1. linziknight. CV. 416.9943107linzi@herofilms.ca
RELEVENT STRENGTHS AND SKILLS
• 20 years experience in the film industry directing and executive producing
• Comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of building and running a successful film company
• A deep understanding and insight into the creative and technical process across multiple media platforms
from preproduction through post
• Experience in contract negotiation, and knowledgeable about legal aspects of the industry
• Very strong at building and maintaining partnerships among multiple stakeholders on a project
• Strong entrepreneurial spirit, a confident communicator and a natural problem-solver
• A keen interest in social, cultural, political and economic issues at home and abroad
• Experience living and working in 7 countries spanning 3 continents
CURRENT POSITION
• CONSULTANT / Associate Producer 2015–current
Vérité Films, Toronto
PAST EXPERIENCE
• FOUNDER / Executive Producer
Hero Films
Live-action production for film and advertising 2000–current
Executive producer of 25 employees and responsible for more
than $20 million in combined company gross sales over 10 years;
Oversight of operational and production budgets, payroll, hiring
and staffing allocation, strategic financing and business
development, domestic and international sales and marketing
As head of sales, scouted and managed a roster of 20+ live action
directors across North America and Europe, promoted them to
advertising agencies by building their demo reels for the Canadian
market, matched them to agency creative and produced
commercials from preproduction through post in both Canada
and the U.S.
Expertise in client relations and talent management; liaison with
key industry players and representative at industry events
Builder of strong teams across multiple disciplines, able to
develop and motivate talent and facilitate the creative process
with excellent results
• FOUNDING PARTNER / Executive Producer
Redrover Studios
Animation production for film, television and advertising 1993–2008
A full service CG animation company co-founded with Andy
Knight in London UK and moved to Toronto in 1996
Responsible for all internal business affairs including a staff of 25-
100 employees, oversight of sales and accounts, budget proposals
and creative presentations to secure specific commercials,
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television series and film deals; involvement at the executive level
with Grant Programs, Co-production Agreements, Ontario Tax
Credits, and Intellectual Property Rights
Experience bringing together various disciplines under one roof
including directors, storyboard artists, line producers, editors, CG
animators, FX artists, colorists and compositors
• FOUNDING PARTNER / Creative Director:
UnpluggedTV
Interactive design and branded entertainment 1999–2003
Partnered with Andy Knight and Richard D’Allessio, acted as
creative director responsible for hiring talent and building teams
to create interactive design, flash animation and branded
entertainment for the advertising industry; responsible for
concept, design, user experience and information architecture for
national and international brands
• Live Action Director:
Hero Films, Redrover Studios 1996–current
Directed independent short films/documentaries and over 100
commercials for clients including Molson’s, McDonalds, CIBC,
Colgate, Wal-Mart and Verizon (full list available upon request)
A deep understanding and insight into the creative process
including developing creative vision for clients, pitching and
landing jobs, developing form and style of media works;
Intimately familiar with all stages of project development from
idea generation through production and postproduction
Affiliated with and represented by several American production
Companies over the course of my career that include Compulsive
Pictures, Bungalow Films and Saville Productions
Experience writing treatments, synopsis and film scripts, highly
skilled in creating visual presentations and storyboards
20 years of shooting experience augmented by my time in the
Directors’ Lab at the CFC; Director’s Guild of America alumni
• Motion Graphics Designer:
Hero Films, Redrover Studios, BBC Documentaries 1993–2003
Internationally recognized as a pioneering innovator in the
motion graphics industry across North America and England
Directed and designed innumerable commercials and title designs
from conception through online execution; Designed and
produced interstitials for BBC, The Women’s Network, Space
Channel and Much Music
Extensive knowledge of the editing and postproduction process;
complete creative oversight and client management through
project completion; Creative Director and builder of a team of
designers as the company grew
• Line Producer / Postproduction Supervisor:
BBC, KEO Films, Hahn Film 1994–2000
First steps in live action production and postproduction working
on documentaries/ music videos throughout the UK and Europe
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• Graphic Designer: 1985–1994
Extensive experience at home and abroad working for prestigious
companies that include: Studio Spiekemann in Berlin, Vorm Vijf
and Studio Dumbar in the Netherlands, Grapus in Paris, The Face
Magazine in London, and Bruce Mau Design in Toronto
Responsible for the concept, design and production of print
material including book and magazine publications, posters and
corporate identities with a focus on the arts, culture and music
and film industry
EDUCATION Certificate Canadian Film Centre, Directors’ Lab, Toronto 2010
Certificate St. Martin’s School of Art, Film & Video, London 1992
Degree Sheridan College, Graphic Design, Oakville 1984
AWARDS / ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Worldwide Shorts Film Festival Award Winner’s Screening, Toronto 2012
Hong Kong Mobile Film Awards Best Documentary, Hong Kong 2012
Shortsnonstop (CFC) October Grand Prize Winner, Toronto 2011
BAFTA Awards Animation Short Film Nomination/Plumber, UK 2003
Cannes Lions Festival Awards Bronze/Covenant House PSA, Cannes 2003
U.S. Marketing Awards Gold/Transamerica Goaltender, Chicago 2002
First Cut Awards Best New Director Finalist, Toronto 2000
AICP/MOMA Awards Show Best Film Graphics/Red Dog, New York 1999
British Advertising Awards Honor/Covenant House, London 1998
British Creative Design Award Best Publication Design Award, London 1991
Sheridan College Governor General Award, Oakville 1984
Olympics Canadian Gymnastics Team Member, Moscow 1980
