Agency: Pancho
Client: Mountain Goat
Project: Ginger Beer
Role: Compositor, Motion Designer
3D Animator: Akira Dawson
Platform: TVC, Billboards (print), Social

It’s not every day you get asked to stick a ginger wig on a goat, but that was exactly what was required for this campaign by Mountain Goat to promote their new alcoholic ginger beer. The challenge was to seamlessly integrate scans of whimsical ginger wigs onto existing photographs of mountain goats in different landscapes, while still appearing natural and comically effective. The scenes also needed to look alive, with a breeze ruffling the hair and vegetation and subtle camera movement.

To bring this to life I gradually rebuilt each landscape as multiple layered plates, separating the foreground, midground and background using extensive set extensions, and rotoscoping. I then meticulously rigged every individual clump of hair on the wigs and any branches, grass or fur in each scene that would be hypothetically light enough to move in a breeze. Thus prepped, I began the animation component. First, I added a turbulence effect to simulate a slight breeze, then adding a virtual camera that slowly pushed in on each goat creating a parallax effect and sense of depth in the scene as it moved through layers staggered in 3D space.

The sequence was then added to the other components of the TVC such as supers and the 3D rendered cans. The commercial was popular and used across a TVC, printed billboards and social media campaign, adding to the distinctive brand visibility of Mt Goat Brewery.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: University of Melbourne
Project: School of Biomedical Sciences
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

Melbourne University’s School of Biomedical Sciences partners with world-renowned research facilities, including the Doherty Institute which was instrumental in the fight against Covid-19 in Australia. The School plays a fundamental role in helping us better understand disease, including research into vaccines for HIV and influenza. 

The University required an animated video promoting their Biomedical Degree program. The task of the animation was to follow a narrative of two potential students exploring the various options and benefits of building the units of the degree to suit their needs. The elevator motif demonstrates the students moving up through a ‘tower’, each floor showing options and elements of the course. As they reach their final career destination on the rooftop, it becomes evident that the tower is in the shape of the letters BIO MED.

I developed an isometric exploded view treatment used in technical drawing to demonstrate the buildings in a stylised way and also create the modular nature of the tower building concept. I wanted to keep the tower concept very abstract and not too literal; each scene/level is constantly constructed and then deconstructed, which also helped keep the design light and the animation movement fluid. 

The final animation received positive feedback from both prospective students and the faculty, effectively meeting and exceeding the client’s goals of promoting the course.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Bank Australia
Project: Responsible Banking
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

Bank Australia is committed to investing in and supporting ethical industries such as affordable housing, animal welfare, not-for-profits and renewable energy. The brief was to highlight their positive impact on the environment and society while contrasting it with the harmful investments of competitor banks in sectors like fossil fuels and live animal exports. 

The challenge was to illustrate these often quite complex themes in an engaging and visually appealing manner while ensuring the final product effectively conveyed the bank's values and message. To accomplish this, I took the existing 'line art style' of illustrated icons and colour palettes of the Bank Australia branding to create a set of unique characters and elements required for the project. I then designed and animated abstract scenes that tied all the elements together, moving constantly via a fluid horizon line that linked each scene. 

This process resulted in an engaging and dynamic animation that visually represented the often complex scenarios required, while keeping on brand with Bank Australia.

Agency: Pancho
Client: Bunnings
Project: Mimosa Outdoor Furniture
Role: Cel Animator, Compositor
Illustrator: Lilian Darmono
3D Animator: Wilfred Patriarca
Platform: TVC

This unique project was for a TVC to showcase Bunnings’ outdoor furniture range supplier - Mimosa. The pitch required the integration of painterly illustrations of the garden setting with live-action footage of the furniture filmed on a green screen. The complex process to achieve this involved all of the individual elements being drawn and hand-painted and then meticulously composited together with the keyed furniture in 3D software. A virtual camera fly-through was then tracked and locked to the camera of the furniture footage.

My role was to animate the animals that appear in the garden using traditional hand-drawn cel animation to fit within the organic, painterly aesthetic of the treatment. The animals included native birds, goldfish, a lizard, a cat and a snail. This task was extremely challenging as the animals also had to move in 3D space to match the camera movement. I closely studied footage of each of the animals, looking at the specific way each moved and building rough sketches to block out their basic motion. Having locked down the movement, the next step was to painstakingly finesse the animation, establishing the way the animals’ masses moved in 3D space. This involved illustrating several hundred frames of animation, adding more detail in for each pass. 

