Being Ian

Being Ian is a Canadian animated series produced by Studio B Productions and Nelvana Limited for YTV, focusing on 12-year-old Ian Kelley, who aspires to become a filmmaker. It originally aired from April 26, 2005, to October 11, 2008.

The series is created by and based on the early life of creator Ian James Corlett. It is set in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia. Produced in 2004, it debuted on April 26, 2005, on YTV.

Plot
Ian Kelley is a 12-year-old boy with aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. His love of movies and his overactive imagination -- as his mother describes it -- often get the preteen into some strange situations. Ian's parents, music-store owner Ken and homemaker Vicky, are indifferent to his dreams of making movies, which causes him some frustration. Ian's best friend is Ty, who acts as the voice of reason for him but is still willing to go along with the schemes that Ian hatches.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Decent animation, especially from later episodes.
 * 2) Catchy theme song performed by Parry Gripp, Jeff Kinney and Ian James Corlett.
 * 3) Amazing voice acting from various voice actors.
 * 4) Decent character designs, and backgrounds that fits the premise of the series.
 * 5) It pays homage to various movie genres like western, adventure, science fiction, comedy, drama, action, and others.
 * 6) Funny and crazy moments here and here.
 * 7) It's based on a true story about Ian James Corlett's childhood.
 * 8) As the series is about an aspiring filmmaker, it features a lot of pop culture references and allusions to cinema as well as other media while knowing its limits.
 * 9) It features different visual styles, mostly from Ian's Imagine Spots which makes it more entertaining.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The earlier episodes’ animation wasn't the greatest.
 * 2) Some characters can be jerks at times.
 * 3) The art style is kinda bland.

Trivia

 * David Suzuki guests stars in one episode.