COMMUNITY SERVICE Directed and produced Public Service Announcements for:
Bereaved Families of Ontario
Ronald McDonald House
Covenant House
Concerned Children’s Advertisers
Canadian Cancer Society
LIFE EXPERIENCES Liaison between Disney, L.A. and Cuckoo’s Nest in Taiwan
Lived and worked in: London, Paris, Berlin, Netherlands,
Los Angeles and Taiwan; extensive travels throughout North
America and Europe,
Member of the Canadian Olympic Gymnastics Team
AFFILIATIONS Directors’ Guild of America
MEDIA RELATED PROGRAMMES Photoshop, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Final Draft
LANGUAGES English, French
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FILMOGRAPHY
Director/Writer:
The Confessional short drama CFC, produced by Jessica Cheung 2010
Death by Scrabble comedy Hero Films, produced by Kristi McNiel 2008
Conspiracy Guy comedy Hero Films, produced by Wayne Lawley 2007
My Daughter’s Apartment documentary Brown Entertainment, produced by Chelsea Hume 2005
Director:
The Gay Who Wasn’t Gay Enough comedy CornerStore Films, produced by Jenny Montford 2011
Worst Day of My Life comedy The Comedy Network / Brown Entertainment 2005
Pasties and a G-string music video Redrover, produced by Linzi Knight 1995
Rebecca animated short Redrover, produced by Nikki Kefford 1994
Creative Director/Designer:
Death on Everest documentary Keo Films/Channel 4, produced by Zam Baring 2003
Going to Extremes doc. series Keo Films/Channel 4, produced by Zam Baring 2001
The Real Science Behind Star Trek documentary BBC, produced by Kate O’Sullivan 1996
Animation Production:
Bolts and Blip 26 episodes Redrover, Teletoon, 3net 2010
Get Ed 13 episodes Redrover, The Family Channel, Fox Family 2006
The Adventures of
Seinfeld and Superman 2 episodes UnpluggedTV, Radical Media, Mastercard 2004
Plumber short comedy Redrover, BravoFact 2003
Ned’s Newt 39 episodes Redrover Nelvana Co-production, Teletoon 1997
5. LINZI KNIGHT
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BIOGRAPHY
Raised in Hamilton Ontario, Linzi Knight has been career oriented her entire life. Her first as a gymnast toughened
her up nicely and taught her how to survive on less than 800 calories a day. After reaching her goal with a spot on
the Canadian Olympic Team, Knight hung up her gym-suit and diverted her energy to the study of graphic design
with the same discipline she dedicated to sport.
After graduating, Knight spent the next 10 years living and working in Europe at some of the top design studios in
the world. While in London, motion graphics emerged as an exciting new industry and Knight, looking for new
challenges and a steady paycheck, jumped at the opportunity to move into the film industry.
It wasn't long before Linzi and partner Andy Knight formed REDROVER, a full service animation studio that would
grow to include its live action counterpart, HERO FILMS. The young creative team could boast Francis Ford Coppola
as its first client to pass through their studio doors – a business arrangement that lasted for more than a year and
put Redrover on the film industry’s radar.
Three children and a transcontinental move to Toronto later, Knight made the transition to full-fledged live action
director executing over 100 commercials internationally. A sprinkling of awards and accolades adorns her wall as
well as an endorsement by James Earl Jones as his "favorite director".
Gradually, Knight switched her focus to narrative filmmaking and embarked on a series of shorts that helped pave
the way into the Directors' Lab at the Canadian Film Centre. Upon graduating in 2010, Knight directed a number of
short films that made the festival rounds and today, continues to write and develop her own narrative projects
under the banner of Hero Films in Toronto.
REDROVER STUDIOS. FOUNDER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Although live action has become the focus of her career, Linzi is proud to have been a key part of Redrover Studios,
the full service animation and film graphics company she founded in 1993 with partner Andy Knight while living in
London. In its first year, the company had the privilege of working with Francis Ford Coppola on the development of
Pinocchio that quickly gained the studio international attention.
In 1996, an opportunity arose in which Andy Knight was offered to direct a film for Disney out of its Toronto facility.
A decision was made to move the company to Toronto in order to gain a greater presence in the North American
market. Linzi, acting as executive producer, split her time between managing the studio and establishing herself as
one of the leading film graphics designers in North America.
Although Redrover was well established in the commercial field, it now focused on generating its own intellectual
properties for series and film work. The first two television series out of the gate, “The Three Pigs” and “Ned’s Newt”
were produced in conjunction with Hahn Film and Nelvana respectfully. In 2005, the short CGI film Plumber created
and directed by Andy Knight, was nominated for a BAFTA and opened up doors for the CG television series Get Ed
for the Disney Channel. In June of 2008, Linzi sold the company to the talented and capable hands at House of Cool.
HERO FILMS. FOUNDER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / DIRECTOR
In 2000, Knight opened Hero Films, a live-action commercial production company that boasted a roster of over 20
international directors for Canadian representation. Although primarily engaged in commercial production, the
studio has branched out to include narrative work beginning with a string of short films. Her Latest film “The Gay
Who Wasn’t Gay Enough” was a festival hit and garnered a drawer full of shiny trinkets and awards. Today, Hero
Films serves as the vehicle through which Knight continues to write and develop several feature projects and other
narrative works.
UPLUGGED TV. FOUNDER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR
The year 1999 saw the inception of Unplugged TV, a company dedicated to original online entertainment and
interactive design, which Linzi founded along with partners Andy Knight and Richard D’Allessio. This boutique shop
was one of the first to create web-based characters using Flash animation. The company caught the eye of Jerry
Seinfeld who at the time was looking to animate Superman in “The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman.” Unplugged
TV continues as a collective of artists for online entertainment and is based in Los Angeles.