The ambitious and complex animation process to achieve the end result paid off with a unique and well-received commercial.

Agency: Pancho
Client: University of Melbourne
Project: Barry Animated Loops
Role: 2D Animation, Cel Animation
Illustrator: Jackie Nguyen
Platform: Social / Online video

The unofficial University of Melbourne mascot 'Barry the Bear' takes many forms but always proudly wears a classic University of Melbourne t-shirt. The University’s content production team sought six different animated loops of Barry, each in a different illustration style including pixel art, collage, line drawing, kawaii and anime. The loops were to be used as standalone animated GIF stickers and overlaid on accompanying illustrated scenes of the campus with captions for promotional video content.

I needed to bring the supplied illustrated character designs to life by creating comical loops of movement, walking, running, flopping, bouncing or flying. For the majority of the loops, I employed traditional frame-by-frame cel animation techniques to achieve the movement. I found the usual approach of rigging the characters in 2D software too restrictive. Instead, I blocked out the key shapes (masses) of each character, finessed the squash and stretch motion, established the way heavy and light elements should move in secondary motion, and built in the exaggerated anticipation and follow-through of body parts. These subtle but crucial elements came together to achieve the smooth and seamless look that can be challenging to achieve in character animation.

It was a challenging but fun project. I learnt a lot through figuring out how to animate in the differing styles like pixel art, which was new to me. The animated loops were a hit; they have been added to the University media kit and are used extensively in content production around the campus.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: SEEK
Project: SEEK Search Tools
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

The job search service SEEK Australia required an animated explainer that showcased the sophisticated online job search tools available on their website. The primary challenge was to find a visually compelling way to highlight these features, in what was potentially quite a dry and technical topic.

I pitched the idea of the ‘search’ concept, using the aesthetic of film noir and tropes of 1950s private detective pulp magazines. I established the treatment through references and style frames and then progressed to storyboarding the animation to map out the detective's journey and integrate the job search tools into the narrative. The animation transitions from topic to topic by flicking through the pages of a detective magazine and then zooming into pages which become a full-screen set. I incorporated many trademarks of film noir by using long shadows, dramatic contrasted lighting and moody atmospheric scenes with neon lights, rain and moonlight.

The final result highlighted the search tool features in a really creative and engaging way. The detail shown on screen gave a sufficient overview of the tools without the need to show literal screen recordings of user interactions on the website, which was a huge relief to the client!

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: SEEK
Project: SEEK Employee Rights Resource
Role: Art Direction, Character Design, Illustration
Animation: Bruno Garcia
Platform: Social / Online video

The job search company SEEK provides numerous resources for employees. This brief called for an animated video resource to inform workers of their rights if they were fired during a trial period for a new job.

I thought it important to design relatable characters to reflect a broad diversity of demographics and occupations so audiences could connect to their situations. The time and budgetary constraints meant the animation of the characters needed to be simple and limited. In response, I designed the typography and secondary graphic elements to be bold and full of energy and movement to keep the video engaging and drive home the key messaging.

The animation was well-received by the client, having successfully met their aim of educating employees about their rights via engaging and relatable characters.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: ChillFactor
Project: ChillFactor TVC
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Set Design
3D Animators: Bruno Garcia, Paul Travers, Matthew Goodwin
Platform: TVC

This was a TVC for a product that enabled children to make their own healthier slushies at home using fruit juice and other options. The brief was to create a very energetic, fun and colourful animation to appeal to a young audience.

I developed the idea of the cups dancing as if it were a type of stage show musical, in the vein of the very flamboyant 1952 film the Million Dollar Mermaid, with bright and colourful abstract sets and synchronised dance movements building to dramatic finales. The 3D sets were designed as simple abstract geometry with a colourful mixture of textures. The cups moved or 'danced' through and interacted with the sets similar to sets on a stage show.

