What does worldbuilding mean when the real world is collapsing?
Drawing on their animated, fictional documentary Acid City, Hornet animation directors and Laser Days co-founders Jack Wedge and Will Freudenheim consider what “worldbuilding” means when climate collapse makes reality feel stranger than fiction.
Fromm Studio's animated world of whimsy
From scanning Staffordshire statues to creating folklore-inspired window displays for Selfridges, Partizan 3D studio Fromm shares the joy of creating wonderfully wonky animations.
Peer Review: Clara Bacou
With a varied career that has transported her from digital art experiments to stadium-filling visuals and immersive AR experiences, Partizan Studio animation director Clara Bacou shares the designers and directors who inspire her and why curiosity, collaboration, and adaptability are at the heart of her craft.
Animation and effects: Are we losing the human touch?
The worlds of animation and VFX are joined at the hip by technology and imagination, but are we in danger of giving tech the upper hand? Tim Cumming talks to animators and VFX experts about old-school techniques, new-school technology, and the bold new talents breaking though.
Peer Review: Andy & Adeena
BLINKINK animation directors Andy & Adeena celebrate the tactile, surreal and delightfully odd world of stop-motion, from formative favourites Wallace and Gromit and Coraline to artists Mikey Please, Nina Gantz and Stevie Gee.
Giving brands character: Why mascots work, and how to make one that lasts
From Kellogg's Tony the Tiger to Compare the Market's meerkats, Electric Theatre Collective Animation Director David Bryan unpacks the enduring appeal of brand mascots and how to create one with cultural staying power.
The revolution will be animated: Why animation is my Molotov cocktail
With the ability to go beyond the limitations of live-action and set fire to perceived social norms, Carl Jones, Co-Founder of animation studio Martian Blueberry, explains why animation isn't just for kids.
Peer Review: Chris Welsby
Coffee & TV Animator Chris Welsby reflects on the work and creatives that have inspired his career, including Disney's Glen Keane, the expressive CG of Arcane and the emotional realism of Life of Pi’s tiger.
How Eliza McNitt and AI connected the intimate with the infinite
In ANCESTRA, Chromista director Eliza McNitt merges the miracle of childbirth with the mysteries of the cosmos, crafting a live-action/AI short brought to life by hundreds of hands translating vision into poetry. Here, she speaks to shots about the film’s ambitious process and the human collaboration behind the machine.
From Kanye to Beyoncé: Joe Perez’s visual alchemy
From designing albums and branding for clients from Beck to Kim Kardashian, Joe Perez is the creative mind behind some of contemporary culture’s most iconic visuals. He talks to Amy Hey at OFFF Festival about the intensity of his Kanye days, the myths and symbolism that have shaped his work, and the peace he’s learning to protect.
Animators, AI, and the human artistry that will keep our industry alive
LOBO Managing Director Luis Ribeiro examines why human vision remains essential as AI reshapes animation.
On My Radar: Balázs & Cátia
Nexus Studios animation duo Balázs Simon [left] and Cátia Abreu, aka Balázs & Cátia, discuss an animated film "that transcends both language and age", an animated TV show that's "the perfect combination of funny and depressing", and why now, more than ever, people want good stories, told in a novel way.