Biography
Shayne's first exposure to film was when his mother took him to the theatre to see George Lucas's A New Hope. American cinema of the 1980s was a big part of his formative years. He has sticky memories of Joe Dantes's Gremlins, Spielberg's Indiana Jones and E.T., Richard Donner's Goonies, Robert Zemeckis's Back to the Future, James Cameron's Terminator, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and Rob Reiner's Stand by Me.
He spent much of his childhood drawing, writing, playing, and creating with a keen curiosity for technology. In adulthood, Shayne was diagnosed as neurodivergent (ADHD). Traditional learning methodologies in his youth and early post-secondary years challenged him academically and shaped the creative person he is today. He is a lifelong learner who has studied art, film, acting, writing, business, humanities and technical vocations in various fields.
Film study introduced Shayne to high art cinema canon, many of which shaped his filmmaking journey, like Federico Fellini's 8 and 1/2, Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief, and Jean Luc Godard's Breathless. Of course, Orson Welles's Citizen Kane, but he prefers Welles's The Lady from Shanghai. Hollywood low-brow movies simultaneously caught his attention; of note is the career and influence of Roger Corman, Tony Scott's True Romance, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run, David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Robert Zemeckis's Forest Gump, Paul Haggis's Crash, Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, and Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket belong somewhere on the list, along with other films that would make this list longer than it already is.
He is an award-winning filmmaker and artist with over twenty-five years of experience in film, television, and the professional art scene. He has worked in nearly every position on a film crew, including director, producer, cinematographer, and editor, with numerous roles as a voice artist and actor performing in front of the camera. He is a National Screen Institute (NSI) alumnus, a Director member of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and an MFA Writing candidate at the University of Saskatchewan.
Shayne's professional journey into cinema began with a tiny-budget science fiction film that built his skills and established his reputation as a multi-skilled filmmaker, opening doors in the film industry. He has since worked on productions for Disney, CTV, Showcase, SCN, TSN, Bell Media, and several international distributors.
His craft spans diverse genres, from sci-fi, comedy, and drama to documentaries, commercials, and experimental films. His experiences include being a media producer for the University of Saskatchewan, working with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and directing works on Hulu, Amazon, APTN, and CBC. He has won awards and played in theatres and art galleries such as Remai Modern.
Shayne's commitment to lifelong learning appears through mentorship and education as both student and teacher. He has guided over 200 short film productions from development to distribution, sharing his expertise with diverse individuals, from aspiring youth to seniors. His teaching filmmaking curriculum at post-secondary institutions has shaped the next generation of filmmakers. The Canadian Department of National Defense recognizes him as an expert in video production, a testament to his balance of technical skill and art practice in filmmaking.
Shayne's passion and dedication to advancing cinema includes his role in creating the 'Directors Film and Television Competency Chart' for the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC). This chart, a national standard for training television directors, is a testament to his leadership and innovation in the industry. Shayne has shared his time as a juror for film festivals, including the Yorkton Film Festival (YFF), the Directors Guild (DGC) Awards, and the Saskatchewan International Film Festival (SIFF).
Shaynes' career continues to evolve. Today, he continues to learn, teach, write, collaborate, and make art. He is particularly interested in long-form feature film stories that blend fantasy and science fiction with roots in reality and history from the working-class perspective.