The final product needed to be fully rendered in 3D software. I worked closely with a small team of 3D animators who built the models and sets from scratch, based on the design and timings of the 2D animatic I had developed. It was another  fun project to work on and the client was delighted with the product, which readily achieved the aim of engaging a young audience with an energetic and colourful treatment.

Agency: Elastic
Client: Woolworths
Project: The Odd Bunch - Animated series
Role: Art Direction, Character Design, Illustration
Animation: Motion By Design
Platform: Social / Online video

The Odd Bunch encourages shoppers to buy perfectly fine but ‘imperfect’ looking fruit and vegetables that may otherwise be rejected or thrown away. The initiative also supports farmers by helping them sell more of the fruit and veggies they grow.

The Odd Bunch brief was a five-part animated explainer series covering the process and benefits of the initiative. I was contracted to design four ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetable characters that the series follows on their journey from the farm to store. I developed a graphic treatment for the rest of the visuals reflecting the Woolworths brand by using a simple but design-driven flattened perspective illustration style. I then storyboarded the first video to create a template for the series, which was subsequently animated and completed by Motion By Design.

The series was well-liked and the Odd Bunch continues as an effective initiative across the 1100+ Woolworths stores in Australia ro reduce a significant amount of food waste.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: VÖOST
Project: It's in the Tube TVC
Role: Art Direction
3D Animation: Ashley Goodall
Platform: TVC / Social

Effervescent vitamin tablets brand VÖOST asked for an animation that would promote their product in a visually striking and memorable way. The door was open to anything that could combine the brand’s German production base with the range of vitamin options available.

I created three pitch options. The first was based on the German art and design movement Bauhaus while the second was a minimalist Op-Art style which grew out of the Bauhaus movement.. The final (successful) concept had the effervescent tablets being created through a series of fantastical machinery and rhythmic processes in sync to the beat of a mechanical electronic music track or 'Kosmische Musik', which is a genre synonymous with Germany. 

The pitch was the easy part! Creating the animation was the next challenge. I meticulously researched references of 3D-generated abstract kinetic loops and geometric sculptures to find the right look and feel. After narrowing down the design for the imaginary production line 'machinery', it was a matter of blocking out the movement. I began with a rough 2D animatic and timed and finessed everything to be in sync with the beat of the music. I then worked with a 3D animation specialist to build the sketches and animatic into the final rendered scenes. 

The client was thrilled with the end result. It was a good example of getting a client on board with an unconventional concept to promote their product by pushing the boundaries and taking risks as a great way to stand out from the crowd.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: SEEK
Project: SEEK Volunteer > view website
Role: Art Direction, Character Design, Illustration, 2D Animation
Format: Social / Online video

SEEK Volunteer is Australia’s single largest source for finding volunteer opportunities. At any one time, around 12,000 community volunteer opportunities are advertised. SEEK developed a portal service to help companies encourage their staff to take up volunteering (and paid volunteer leave) by linking them with community volunteer opportunities. 

I created a treatment through multiple references and style frames working with SEEK to establish the look and feel. The character design was also an important factor. Having created the main character, I built the rest of the cast based on this treatment. I blocked out the scenes through storyboards before initiating the animation. The ‘hero’ character required simple rigging in 2D software for the facial expressions and movement to interact with the variety of volunteering situations depicted. 

The clients were really pleased with the animation and the characters and elements were used widely across the SEEK Volunteer website.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: CarmData
Project: Red Book Business Management Software
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

This brief required an animation for the launch of Red Book book-keeping software by CarmData. I needed to show a traditional record-keeping book as an out-of-control, chaotic monster-like creature before transitioning into the zen-like calm of the new sophisticated app service.

The concept and script had been established already and the client was open to ideas about how to realise the project through animation. I decided to use colour and design to emphasise the two parts - chaos and control. I used bold and angry red, black and yellow colours with graphic elements building and cluttering the screen. The second section contained muted cooler blues, greys and white, suggesting a sense of control and calm, with the graphic elements neat and symmetrical on screen.

Book-keeping isn't always the most engaging topic so being provided with a well thought out visual concept, incorporated into the script from the start, made it so much more effective to create something fun and visually interesting.

