“I get to draw and colour for a living; it’s ideal for me”, says Chris, 37, who is an art director here at A Productions.
Originally hired as a designer, Chris joined A Productions a year and a half ago, before being promoted to art director.
He studied illustration in Manchester and freelanced as an illustrator initially, working on logo, mascot and mural designs for example, as well as a few children’s book illustrations.
“Drawing cartoons has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. Back then I didn’t realise animation was an option.”
Chris was introduced to the idea by coming across people who worked in the animation industry whilst in Manchester and ended up working as a designer on a show for four seasons before making the move to Bristol.
“I knew about Bristol’s reputation for animation and as a creative city. I felt it had career progression opportunities to offer. I landed with A Productions and thought it was great that they had two studios and were working on several shows. It offered a brilliant sense of stability and promise”, says Chris.
Currently, he’s working on Series 3 of JoJo and Gran Gran, which is produced by BBC Studios Kids and Family Productions in association with A Productions.
What does his role as art director involve? “I guide my team to produce work that meets the brief and reflects what the directors are imagining, creating something that’s entertaining and amazing to look at.”
“Because we are working on the continuation of a series where the characters were already set in Series 1, our main focus is the new locations and props. It could be anything from a canal boat to a colourful rangoli pattern, and from the inside of an aquarium to a brightly decorated high street, but they could also be everyday objects.”
His favourite part of the job? “I absolutely love working in house, being in a studio. I don’t just talk to my department; I love having a team sense with every department. Interacting with people is one of my favourite things.”