Ryan D. Anderson is a Canadian animator who works at the intersection of stop-motion animation and nostalgia, building 3D scenes that he animates, photographs, and renders into 2D images.He grew up on a farm in Ontario before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, to study cinematography, and has worked as a director, cinematographer, and editor since 2008.
Anderson first became interested in animation as a kid, making stop-frame films with an old Hi-8 camcorder, action figures, and clay.He taught himself 3D modelling and animation starting in 2017, and during the pandemic began animating as a way of processing his own anxiety.,With his childhood home demolished and unable to see his family during isolation, he began making animations recreating how he remembered the farm where he grew up.After a year of animating consistently, he was invited to join SuperRare and soon made his first sale.
In the series Nostalgia, he recreates dreams and memories of places that no longer exist, some invented and others drawn from real settings. He aims for the hazy quality of a half-remembered dream in each piece.Easter in Suburbia, released on SuperRare in 2022, is one such piece, focused on what he described as “the hollow warmth of memories from time gone by”.He cites the filmmakers David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve, and the cinematography of Roger Deakins, as major influences on how he composes landscapes and camera movement.Alongside this work, Anderson also performs stand-up comedy, having toured North America and performed at the UCB Theatre's New York and Los Angeles locations.He also makes comedic animated series such as Gooberverse, about an alien named Goober and his best friend Baked Potato.