An animation for the launch of the Red Book software by CarmData. The brief was to develop a traditional record keeping book into a monster like creature which causes havoc and chaos before transitioning into the zen like calm of new book keeping software.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Integrity Insurance
Project: Website Elements
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Format: Html5 video

Integrity Life life insurance company wanted dynamic illustrations of characters and graphic element as part of the website refresh. The illustrations also needed subtle flowing movement delivered in the web friendly format of HTML5 .

The advertising agency involved supplied references of very fluid, flowing abstract illustrations, all using bold colours with little shadow or highlights as a guide. A consistent element in the references was that the characters were all frozen in a moment of very energetic movement. As a starting point, I researched footage and photos of modern dance performers who have the ability to look balanced and graceful no matter how extreme their pose. I was given a list of character types to depict and illustrated them in the dynamic poses of the references. The animation was delicate and just subtle enough to give the sense that the characters were frozen in space with a slight breeze or very slow continuation of movement.

It was an enjoyable challenge to work on a project where the main focus was to derive movement and energy from dynamic illustrations rather than the animation itself. The animated elements brought the Integrity Life website content to life.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: University of Melbourne - Melbourne Medical School
Project: Doctor of Medicine
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

The University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine program has been restructured so students can essentially build their own degrees to suit their interests and requirements. The University needed an animation to promote the new course structure as flexible and progressive, to inspire prospective students to enrol. The first task was to design a set of characters that would depict potential students from a broad range of demographics, backgrounds and personal situations that might be relevant to the way they study. The second step was to integrate the characters into a visual treatment and concept. I proposed the construction site motif; all the components of the custom-built degrees are built as a series of towers for each student.

This project was one of several University of Melbourne science and medical animations I have worked on. They are always a pleasure to work with and always very open to creative ideas to promote their courses.

Agency: XYZ Studio
Role: Lead Compositor
Project: Minute Maid
Platform: TVC

American-based juice company Minute-Maid required a TVC featuring a significant amount of visual effects shots to show city streets coming alive and literally bursting with oranges and growing vines. 

I worked with a team of 3D animators to composite and track the live-action plates with the CGI renders. The compositing work for the visual effects was challenging. The first step was tracking and locking a virtual 3D camera to the live-action camera movement. The next step was masking and layering the live-action plates so the CGI elements could be integrated and interact with objects in the city streets. The final step involved taking the CGI renders and blending them seamlessly into each shot. Achieving this required a complex multi-pass rendering, where shadows, highlights, reflections etc were all separated and then meticulously refined in the composite until the impression of realism is achieved. 

The finished TVC achieved the visual impact required, incorporating a number of ambitious and challenging visual effects that were all successfully realised thanks to careful planning by the visual effects supervisor and skilled 3D artists. It was gratifying to work with such a talented team.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Fulcrum
Project: Click & Fit
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Character Design, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

Turn your 4WD into a monster truck? O.k not quite... This animation for Fulcrum Suspension did, however, require plenty of off-road mud-splattered 4WDs! The brief was to promote Fulcrum's Click & Fit suspension kit, and demonstrate how easy it is to order and install at low cost. 

I developed a simple but stylised flattened perspective treatment to give it a unique look that suited the constant movement of the vehicles and scene transitions. The colour scheme and characters needed to speak to a more masculine audience also, according to the brief.

The campaign was successful and helped promote the product across the wider market of commercial trade vehicles.

Agency: Design Democracy
Project: Website animations - various
Role: 2D Animator
Design & Illustration: Design Democracy
Platform: Digital

This fun brief, from the talented design team at Design Democracy, was to revamp a website with looping animated Gifs of recent projects.

The creative challenge was to create simple yet engaging custom animations for each illustration and design - not too busy and distracting and not too long or complex to keep within the limited file size of each animated Gif. Working with Design Democracy’s creative director, we workshopped how the shapes, forms, characters and other elements unique to each artwork could be animated in a dynamic way.

I enjoyed working on the project and revisiting some of the animation fundamentals of pushing shapes and forms to their extremes and creating dynamic contrasts using speed ramping. I also had the opportunity to try out my first ‘double bounce’ walk cycle!

Agency: Pancho
Project: Dream Home Australia
Role: Illustrator, Motion Designer
Platform: Broadcast Series

Dream Home Australia is a reality TV series - the brief was to showcase the intended renovation plans as animated concept sketches of how the exterior and interiors would look.

