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SHOWREEL
GET TO KNOW DEREK
Can you describe the extent of any relevant work experience you might have?
Whilst I don't currently have any direct work experience in animation. I have however attended multiple industry talks and networking events as well as been in contact with leading professionals from companies such as blue zoo, framestore and ILM.All of this in combination with remote workshops has provided me with a realistic and good understanding of what is required of me in the industry.
How would you describe your contribution to your group project?
For the most recent project I had the privilege of assuming the role of director and 3D animator. As it was my first time being a director it was a bit of a learning curve to begin with but with the help of my amazing team I took no time to adjust. Although being in charge of such a large group of people was definitely daunting I wanted to make sure that I provided to the best of my abilities. Not only for the team but also for myself and for the film. Honing my creativity, researching and learning about areas I previously had no knowledge in whether it be ballet or the tools the 2D and 3D vfx team were using to bring the story to life; as well as expanding on my leadership skills are all things that I am very grateful for and I will be caring forward.
In my previous team projects Ongo and the fairy tree I had the role of art director and animator, which I absolutely loved. Being able to work closely with the director exploring different art styles, colour schemes etc and eventually seeing them translated on screen was a beautiful process that I really enjoyed having a part in. Moving on from my uni projects and going forward in my career I am really excited to focus on animation, using all the skills that I have gained from Escape.
What do you specialise in and what made you choose that specialism?
I chose to specialise in character animation. The process of breathing life into a rig and being able to convey to the audience exactly who that character is in even the most subtle of movements is something I just think is really beautiful.
What would your ideal first role in the industry be?
My ideal first role would be a junior animator at Blue zoo. They have a lot of short experimental films that I just think are visually beautiful and I would love to have the opportunity to work on something like that.
Which of your student projects are you most proud of, and why?
Definitely Set in Stone and Ongo. Set in stone was the first film I have directed and I really wanted to make a film that made the viewer feel something as they watched it and I think we did just that. I have always been a huge fan of tragic romance. I think it’s a really beautiful genre and being able to take the simple concept of sacrificing oneself for love and putting my own spin on it is something I am very proud of. Just being able to see the gradual progression from where we started to the final product is a feeling I can’t describe. Along the way there were definitely hiccups and problems that we didn’t see coming but the fact that the team was able to overcome that all and provide a piece that we are all truly proud of is very meaningful to me.
As for Ongo, me and the director and I think everyone in the team had a very distinct image of how we wanted Ongo to look. We wanted it to be fun, adorable and just overall cosy and I am so proud that I think we were able to achieve that. As I mentioned before I was the art director but I was also the set designer and texture artist for the set pieces and I think we really succeeded in taking the viewer into a separate little world with those mushrooms.
What’s a piece of media (film, game, animation) that changed the way you think about your discipline?
There are so many on this list near the op would be the Tale of Princess Kaguya which is I think a bit of an obscure choice but my reasoning is, upon first watch I really could not tell what was going on in the story but I knew that I could feel all the emotions that they wanted me to. I think it is really cool the way they expressed the emotions though the character animation among other things in that film was really effective and it’s something you see in all ghibli films, his characters are always so expressive and they really nail each emotion and emotional shift. To name some 3D works of course arcane. The attention to detail in the body language and facial animation in that show is insane. It’s really the amalgamation of several small things that make one big impact on the viewer and it’s something that I want to master in my own animations.
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