Drew Lightfoot's Storytelling Bridges Stop-Motion, Live-Action, Virtual Worlds

Fueled by a lifelong passion for storytelling, visual arts, and exploration, Drew Lightfoot, a seasoned filmmaker, journeys from a childhood steeped in creativity and cultural curiosity to a career shaping narratives across animation, live-action, and immersive media.

Beginning with stop-motion experiments inspired by a designer father, Drew's path evolves through groundbreaking collaborations with cinematic icons like Tim Burton and Peter Jackson, directing commercials, music videos, and documentaries, and leading global teams to create visually transformative work.

Driven by curiosity and connection, this visual storyteller thrives at the intersection of art, technology, and human emotion. From animating on award-winning films like 'Corpse Bride' and 'Frankenweenie', to crafting immersive experiences such as 'Horizon -- a visual symphony of Canada' and NYC's 'charity:water' film, Drew's career is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation.

Based in New Zealand but working globally, weaving cultural narratives into a rich tapestry of artistic impact.

Name: Drew Lightfoot

Location: New Zealand

Repped by: Reel Factory, Someplace Nice, Bubbles, Go East.

Awards: D&AD, SXSW, MVPA, ANNECY

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the others and what sorts of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Drew> I’m drawn to scripts with a significant visual challenge. The most evocative ones leave space for visual trickery -- concepts that allow me to bend time, stop it entirely, or rush through it in hyperlapse. My mind works in frames, a habit from my early years in stop-motion. So when a script invites play with perspective, pacing, and perception, I’m all in.

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Drew> I always start by asking, what problem is this solving, and how can we express that as simply and as memorably as possible? I like to unearth visual metaphors that reinforce the narrative and dig into the emotional undercurrent.

While other commercials occasionally come to mind, I prefer to pull references from the real world -- films, fine art, photography and music. I travel extensively and make a point of visiting local galleries, immersing myself in different cultures, and drawing inspiration that leads to unexpected and original solutions.

LBB> If the script is for a brand you’re not familiar with / don’t have a big affinity with or a market you’re new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad. If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Drew> I try to understand the brand’s history, tone, values, and the people behind it. A clearly defined ethos helps inform the visual tone and storytelling choices. If the brand is still evolving, that’s even more exciting as it opens the door for deeper creative input.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Drew> Throughout production, the editor is my most critical collaborator. My films are often quite technical and I like to build rip-o-matics or animatics early on to explore structure and rhythm. The edit is where it all comes together, and many different films can emerge from the same footage. Once we’re on set, it’s the cinematographer who becomes my closest collaborator. We’re constantly fine-tuning the visual language and working in sync to bring the plan to life.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about -- is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Drew> Projects that merge live-action and animation light my fuse. I love hybrid forms where different disciplines collide to create something new. In the end, it’s always the story that pulls me in first. If the narrative has emotional weight and visual ambition, I’m sold.

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

Drew> My early career started in stop-motion, and I spent several years pivoting into live-action. Now, I’m happiest in the terrain between -- mixing techniques, experimenting with styles, and letting the story dictate the medium.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so, how have your experiences been?

Drew> Many times. They’re not the enemy of creativity… they typically just want clarity. The more transparent I am with my rationale, the more aligned we become. Of course, they are driven to keep costs lean, but that can lead to smarter problem-solving. I don’t mind having my ideas challenged if it leads to better solutions.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production -- and how did you solve it?

Drew> On a film for BC Children’s Hospital, I wanted the story to start with a helicopter delivering a patient. The opening shots were meant to have a tilt-shift look to make the hospital seem miniature. We couldn’t fly drones, and we couldn’t film the helicopter exit scene on the working hospital helipad – should there be a real emergency. We filmed the patient coming out of the heli at the Vancouver International Airport and the BC Ambulance service agreed to fly my cinematographer and I to the hospital. We filmed the aerials enroute and had a camera team on the ground to film our landing at the hospital. I love those big, technical problem-solving situations.

LBB> How do you strike the balance of being open / collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Drew> They’ve invited you in to bring their baby to life. I like to listen to all ideas, encourage collaboration, and steer the team toward the best version of the concept. At the same time, I try to stay grounded in my taste and values. That’s ultimately why they hired me -- so I owe it to the project to have a strong point of view.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

Drew> I’ve shot all over the world with people from all backgrounds. We’re all human, and talent always reigns supreme for me. I was lucky to have incredible mentors from my teens, and in turn have been mentoring up-and-comers for years.

LBB> How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time?

Drew> The pandemic certainly solidified remote work pipelines. I’ve been travelling the globe for years, doing remote scouts, edits, colour grades and occasionally shoots, so it wasn’t a huge disruption to my systems.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you’re working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so?)

Drew> My instinct is for the cinematic feel of wide-screen or anamorphic filmmaking, but we’re constantly adapting, and there are innovative ways to make every format feel intentional. Multi-format is simply part of the craft now.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing technology into your work ?

Drew> I’m a tech maximist. I learned filmmaking and editing on film, and I’ve been experimenting with it my entire career. I love to incorporate different technologies into my process, whether they were designed for film or not -- LIDAR scanners, motion control, anything I can get my hands on. Virtual production is an exciting solution for hybrid storytelling; however, there is something beautiful about having real actors in a real environment.

AI is an incredible tool for exploring visuals and creating tests. It’s getting better and better by the second, never replacing creativity, but amplifying it.

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best and why?

Drew>

BC Children’s Hospital: This was a beautiful challenge; an ambitious script, an unforgiving budget that came together with an incredible team who put their hearts into it. Filming in an active hospital was not without its challenges.

Roots of Empathy: We had neither the budget nor time to 3D print and film a miniature world, so we pivoted to Unreal Engine – blending human scans with scanned miniature set pieces, to craft a tiny village that feels human and hand-built.

Making of Roots of Empathy: a peek behind the curtain into the many, many steps of bringing this miniature world to light.

Icebreaker: This was a beautiful opportunity to shoot in my backyard. I’m into running, cycling and surfing so it was a dream to scout doing what I love and get amongst the action as we filmed. I love some adventure filmmaking to balance the deeply technical projects.