The Animation Focus

With toons on-trend during lockdown, now that live-action is back what is the state of the animation nation today? This focus draws on opinions and profiles of animation directors, producers and studios and looks at new trends and technologies in the medium.

Talent

Renee Zhan: the best of all worlds

Step into the work of Chinese-American filmmaker Renee Zhan, and find yourself entering an array of whimsical worlds – maybe slithering in the slimy depths of a black hole, or being serenaded by a choir of amorphous creepy crawlies. shots spoke to the multitalented animation director about blobby worms, Björk and being shy.

Craft

How Ewa Smyk portrayed the power of self-belief through a hand-painted film

Lovingly brought to life through traditional, hand-illustrated techniques, Ewa Smyk’s multi-awarded animated short film, Homebird, is a heartwarming story about the importance of embracing your past. Here, she talks about homesickness and self-discovery, two years of painstaking cel-animation, and her own experiences as an artist and immigrant.

Talent

Christine Peters: a real character

From attempting to animate her teddy bear at the tender age of five to breathing life into Stranger Things’ character Eleven, a swarm of bees, and a sardonic inner critic, Christine Peters, 2D animation lead at Blind Pig, has become the go-to for character design. Her tools? TVPaint, Toon Boom – and a wicked sense of humour.

Talent

Studio Desk: digital storytelling with a human touch

With a shared passion for the painterly and poetic, Jelly animation duo Emily Downe and Kathrin Steinbacher, aka Studio Desk, weave their metaphorical magic into scientific concepts to create 2D films that inform and inspire. shots spoke to the pair about complementary qualities, creative collaboration, and animating for brands from the BBC to Badoo.

Insight

An animator's guide to the best CGI characters

shots spoke to a select posse of animation pros and asked them to choose their all-time favourite adland animated figures – resulting in a fascinating collection, ranging from romantic root veg, to potty peperami sticks and walking pylons.

Insight

The amplification of animation

Brian McCauley, ECD of creative studio Flavor, suggests that now more than ever, animation is a vital element in creative advertising. From new styles in TV and film to small animated moments in ads, creators are realising its storytelling power and today's viewers are so animation-savvy they've almost come to expect its presence.

Inspiration

Peer Review: Lisa Kenney

Blinkink animation director, proud Northerner, and self-confessed stop-motion nerd Lisa Kenney talks about heartfelt storytelling, captivating characters, and the importance of keeping an open mind.

Inspiration

Peer Review: Ed Kevill-Davies

Coffee & TV’s Senior Motion Designer Ed Kevill-Davies tells us how nineties music videos kick-started his career, talks us through his favourite filmmakers, and shows us his inspiring workspace.

Insight

The eyes have it: how animators open the window to the soul

shots speaks to artists from five top animation houses - Nexus Studios, Aardman, Psyop, Framestore, and Golden Wolf - to find out how peepers are perfected in all animated forms.

Insight

Why animation beats live-action at reaching a diverse audience

Whether it comes down to its adaptability, accessibility, or affordability, Ricardo Roberts, EP of inclusive motion design studio BIEN, explains how a design-focussed approach to advertising could help brands connect to an increasingly diverse, worldwide audience more effectively than live-action production.

Insight

Credit to the not-so-humble motion designer

As we kick off this month's animation focus, Ric Comline, Creative Director at Blind Pig, and champion of the versatile motion designer, poses a question; are all animators are born equal? Maybe, he says. But, also, maybe not.

Insight

AI animation, art therapy and the importance of childlike creativity

Do you think the future looks bleak? As our lives advance - along with our technology - will we become less creative? Ari Kuschnir, Founder and Managing Partner at m ss ng p eces, thinks not. Instead, he embraces AI and what it can teach us and, along with his young daughter, celebrates the benefits of childlike creativity.

Insight

Why animation directors need to be taken more seriously

Animation house Jelly London's EP Sue Loughlin asserts that dismissing the form as mere 'cartoons' is to misunderstand its importance in the art of filmmaking.

Insight

Will animation companies still exist in five years' time?

It can be creative, distinctive and has the potential to work brilliantly for clients but, says The Moon Unit, animation is also facing a trifecta of troubles which present an explosive risk to the medium and the companies that facilitate it.

Insight

CGI marketing: the strange new world of viral surrealism

Brandon Baum, Founder/CEO of StudioB and viral content creator with 14M+ followers, reveals how brands are increasingly using surreal visual effects to connect with their social audiences. He shares five recent examples that have proved successful.

The Photography & Cinematography Focus

In a cacophonous digital culture that bombards us with a stream of personal image-sharing and branded visuals, it can be hard for photography to stand out. This month, shots pulls focus on the DPs and photographers whose work sets the optic nerves a-tingle and considers the input of non-human image generators.

The Inspiration Focus

What are the cultural artefacts, random objects, rituals and synaptic sparks that generate fresh ideas? We talk to some of ad land’s most innovative thinkers about creative inspiration. What it is, where they find it and do the AI bots have it too...

The YDA 2024 Focus

The rising stars who won Golds in this year’s Young Director Award share with shots the origins and ideas and behind their films, the production highs and lows and what they’re planning next.

The Music and Sound Focus

With sometimes just seconds to tell a story and set tone, the aurals – as well as the visuals – need to be spot on in ads. This month we sound out the musical maestros and foley funsters worth listening out for.

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