The project required 40+ animated illustrations across the seven episodes. The creative challenge was to work with architectural plans and photographs to create layered illustrations of each renovation feature in a consistent style within a limited timeframe.

The end result overall was a much warmer and more organic method of demonstrating the contestants’ dreams for their newly renovated homes, compared to architectural 3D renders.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: VicRoads
Project: Vehicle Registration
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Format: Online video

Part of a series of instructional animations I created for VicRoads. The purpose of the videos was s to showcase a new simple and streamline process of transferring vehicle registrations.

The challenge was to find a way to keep the very minimal and simple graphics dynamic enough to provide interest throughout the series. I developed a visual treatment that was a mixture of 3D models and 2D artwork both built in an isometric perspective so they could be combined seamlessly. The combination allowed the simple elements to be extruded in 3D space and allowed for more dynamic movement using depth as opposed to just 2D movement.

The series was rolled out using this treatment and the extra addition of 3D perspective and models gave it a more dynamic while keeping within budget and short timeframes.

In 2023 Australians voted in a referendum about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for three phases of reform - Voice, followed by Treaty and Truth. The Voice if passed could not be abolished by future governments.

I had the opportunity to work on this official Government TVC designed to provide information to voters about the referendum. The project involved working with a team of compositors, tracking and rotoscoping key messages into the physical environment of each shot.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Project: Covid Safety
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Format: Stadium screens

Covid-19 how could we forget! This project for the MCG was a very tight turnaround due to the constantly evolving situation created by the pandemic. The animation outlined important Covid safety and regulations required for patrons, playing on screens in and around the stadium.

The challenge was finding a way to keep it very simple due to the turnaround while maintaining a level of effective design and personality in the animation to keep it engaging and communicate the message.

The project was delivered on time and the client were very appreciative of the fast turnaround and the information screens helped update patrons on the current COVID restriction at the time.

Client: Cirque Du Soil
Project: Mia Mia Micro Materials Bank
Role: 2D & 3D Animator
Platform: Event display, socials

It was a great to have the opportunity to work with Cirque Du Soil, passionate campaigners for reducing food waste and promoting upcycling and a circular economy. The Mia Mia project was a concept visualisation for a mobile micro materials recycling hub and one of the three finalists in the City of Melbourne Fishermans Bend Digital Innovation Challenge 2024. The brief was to create an animated explainer as a supporting visual for the pitch, showing how the micro materials hub would be built, transported and used by the public, and also to be used across social media to support audience voting on the project.

I worked with the Cirque Du Soil industrial designer and other key stakeholders on how we could visualise and animate how the proposed hub would be assembled and function in a public space. The industrial design of the hub project was very fluid as a prototype and I needed to adapt rough concept sketches into rendered images while, at the same time, build the animation using a modular technique that could creatively take onboard the frequent evolutions of the technical structure and functions of the hub.

It is a fantastic concept that I hope will come to into fruition; I always  love working with the team at Cirque Du Soil and looking forward to collaborating with them on future environmental projects.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: SEEK
Project: LGBTIQA+ Discrimination
Role: Art Direction, Character Design and Illustration
Animation: Bruno Garcia
Format: Online video

In Australia, it is against the law to not hire someone because they identify as LGBTIQA+. And yet, workplace discrimination based on a person's sexuality or gender identity is an ongoing issue. Discrimination can take many forms, including being paid less, singled out for disciplinary action, overlooked for promotion, or even unfairly dismissed.

This animation is part of an ongoing series educating workers about their rights. SEEK asked me to develop a unique treatment for the series aligned with the brand's colour palette. 

One of the challenges was designing relatable characters that would adequately reflect the broad diversity of the LGBTIQA+ community. I worked with SEEK to establish the character design for the various scenarios depicted, then developed the treatment for the typography and other graphic elements. The goal was to meld the largely character-driven scenes with secondary graphic elements to keep it engaging and drive home the key messaging.

