Meet Sarah Anne Davis | Animation Director and Storyboard Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Anne Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah Anne, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I think the transitory nature of the animation industry might come as a surprise to some. The animator life can be a nomadic one. Our unpredictable industry means it’s normal to move from contract to contract, studio to studio, working with sometimes new but more often familiar faces and regularly in different roles. I’ve animated, designed, rigged, storyboarded, supervised, and directed in my 11 years in animation. There are wild ups and downs as far as work availability and you take what you can get—if you’re lucky you get something longer-term—but ultimately it does mean that you’re always learning.

Thankfully the pandemic has made remote work much more of a possibility, so there’s less of a need to physically uproot yourself, but if you like stability, it’s definitely not that kind of a career. You never really know where you’ll be in the next five years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think I fought the idea of actually committing to a “proper” career in art for a long time, despite the fact I was doing just that for the better part of a decade—freelancing, running the pet portrait business, making web comics—before I realized that this is what I wanted to do forever, and I needed to make an actual plan. Originally that plan was to commit fully to comics. I asked around online where I could best hone my drawing skills and was told unanimously to attend Sheridan College’s animation program. I thought, why not, I’ve dabbled in animating. I went to college later than most, starting my four-year animation degree program at the age of 25, and turned out I LOVED animation (and storyboarding satisfied that need for sequential art). I was able to secure a contract as a 2D animator straight out of school and made a second big move from Toronto to Ottawa. Here I’ve spent the last 11 years working on television programs, feature films, meeting and collaborating with SO many skilled creatives, producers, directors, and actors. It’s been a whirlwind that has passed so quickly because there’s honestly never a dull moment.

In addition to the animation day job, my latest undertaking (hopefully less hair-brained than my teenaged endeavors) is an art business I’m running with two animator friends called The Celestial Squirrel. We’re creating prints and accessories of the things we love (from dinosaurs to capybaras to witch familiars) and in doing so hoping to connect with others with niche interests and styles. It’s a great outlet and we’ve met so many amazing people online and at craft fairs and conventions.

What have I learned? Don’t be afraid to do something unfamiliar. It may seem daunting (the imposter syndrome is ever-present) but trusting myself and my abilities and being open to learning and listening—I always end up in a better place for it, and having made important connections and lasting memories and added some new skills to the roster.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well any friend of mine is going to find the following suggestions just as cool and adventurous as myself, so I’d of course hit up all of the best museums—especially the Aviation and Space Museum and the Museum of Nature—then we’d maybe take a tour of Parliament before enjoying high tea at the Fairmont Château Laurier. Definitely doing a haunted walk one evening. If there’s time, we’ll either cross the river to Quebec and hit up Parc Omega, a drive-through safari park, or if it’s the right time of year, drive 2 hours west to Bancroft for the Rockhound Gemboree, the largest gem and mineral show in Canada.

And in between all of that, one must consume copious amounts of shawarma, poutine, beaver tails, and every variation of bubble tea no sensible person could possibly imagine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family, particularly my mom, dad, and brother, have only ever encouraged my sometimes hair-brained artistic pursuits (up to and including starting a pet portrait business in high school, taking my web comic around to conventions in my late teens, and supporting me emotionally and, whenever possible, monetarily when I left for the big city to study animation). I know choosing a career in the arts had to have scared them, but as I’ve progressed through my career, through the highs and the lows, they’ve been cheering for me every step of the way.

Website: https://sarah-anne-davis.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/celestialsqurl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCelestialSquirrel

Other: The website listed above is my personal portfolio site. Our business site is here: https://celestialsquirrel.com/

Image Credits
pic03.jpg features myself and my father, Jim Davis.