New Director Theo Davies on Red Bull and Badgers

The shots Animation Special, issue 148, will be hitting desks later this month and within its pages are a host of creative animators, some who've already proven their credentials, like Smith & Foulkes and Aardman's Peter Lord, and others who are just starting out but with an impressive future ahead.

Another person who falls into that category is Theo Davies. This talented new director is a recent animation graduate from Brighton University and here he talks about his interesting - sometimes disturbing - work and what he's looking forward to about working in commercials after signing to 15 Badgers for commercial representaion.

Tell us a bit about your background; what attracted you to animation in the first place?

I realised that I wasn’t good enough at drawing to be an illustrator, so I decided that the best way to get one up on the drawers was to make something move. This also meant that my drawings didn’t have to be as good.

After that, I loved that animation was effectively just a magic trick, in that it allows you to trick people and make things that can't happen, happen.

Did you have particular inspirations or animation idols when you were young?

I always really liked Wallace and Gromit and everything that came from Aardman, but I was kind of oblivious to how it was made or why it moved, I just accepted it. But then as I got into animation I started looking at Blu and animation from Tim Burton and Henry Selick.

Is all your work from your time at university?

All but one [Red Bull] was made at university. They were sort of ‘illustration films’ because the projects were shorter illustration projects. This meant trying to achieve something that was longer was hard with the tight deadline. The thing for Red Bull was made for a competition outside of university.

You use a variety of techniques; is that because you’re still experimenting or you just don’t want to be pigeon-holed as one type of director?

I haven’t really considered being pigeon-holed, but I get bored with processes quite quickly. I like to try and work back from the idea into how I’m going to make the film, rather than starting with a process. But sometimes it happens the other way around. Its quite exciting finding something that looks completely new that doesn’t normally move.

I think my main goal is to make something that makes the viewer feel something or some way. I like to try and create an atmosphere for the work that makes it engrossing and engaging.

Some of the work (The Appearance/The Square) is pretty dark; are you particularly drawn to that type of subject matter and what were the inspirations behind those shorts?

Yes I suppose I am. That just started happening really, and before I knew it everything was quite dark and mysterious. I’m drawn to science and to taboos and fringes – things that aren’t spoken about and by they’re nature are uncomfortable. I’m also really interested in human relationships, insecurities and desires.

Both The Appearance and The Square were thoughts on new life. I had read Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and had been to see Frankenstein at The National Theatre the year before, and I was quite inspired by that. I had made these characters and I wanted to make what might happen if they were born.

The Red Bull test spot is great; tell us a bit about that spot and the process behind it.

This was for a competition for Red Bull. My thoughts were of energy and where energy came from, which on a simplified level is light. Light is the basis of everything. So working back from this I wanted to show Red Bull being crafted from pure, glistening energy fusing to become something special.

The process is light drawing, but I wont go in to the detail of it…

You just signed to 15 Badgers for commercial representation; why did you choose to sign with them and what are your aspirations for the future?

I was introduced by Martin Andersen of Andersen M Studio, who was one of my tutors at university, and I chose to sign with 15 Badgers because of the quality of the people they represent. They have such a diverse range of directors and work on their books, that I felt I would be in good hands and good company.

Toby [Courlander]and Bash [Robertson, both exec producers at 15 Badgers] have such a wealth of knowledge and experience that I felt comfortable trusting them to help me in the right direction. They’re also just really lovely people! My aspirations are to make as much work as I can and to start telling some stories.

Who’s your favourite animated film/TV character?

Max from Mary and Max by Adam Elliot. He’s good such a good heart, and he’s brilliantly awkward.