The animation addressed the complex issues of discrimination due to sexuality or gender identity, and continues to serve as a useful resource or anyone who finds themselves in this situation.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Workplace Giving Australia
Project: Workplace Giving Explainer
Role: Art Direction, Character Design, Illustration, 2D Animation
Format: Online video

Workplace Giving Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that enables employees to contribute a portion of their pre-tax salary to charity. In many cases employers match staff donations, doubling the amount contributed. The organisation was after a fun and dynamic character-driven animation that follows an employee engaging with the various key elements of the program and its function.

The script and brief suited an exaggerated and cartoon aesthetic but without being too over the top. In response to the limited budget and volume of animation required, I designed the characters to be as simple as possible. I made up for the simplicity of the characters by drawing heavily upon cartoon principles of exaggeration, staging and anticipation to drive the story and keep the content engaging.

Client: City of Melbourne
Project: Melbourne Moomba Festival
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Format: Event display

The Moomba Festival is an iconic Melbourne event held every year; an even more iconic part of the festival is the Birdman Rally on the Yarra River. To promote the event I was contracted by the City of Melbourne to make a light-hearted and fun animation showcasing the history of the Birdman Rally.

The script was ready to go and City of Melbourne was open to ideas about how to visually portray the historical background of the rally. The only requirement was to incorporate the numerous historical photos in their collection. I proposed a collage-style cut-out treatment that used elements of existing photos cut up and mixed in with graphics. The graphics I created were made in such a way that they also appeared to be cut out of scrapbooks, newspapers or old photos.

 The client was very much on board with the idea, as it allowed a lot of creative license but retained the archival images they wanted to highlight. The animation was played to tens of thousands of people on screens at the Birdman Rally.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: Carsales
Job: Red Book Warranty
Role: 3D Animation / Design & Art Direction
Format: TVC

Carsales is Australia’s largest platform for buying and selling vehicles. It also provide services such as inspections, evaluations and warranties when buying a car. One of these services is Red Book Warranty, a service that covers buyers for unknown issues when purchasing a second hand car.. The client requested a TVC that showcased the service, using the established graphical treatment delivered in previous explainer videos that I had produced for them.

I proposed taking the existing treatment into a 3D-rendered world for that extra impact and impression required to grab attention in a broadcast commercial. I began by blocking out the script through storyboards and 2D animatics. As the 3D route is more time-consuming and involved, blocking out the animation first through boards and timing cuts was very important to work through any potential script changes or feedback. It was then rolled into and built and animated in 3D software. I used a 'cel shader' effect to keep within the look and feel of the existing 2D vector style branding of their previous animations. 

The treatment allowed for a lot of dynamic movement in 3D space, which gave it the impact it needed for broadcast while keeping the graphic elements simple enough to work within the client's budget.

Agency: Two Tractors
Client: CitiPower/Powercor
Project: Bushfire Safety Switch (REFCL)
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Platform: Social / Online video

As climate change increases the risk of devastating bushfires, CitiPower/Powercor has been developing new technology to prevent power lines from starting bushfires within Victoria. The preventative measures include creating a database of vegetation surrounding the network by using advanced Lidar mapping and also a smart network switch known as REFCL, to instantly cut the power to a section of the network if a line is damaged.

The brief was to explain the technology behind the new safety measures in a readily understandable way to a lay audience. I designed an isometric 3D treatment, which is a very effective way to communicate technical information through illustration and also retain consistency in the graphic elements.

The project successfully communicated the complex technical concepts underpinning the vital objective of reducing the risk of bushfires.

Agency: Two Tractors
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Project: SEEK - Journey of a Job Ad
Format: Online video

The job search company SEEK has a sophisticated system of algorithms that connect job seekers to advertised roles. The brief was to find a way to showcase the journey a job ad goes on as soon as it’s posted on the platform. 

I pitched the concept of it quite literally going on a journey, a jet-setting job ad. The idea lent itself to the aesthetic of a fun retro style ’60s jet-set theme, when travel was particularly romanticised and exotic. 

I established a look and feel that fit the SEEK branding but also reflected the modernist design of the era. I collected numerous references of 1960s airline posters and logos, luggage tags and airport interiors for inspiration. I proceeded to build the storyboard and an animatic, mapping out the movement of the job ad as it travelled from location to location. As the job ad moved through the SEEK platform each stop represented an exotic destination arrived at by plane, taxi or boat. 

