Marianopolis graduate Ted Ty ’87 brought his behind-the-scenes experience as the animation director on the Academy Award-nominated film Nimona to the College ahead of ArtsFest, the annual celebration of literary, musical and visual arts held on campus each April.

In his talk, Mr. Ty shared the reasoning behind some of the style choices and approaches to design in the film, and emphasized the various contributions and cohesive work of the animation team throughout the project.

“He gave the students some incredible insight into how much thought went into designing and animating each aspect of every character to allow them to live, without being overpowered by the style,” noted professor Selena Liss, program coordinator for Arts, Literature and Communication.

Mr. Ty also candidly answered student questions about the film industry and a range of other topics, reflecting on many of his own educational and professional experiences since graduating from the Social Science -Commerce concentration.

“His story and advice are profoundly inspiring, particularly as he’s walked in our shoes as a former Marianopolis student,” said first-year Liberal Arts student Sofia Gonzalez Toxqui. “Ted’s work in creating diverse stories solidifies him as a pioneer in the animation industry and as a huge inspiration for me.”

“Getting to meet Ted Ty was an absolutely wonderful experience,” said Jillian Boyd, a second-year Honours Social Science student. “It was a great reminder of how your path in life can change through hard work and passion. One big takeaway for me: if you are doing something you love, then the dedication you put into a project will always be rewarded, whether it’s through personal satisfaction or industry praise.”