Category: Profile

Once again, I’m finding it hard to pinpoint one particular moment that stands out from the rest. Like any artist there’s definitely moments where I severely doubt the quality of my work and whether or not I’m actually deserving of the goals I’m chasing…but here I am, the Animation Director of a WIA sponsored short film, a successful Animation supervisor working on big name productions, getting to go on paid work trips and speaking at animation festivals both local and international… all these moments in my career have been very reaffirming and help to silence that voice in the back of my head that says I’m not good enough.

2019 has been an amazing year for me. In addition to being selected as the producer for the Five in Focus Program to create an original animated short film, I am part of a group of women who was awarded the national Harold Greenberg Shorts to Features Grant. We are producing a live action short film to air on Bell Media in 2021, and have also received development funding as part of the grant, with additional funding from Creative BC, to develop our feature script.

When I was on the festival circuit for my previous film, “The Last Resort”, there was a joke I’d written into the film that was so stupid and funny but I absolutely needed it included. While attending a screening of it at a festival, we got to that joke in the film and it made the audience laugh, which was great to know it was funny to other people than myself- but my absolute favourite reaction was that the man sitting directly in front of me literally slapped his knee in laughter. I had a verified knee-slapper of a joke in my film and I couldn’t be happier about that! If I should be more professional about a successful moment, I’d say it was that after having attended the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival, this year I found myself presenting my own film with my team, as well as being on an actual panel talking about it to industry professionals. That was amazing and an honour!

How tax credits can affect our industry and what will happen if they are cut or changed. I hope what Vancouver has going on in terms of work, studios and vibrancy will last for years to come. We have a good talented community here.

That schedules will keep getting tighter, and newcomers to the industry will have their love of animation stomped out before their careers are even able to fully take off.

Climate Change. But in terms of my career, I know that the media landscape is shifting so rapidly and I want to be able to stay on top of trends and continue to find audiences for my work. The Five in Focus program has been great in helping mentor us though our own IP creation and providing amazing resources, sponsors and technology for us to utilize during our film production. I hope to be able to use this momentum to continue to grow and adapt to whatever the future may hold.

Besides global warming and climate change? If we’re just talking about work, my concern is having enough time and resources to make the things I want to make and share with everyone. If anyone is looking to fund a stop-motion, fairy tale-inspired horror short, please get in touch!

Leaving my racist hometown and vowing to never live there again, even if it was my last option.

One of the most recent ones happened in the last year – I was offered a key role in the storyboard department of a new show that my studio was going to be working on, that would keep me working in that position for some time if I accepted. This happened at the same time that I was getting my writing portfolio prepared to apply for writing positions in earnest. In past years I would’ve taken the job and kept putting off trying to get into writing, but this time I decided to take the gamble. I think that was when I really knew I was ready to change my career trajectory, even if it was a bit scary. Luckily it paid off!

A defining moment that comes to mind, specifically relating to art and my career, would definitely have to be the day that my Sheridan College application response came in the mail. I remember how terrified I was holding that sealed envelope… I hadn’t applied anywhere else, there was nothing else I wanted to do besides spending the next four years learning animation… I had done my research on successful portfolio submission and of course I felt I had really put my best work forward, but I knew people who had applied several times and didn’t get in…. It still surprises me to this day how quickly the tears of relief came when I read that I had been accepted, I’ve never had a moment before or since where it seemed like my fate was so solidly in someone else’s hands, where someone else had the power to tell me if I was actually good enough to pursue my dreams. Getting into that school really paved the way for my to pursue my passion and get to where I am today… I mean… I think I would have just attended a different school for animation if I didn’t get in, but my journey would have been different for sure, haha.

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