Shelley McIntosh's journey into the world of animation began at The Vancouver School of Art (now Emily Carr University) where she made her film Labyrinth. It won several awards in Canada and was invited to a number of prestigious festivals including Annecy, Zagreb, Krakow, and was included in the 14th Annual Tournée of Animation.

In addition to her own films, McIntosh's career encompasses work at Nelvana in Toronto, International Rocketship in Vancouver and over seven years in the animation industry in London, England. On her return to Vancouver she taught animation at Emily Carr and worked at International Rocketship and the National Film Board on a number of productions.