Simon Otto

Simon Otto is a director, animator, and story artist recognized for his significant contributions to animated films, including the “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy and Netflix projects. After studying animation at Les Gobelins Animation School in Paris in 1995 and completing an internship with Walt Disney Feature Animation in Paris, Simon Otto began his distinguished career in 1997 by joining DreamWorks Animation. He contributed as a traditional character animator on the studio’s inaugural animated film, The Prince of Egypt (1998). Over his 21-year tenure at DreamWorks, Otto became a key figure in their character animation team, skilled in both 2D and CG animated features.

Otto was a key contributor to the development of Premo, DreamWorks Animation’s proprietary animation software, and received a VES Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature in 2011. In 2019, after over two decades with DreamWorks Animation, Simon Otto transitioned to working as an independent director on diverse film and television projects. He directed the episode ‘The Tall Grass’ for Volume Two of the acclaimed Netflix series Love, Death & Robots (2021). The same year, Otto took on the significant role of supervising director and executive producer for all ten episodes of the animated TV series A Tale Dark & Grimm.

Additionally, he directed an episode of Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia in 2016, showcasing his versatility as a director. Simon Otto’s feature film directorial debut is slated for 2024 with the Netflix and Locksmith Animation film That Christmas, an adaptation of Richard Curtis’s children’s books. Demonstrating his commitment to nurturing new talent within the animation industry, Otto founded LuMAA (Lucerne Master Academy of Animation) in 2016. This initiative, in collaboration with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, serves as a vital platform for mentoring emerging animation professionals.