A common sentiment regarding Canadian animation schools and programs is that the courses, while beneficial to teach essential skills and industry standards, often teach you how to be a cog in the machine, and not an actual storyteller. Learning how to switch paths– from cog to creator– is a matter of thinking holistically about story, to creating pathways for unique opportunities, and understanding the nature of business (a facet artists historically struggle with).

But Kiana Mai Khansmith (Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to be a Magical Girl!, Big City Greens), and Warren Leonhardt (Nimona, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) are shining examples of artists who made the change, and have found the right blend of creativity and business to make a career for themselves! In this panel moderated by Randeep Katari (Epic, The Peanuts Movie), they’ll help provide an understanding of how to create something authentically artistic that also makes sense from a business point of view, and how to navigate the functions of the job.

This business-savvy panel can be found at our Industry Conference on Saturday April 12th at the Courtyard Toronto Downtown (475 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) in the Courtyard Hall!