The result was a fun and engaging way to showcase the job ad to job seeker matching algorithms developed by SEEK. The constant movement and stylised modernist-era design provided plenty of momentum and interest for the audience, while still communicating the key points of the process without being too literal and technical in the visual representation.

Production company: Melodrama Pictures
Project: Mary and Max
Director: Adam Elliot
Role: Compositor
Platform: Feature film

I had a unique opportunity to work on this stop-motion (claymation) feature film by Academy award-winning film director Adam Elliot. I worked for several months with a team of compositors on-site at the animation studio where the film was being made. The compositing team I worked with was responsible for object removal, set stabilisation, tracking, roto, paint and various other post-production requirements that inevitably come with filming stop-motion scenes. While the animators made every effort to achieve the end result in camera, some shots took several weeks to complete, and drying and cracking clay sets morphing under the heat of the lights all presented challenges that needed to be fixed in post-production.

I thoroughly enjoyed having the rare opportunity to work so closely with a very talented production team of set builders, clay modellers, cinematographers, stop motion animators  (including artists from Aardman studios) and also the director Adam on a daily basis. 

It was an opportunity to watch and learn the very unique skills involved with this animation technique. The film was distributed internationally to critical acclaim and nominated for (and won) multiple awards. Adam’s second feature Memoir of a Snail is due for release in 2024.

Agency: Two Tractors
Role: Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Project: Simply Energy (Engie) S.M.A.R.T Battery
Format: Online video

Engie (previously Simply Energy) are a global leader in sustainable energy and innovation. They required an animated explainer for their new S.M.A.R.T solar energy storage battery. The device is designed to effectively store energy generated from solar panels and can also connect to other S.M.A.R.T batteries, creating a virtual power plant if needed in a blackout.

The assignment was to visually communicate all of the technical aspects and advantages of this innovative product in a clear and engaging manner. The design also had to reflect the live-action drone footage of the suburban neighbourhood and featured house in the opening and closing sequence. I began by developing style frames of the house and wider neighbourhood both in daylight and at night. I also created the treatment of power moving through the scenes, which was crucial to demonstrating the process. Having established the treatment, I moved onto storyboards and then onto the final animation.

The end result was well received with t he visuals effectively demonstrating technical and complex concepts in an easily understandable way for a broad audience

Agency: Two Tractors
Role: Art Direction, 2D Animation, Illustration
Project: Faculty of Medicine
Format: Social / Online video

The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences is heavily focused on research, with a long history of achievement in tackling important health challenges. Students and teachers have included several Nobel Prize laureates and have contributed to huge achievements such as developing the bionic ear, and eye health research that has halved the rates of blindness in Indigenous communities.

The brief was to showcase the facilities and achievements of the Faculty in an engaging video for interested students. The project required a lot of information-heavy content to be displayed on-screen to support the narration. I worked with the Faculty to find a solution by creating a design treatment that used technical drawing techniques of isometric cut-away scenes and anchored text tabs that then built on and off in each scene to reduce clutter.

The animation was embraced by the University and Faculty of Medicine as not only a resource for engaging future students but also to showcase the proud scientific achievements of the school over the decades.

Director: Clayton Jacobson
Project: Mordy Koots
Role: Compositor
Format: Web series

I was approached by Clayton Jacobson, the award-winning director of the Australian film Kenny, to work on his web series Mordy Koots - a WWII-era comedy starring his well-known brother, actor Shayne Jacobson. 

I came on board as visual effects supervisor and lead compositor for the series. Almost every shot in the series required visual effects to create the look of the 1940s era, which largely involved compositing green screen live action with CGI gaming footage and studio sets to create a seamless and consistent visual treatment.

I worked with Clayton in establishing a stylised look and feel to find a method to seamlessly combine the different mediums of live-action, photography and CGI gaming footage. I found the solution in the three-strip Technicolor look of films from the 1930s and 40s, which featured high contrast and saturated colours muted with film grain. Not only did it effectively combine the different media to appear as if it was all filmed at once in camera, but it also gave the project the look and feel of a film from the era in which it was set. I was able to imitate this look after extensive research and testing of grading and film grain effects.

The series took several months to complete and was subsequently nominated for Best Visual Effects in a Web Series at the Los Angeles, Streamy Awards.