Meet Jun Nasayao, our awesome Toronto based Assistant Director and Storyboard Supervisor currently working on Nature Cat! We recently chatted with him about all things animation and are delighted to share some of his insights, inspirations and advice for artists looking to get into the industry.

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

Always look at the BRIGHT side of life.

What is your role at Brown Bag Films Toronto?

Currently, I’m on Nature Cat as Assistant Director and Storyboard Supervisor. As Assistant Director for this series, I make sure that the storyboards are done according to the style of the show and represents how our Director envisions the flow of action. I’m also involved in the Leica process (animatics) of the series from the assembly stage to the final locked Leica, where we make sure that all the client notes are addressed properly and any potential issues are resolved before going to animation.

What do you love most about your job?

The creative process of the job and the ideas I contribute to the shows I work on.

The storytelling from the script to visual form is the exciting part, it gives me the opportunity to be a part of the whole story.

Putting everything in the storyboard panels (B/G, poses, FX, emotion of characters, camera angle) to create a wonderful composition is always a challenging and rewarding thing for me. That always drives me to be better every day.

What tools and programs do you work with most these days?

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Alias Sketchbook programs.

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

I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Philippines and I had the opportunity to work at Fil Cartoons (a subsidiary of Hanna-Barbera Productions). I held different positions at Hanna-Barbera doing cartoon series like The Flintstones, Tom & Jerry, Yogi Bear and other shows for over 9 years before deciding to migrate to Canada in 1997.

My first job here was with Nelvana Ltd. At Nelvana, I was a location and character designer, animator, storyboard revisionist, assistant director, storyboard artist and overseas animation supervisor. I've also worked at various other animation studios over the years.

I joined Brown Bag Films Toronto (formerly 9 Story Entertainment) in 2013 as an Assistant Director/Storyboard Supervisor for season 18 of the ‘Arthur’ series. I also worked on ‘Fugget About It’ and ‘Camp Lakebottom' season 3 as Assistant Director. I have been in the animation industry for over 30 years.

Who is one of your biggest influencers or inspirations?

I was really into drawing from an early age, it has always been my passion to become an artist.

When I was working on Hanna-Barbera shows in the Philippines (Fil Cartoons Inc. studio), I had the opportunity to be trained by Nary Jamlig (my supervisor at that time). He taught me all the details of how animation works. The gestures, expressions, poses and how to draw dynamic angles of characters. I learned a lot from him.

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

Creating visual images from a script to create a strong show/series.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career as an animator?

Hard work, dedication to art and constant improvement of your skills.

A tip or trick you might want to share about what you do?

Keep on developing your drawing skills. Learn how to exaggerate poses and understand how everything works to create an animated film.

What do you love about animation?

The smile it gives to kids when they see the Final Cut.

Outside of work what is your passion?

Spending time with my family, making sure that we have dinner together to catch up on how our day went.

I do some sketching whenever I have the opportunity.

Nowadays, the best part of my day is playing with my grandson!