Meet Elyse Kelly | Director

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

Hi Elyse, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
In 2012, I decided to pick up my entire life (I had been living/working/going to grad school in LA), and move back to the east coast. Not only did I leave LA, but I left the entire animation industry behind. I didn’t have a concrete plan beyond knowing that I was burnt out and needed a change.

Most of my friends and colleagues thought I was crazy, and would ruin the trajectory of my career if I left. And to be honest, in the moment, I didn’t know what the decision meant for my career. But I did know that it was the right decision for me and my life in that moment.

Now, looking back, it was the best decision I ever made. The space and time I took away from the industry (4 years!) allowed me to grow as a person and artist, so that by the time I returned to animation, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. Plus, by carving out my own path in the industry and doing it on my own terms, I’ve been able to work as a director much sooner than I would have if I’d played by the “rules”.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a director with a strength & passion for storytelling through an animated lens. I’m most happy when leading teams of world-class artists to create content that entertains, challenges and changes the hearts and minds of audiences.

I’ve worked on a lot of different projects throughout my career, but I’ve found that I’m most passionate about nonfiction and documentary-style stories. What’s special about the use of animation in documentary is its ability to transcend reality to illustrate the emotional core of an experience. Animation allows us to express complex or abstract concepts by weaving in and out of literal and metaphorical imagery. It’s a truly magical and liberating way of telling stories.

With a background in film as well as animation, I always approach a project from a “story first” perspective, which doesn’t sound like a unique characteristic, but in the indie animation world, you’d be surprised. Like many creative mediums, animation is usually judged first and foremost aesthetically. What’s important to me however is how the visuals support and strengthen the narrative. And even more importantly, what is the narrative in the first place! Without a strong story, the animation is simply a nice image on the screen; I’m interested in what that image says.

It’s been five years since I’ve returned to the freelance world, and I’ve finally decided that it’s time for the next step. Not many people know this yet, but I’m in the very early stages of starting a studio! It felt like a natural progression to the work that I’m already doing, so why not make it official. Stay tuned in 2022 for the official announcement!

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.
We live just outside Washington DC, so there’s a ton of diverse things to do (with a fluctuating “tourist” meter). A few of my favorites: frolicking in the gardens at the Glenstone Museum, eating Korean BBQ in Falls Church, “Jazz in the Garden” at the National Gallery of Art in the summer, searching for all the hidden doors at the O Street Mansion, and grabbing a cider at ANXO. And although it’s the ultimate touristy endeavor, seeing the cherry blossoms on the Mall in the spring is absolutely magical.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The credit will always go to my family, who have supported my pursuit of a life in a creative industry, even (and especially) when I took a few detours along the way. In particular, mom, who was the one who instilled a love of art in both me and my sister, and my husband Darren, who keeps me grounded and sane.

Website: https://elysekelly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.l.y.s.e.k.e.l.l.y

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysekelly/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elysekelly