Shayne's first exposure to film was when his mother took him to the theatre to see George Lucas's A New Hope. He grew up in the 1980s, surrounded by American cinema, with fond memories of films like Joe Dantes's Gremlins, Spielberg's Indiana Jones and E.T., Richard Donner's Goonies, Robert Zemeckis's Back to the Future, James Cameron's Terminator, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and Rob Reiner's Stand by Me.
As a child, Shayne was drawn to drawing, writing, and creating, and he developed a keen curiosity for technology. In adulthood, he was diagnosed as neurodivergent (ADHD),which affected his academic journey and shaped his creative personality. Despite challenges, he became a lifelong learner, studying art, film, acting, writing, business, humanities, and technical vocations.
Film study introduced Shayne to high art cinema, including Federico Fellini's 8 and 1/2, Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief, and Jean Luc Godard's Breathless. He was also influenced by Hollywood low-brow movies, such as Roger Corman's films, Tony Scott's True Romance, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas.
Shayne is an award-winning filmmaker and artist with over twenty-five years of experience in film, television, and the professional art scene. He has worked in nearly every position on a film crew, including director, producer, cinematographer, and editor, and has performed as a voice artist and actor.
Shayne's professional journey began with a tiny-budget science fiction film, which established his reputation as a multi-skilled filmmaker. He has since worked on productions for Disney, CTV, Showcase, SCN, TSN, Bell Media, and several international distributors. His craft spans diverse genres, including sci-fi, comedy, drama, documentaries, commercials, and experimental films.
Shayne has guided over 200 short film productions from development to distribution, sharing his expertise with diverse individuals. He has taught filmmaking at post-secondary institutions and is recognized as an expert in video production by the Canadian Department of National Defense.
Shayne's passion for advancing cinema includes his role in creating the 'Directors Film and Television Competency Chart' for the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC). He has also served as a juror for film festivals, including the Yorkton Film Festival (YFF),the Directors Guild (DGC) Awards, and the Saskatchewan International Film Festival (SIFF).
Today, Shayne continues to evolve as a filmmaker, writer, and artist, with a focus on long-form feature film stories that blend fantasy and science fiction with roots in reality and history from the working-class perspective.
