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Switzerland 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.
Simon Otto began his career at DreamWorks Animation in 1997. He played a significant role as Head of Character Animation for projects like the 'How to Train Your Dragon' film trilogy and was a key contributor to the development of Premo, DreamWorks' animation software.
Simon Otto has directed an episode for Volume Two of the Netflix series 'Love, Death & Robots' called 'The Tall Grass' and is developing several other Netflix-related projects. He also served as supervising director and executive producer for the Netflix TV series 'A Tale Dark & Grimm' and is making his feature film directorial debut with the Netflix film 'That Christmas'.
Simon Otto studied at the prestigious Les Gobelins Animation School in Paris, France, after leaving Switzerland to further his artistic education.
After graduating from Les Gobelins, Simon Otto received additional animation training through an internship with Walt Disney Feature Animation in Paris.
Simon Otto is set to direct the 2024 Netflix and Locksmith Animation film 'That Christmas', marking his feature film directorial debut.
In 2016, Simon Otto founded LuMAA (Lucerne Master Academy of Animation) with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, which offers a 6-week summer course for animation talents.
Simon Otto, identified as an experienced brand- and marketing strategist and a "crazy-creative-thinker," started his career at the IFJ.
Simon Otto was born on June 12, 1973, in Uznach, St. Gallen, Switzerland, and grew up in Gommiswald. His early artistic endeavors included carving commercial snow sculptures in resort towns like Arosa and St. Moritz, and drawing news cartoons for his hometown newspaper, “Die Suedostschweiz.” After completing a banking apprenticeship, Otto pursued his passion for art, attending the F&F Schule für Experimentelle Gestaltung in Zurich. In 1995, he moved to Paris, France, to study animation at Les Gobelins Animation School. During this period, he also gained additional animation training through an internship with Walt Disney Feature Animation in Paris. These early experiences established a foundation for his career in the animation industry.
Otto began his professional career in 1997 when he joined DreamWorks Animation. He worked on the studio’s first animated film, “The Prince of Egypt,” contributing as a traditional character animator. Over his 21-year tenure at DreamWorks, Otto became a key figure in their character animation team, working on both 2D and CG animated features. He served as Supervising Animator on films such as “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and the Aardman co-production, “Flushed Away.” His role expanded to Head of Character Animation for all three “How to Train Your Dragon” films, where he was instrumental in developing character designs, personalities, and the overall animation style. He also contributed as a story artist on the second and third installments of the trilogy and on other projects like “Over the Hedge,” where he worked as a character designer.
After leaving DreamWorks Animation in 2019, Simon Otto transitioned to working as an independent director on various film and television projects. He directed an episode for Volume Two of the Netflix series “Love, Death & Robots” called “The Tall Grass.” In 2021, he served as supervising director and executive producer for all ten episodes of the TV series “A Tale Dark & Grimm.” Otto’s feature film directorial debut is with the 2024 Netflix and Locksmith Animation film “That Christmas,” based on Richard Curtis’s children’s books. He also founded LuMAA (Lucerne Master Academy of Animation) in 2016 in collaboration with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, an initiative to mentor new talent in the animation industry.
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