We had the good fortune of connecting with Cyndee Guerrieri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cyndee, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Before beginning my adventure into the animation industry, I could not anticipate the sense of community I would feel among my animation peers and coworkers. This industry attracts the kindest and coolest people, and I get to work with them every day!

Why is community so important to me? Well, as I child, I lived up and down the coast, in various apartment complexes, navy bases, and even a trailer home. My childhood was blocked out into segments spent in different homes with different siblings, during different marriages. My constantly changing environment made me feel like I didn’t have a permanent place to call home.

In contrast, my first foray into the animation industry was so welcoming. During my very first tv gig, on BoJack Horseman, Season 1, I met so many amazing new friends. Shadowmachine’s studio space was basically a warehouse transitioning from a stop-motion set, to an office space packed shoulder to shoulder with Wacoms. So it was hard to ignore each other! Being the nerds and eccentrics that we are, we naturally have so much in common. On BoJack and lots of shows since, I’ve experienced many giant group lunches, testing local restaurant capacities. We all genuinely want to spend time together and talk about the latest indie boardgames and upcoming conventions like CatCon! And DragCon! This would especially pay off when we decided it was time to unionize. We had genuine trust in each other and cared about each other’s wellbeing.

When I took on my first Art Directing role during the pandemic, I was really crushed by the idea of not having that in-office experience I’d grown to value so much. And I know that keeping in touch with peers is not just for fun, but it also fosters creative collaboration and helps colleagues find future work later on. As the AD, I organized social meetups, in local parks and other pandemic-appropriate spaces, so we could all stay connected.

Now that I’m a parent, my place in the artist community has again evolved. I belong to a group of animation moms, which has been a huge source of love and support. But I still to this day have board game nights with some of my Shadowmachine pals. I can’t wait to see what amazing and talented folks I’ll meet next!

The animation industry is small but wonderful. We move around a lot as we go from gig to gig, but our community of artists is like one big family, and I’m so proud to be a part of it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m currently focusing on my path in art directing and supervising. At my core, I want to help others. Some of that energy goes into volunteering with various IATSE Local 839 events. But at work, as obsessed as I am about drawing and painting all day (I’ll never take that for granted!), I’ve realized that I’m also driven to contributing to the functionality of design within the process of showmaking. I love the fast pace problem solving required for TV animation. I’m super proud of my resume and proud of where I’ve come from. I started out doing random animations for local businesses and remember how impossible it felt to break into the industry. Since then, with every show I’ve worked on, I’ve aggressively put my best foot forward. But it’s also so important to acknowledge that we are surrounded by talent and your peers can all offer something you can learn from!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The beauty of LA is that it caters to niche interests. The possibilites are endless. BUT – to not mail this question in, if you are visiting me in LA, you’re going to be eating alot of chinese dumplings and hand cut noodles! My personal favorite spot is Yi Mei in Monrovia, “The Original Taiwanese Breakfast Since 1978”. My husband and I load up at least once a month with practically everything on the menu, and set out for a very long and lazy picnic at the Sante Fe Dam.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible Art Directors as mentors. Devin Roth aka DVO, Phil Hayes, and Otto Tang. They’ve been so generous and have always taken the time to chat/guide/drop knowledge. Thank you, thank you, thank you guys!

Website: https://www.cyndeeg.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyndeeguerrieri/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndee-guerrieri

Other: https://cara.app/cyndeeguerrieri

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.