Take a journey behind the scenes with one our talented Directors, Lynn Reist.

Lynn shares some great insight on what it takes to become to become a professional storyteller in the animation industry, as well as a few of her own amazing experiences working in the field.

First up, what is your life motto or favourite quote?

Do your best, be honest and respect your co-workers! Treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself. And it doesn’t hurt to keep in mind this thought from Douglas Adams: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

What do you do at Toronto?

I just finished directing Season two of Creative Galaxy and am currently working on development making an animated demo for a new project.

What do you love most about your job?

I love telling a good story and being able to pull all the pieces together: designs, backgrounds; boards and leica right through to music and special effects. I particularly like creative collaboration: getting the various teams talking to each other and working together to make something we’re excited about and proud of.

What is your origins story? Aka, how did you get to where you are today in your career?

I started out as a classical animator working on shows like “Babar” and “Rupert the Bear” and then did key character posing on many shows such as “Magic School Bus”, “Little Bear” and “Beetlejuice”. Vince Commisso gave me my first assistant director job on season 2 of Ned’s Newt at Nelvana.  I went on to AD on several other shows, handling board revisions and leica timing. It was a good opportunity to learn from different directors and tackle different kinds of shows. My first directing gig was a very natural progression from AD on season 2 to Co-Director on season 3 of “Seven Little Monsters”(2D traditional). I was very familiar with the show and it was great to be involved in the whole process from script to post. I’ve since directed season 2 of the 3D “Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends”, 52 episodes of “Franklin and Friends” (3D);  two “Franklin Specials” for Nelvana and just completed Season 2 of “Creative Galaxy” (Flash) for 9story.

Who is one of your biggest influencer or inspiration?

I’ve never lost my admiration for the beautiful character animation and drawings of some of the classic Disney animators like Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.  One of the best things about this industry is that there are so many creative people to inspire you on a daily basis. Outside of the industry, my cousin Ann who dealt courageously with cancer for 25 years and never lost her optimism, zest for life and love is an inspiring role model.

What have you found is the most challenging thing about working in the animation industry?

Probably the most challenging thing is the long hours. Animation can be an intensive labour of love and it’s important to keep grounded and try to keep some work/ life balance.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in animation?

I would recommend getting a good education with training in drawing and classical animation principles as well as getting thorough training in current animation technologies. We had some recent graduates join our animation crew mid-way through the season on Creative Galaxy and they had to hit the ground running. I was impressed at how they were able to fit in and adapt.

Outside of work what is your story?

I love to be outdoors and enjoy wildlife photography. It’s a great way to connect with nature and I like observing birds and animals in their natural habitats. I’m an enthusiastic amateur!