth MacFarlane, et. al. lawsuit. (LASC Case No. BC211205). Go to Part One, Group Two to access the court filings. We are informed and believe and thereon allege that Jim Keeshen eventually settled his lawsuit with Fox for an undisclosed amount of money.

Family Guy Pilot Episode Screenshot Index:
(There are 57 total screenshots. Dimensions: 320 x 240.)
Screenshots - Page One
Screenshots - Page Two
Screenshots - Page Three
Screenshots - Page Four
Screenshots - Page Five



Here's the list of known individuals who worked on the Family Guy pilot pitch who were also involved in Santa Monica College's Academy of Entertainment and Technology (AET) or otherwise graduated or taught at SMC:

Jim Keeshen (a.k.a., James Keeshen):
AET Professor of Animation and Storytelling, Owner of Jim Keeshen Productions

Barbara Ziering (a.k.a. Barbara M. Ziering):
Former AET (ET Academy) Adjunct Faculty (2000-2001), now teaches at Otis College of Art + Design. See our blog article, "Super Sue: The Shim Sham Redemption."

Bill Edwards (a.k.a., W.M. Edwards):
1986-1988: Architecture/design major -- Santa Monica College
1997-1998: Design/storyboards/animation -- Jim Keeshen Productions/Studio Animatics
1998-2001: Lead character designer -- Fox TV -- Family Guy
(You can view his kBilltv homepage HERE.)

Fred Mugford:
Former AET student, graduated SMC in 2000 (Visual Arts and Animation).

Additional information from his resume: AET courses include: Storyboarding, Traditional Animation, Life Drawing, 3D Modeling & Animation (1997-1999). Jim Keeshen Productions (Santa Monica, CA) (March - May ‘98) Digital Ink & Paint, Compositing Animation for FOX "Family Guy" pilot, Traditional Character Animation. You can view his website HERE.

Jonathan Caustrita:
Currently producing, drawing and writing new web comic "TIKI COLADAS". It's best described as "the Muppet Show meets Cheers." Jonathan did not attend SMC or AET.

Jonathan wrote a post on May 17, 2005 entitled "Re: Family Guy Roots": I worked on the original FG pilot and part of season 1 at Keeshen Studios before FOX took over. I still have my original drawings and test reel of the 1st episode. QUAGMIRE looks nothing like or sounds like nothing the public sees today. Seth is a very talented man and I am very proud and inspired by him and what he has accomplished."

On May 14, 2005, he wrote: "I am an animator/cartoonist. Commercial Projects include: Animator/Digital Ink and Paint, Storyboards, Character Designer and BG for "Family Guy" 1st season at Jim Keeshen Productions before FOX took over."

Bob Paulson (a.k.a., Robert Paulson):
You can view Paulson's Online Portfolio HERE. The portfolio includes 3D computer animation, design, and fine art. According to Bob Paulson's resume (date unknown), which was provided to us by a confidential source, here's his relevant work experience:

Santa Monica College/Academy of Entertainment & Technology (October 1998-Present)
-Assistant to Internship Coordinator, Gloria Mottler
Research Correspondence, Graphics, WWW
- Computer Lab Technician,

Jim Keeshen Animation Studios (April 1998-Present)
Production of pilot for Fox Television (The Family Guy)
Clean-up, Animation, Ink & Paint and Layout

And here's his relevant education:
Santa Monica College/Academy of Entertainment and Technology (1997-Present)
Computer Animation and Visual Effects major,
Courses: 3D Modeling and Animation, Particle Systems, Trad. Animation, Life Drawing, Storyboards

I have made an Adobe PDF of his resume, which you can download HERE. I did not alter the resume in any way. It appears as it was given to me.

According to the SMC Board of Trustees Minutes for January 10, 2000, "Robert Paulson" is listed as a SMC classified employee. Effective January 3, 2000, he moves into the authorized position of Multimedia Computer Lab Specialist for AET. David Santoya and AET graduate Stuart Seldon also move into similar positions. Santoya no longer works at SMC.

Pursuant to the SMC Board of Trustees Minutes for February 12, 2001, "Rob Paulson" accepts a voluntary reduction of hours as "MultiMedia Comp Sup Spec, AET" from 40 hours to 21 hours a week. The reduction from full-time to part-time is effective January 1, 16, 2001. Further down the minutes, the apparent reason pertains to Paulson's immediate resignation, effective February 7, 2001. Since Paulson's resume is current as to his SMC employment, it is unknown why he resigned from his job at AET. This would also place his resume no later than February 2001.

Other AET students whom we are informed and believe worked on Keeshen's Family Guy Pilot pitch as alleged "interns" include, but are not limited to, Don Richards, Ramiro Garcia, Jee Young Park, Kyung-Hee Shon, and Jeremy Bernstein.

Remember the SMC Academy of Entertainment & Technology Internships and Job Placements spreadsheets SMC provided to us under the California Public Records Act? Here's the one from October 2005 for the alleged period of Fall 1998 to Fall 2005. On page seven, "Keeshen Productions" is listed as providing one "internship only" and one "hire only." According to this document's categories, the internship did not lead to a hire, but was a direct job placement.

When did Jim Keeshen Productions employ these AET students? Well, according to a September 15, 1999 memorandum from AET Internship Coordinator Gloria Mottler to AET Dean Katharine Muller, "Keeshen Productions" hired an AET student under "business" in Spring 1998. In Fall 1998, when Jim Keeshen was chair of AET, he interned another student under "animation." A November 8, 1999 memorandum from Mottler to Muller confirms this information.

So, there's a little problem here, or a little lie, by Gloria Mottler. We've got at least four confirmed AET students who also worked for Jim Keeshen Productions on the Family Guy pilot. Perhaps the number is as high as nine AET students. Of course Gloria Mottler could claim that Jim Keeshen or the AET students never informed her of their work for Jim Keeshen Productions. The only reason that argument fails is that Bob Paulson was an AET student, an employee of "Jim Keeshen Animation Studios," credited on the Family Guy pilot, and he worked as Mottler's internship assistant. Perhaps Paulson went along with this alleged cover-up and was awarded a job in the AET computer lab. In any event, like a lot of other people, he left AET for one reason or another.

What about all those other AET students Jim Keeshen used for his own benefit on his other projects? We'll save that for another day. The important thing here is that these people at AET who committed themselves to the Family Guy pilot did not receive credit at AET or by Fox for their work. Many of them did not get paid and the promises Keeshen allegedly made for a job with Film Roman never materialized. However, Keeshen did buy his AET "interns" dinner.

What was the outcome of all this work by Keeshen and his AET employees and interns? Fox and MacFarlane eventually would fail to hire Jim Keeshen as producer for the "Family Guy" television series, instead choosing Film Roman, Inc. And Fox would fail to credit Jim Keeshen Productions and everyone who worked under him for the Family Guy pilot clip on their DVD. Keeshen alleges in his lawsuit that he lost the compensation payments, credits, and accolades due to him and his company. Guess what goes around, comes around.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

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