Clapham Road Studios has been home to the production of well over 1000 commercials and promos in the last thirty years, including adverts for John Lewis, Coca Cola, Loewe, Starbucks, Nike, Google, Greenpeace, Lego and Chipotle to name but a few.
Here’s a quick interview.
How and why did your journey into animation begin?
Our journey into animation began in 1983 when Clapham Road Studios was transformed from an old doughnut factory into a creative hub for animation and live-action projects. Our founder, Denis Russo, saw the potential in this unique space and wanted to create a studio that combined cutting-edge technology with a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. Over the years, we’ve produced and facilitated hundreds of commercials, promos, and films, becoming London’s oldest and friendliest animation studio.
What are your sources of inspiration?
We are continually inspired by the artists and animators we work with, as well as the innovative techniques and technologies that emerge in the industry. The rich history of animation, from classic stop-motion to modern CGI, also fuels our creativity.
Tell us about your creative process.
Clapham Road Studios is a studio hire facility, so while we aren’t directly involved in the creative process, we work closely alongside those who are. We collaborate with production companies to help bring their shoots to life, providing the space and support they need to realize their creative visions.
Is there a part of the process that bores you? And instead, which part is the one that excites you?
We find the initial stages of brainstorming and fitting in the space and production needs with our clients to be incredibly exciting, as they are filled with limitless possibilities and creative energy. We also love a technical challenge and bringing in a team of talents to problem-solve. Seeing a project come to life and the final product always brings a sense of accomplishment and joy. Time constraints and technical challenges can create pressures when trying to finish a shoot but we always try to bring positivity to both the good and bad within the process! We are very lucky at Clapham Road to always be surrounded by wonderful crew and that makes all the difference when the going gets tough.
How would you define the animation scene not linked to big brands? Is there an audience? What channels do you use to post and reach as many viewers as possible?
The independent animation scene is vibrant and thriving, filled with passionate creators who bring unique and personal stories to life. There is definitely an audience for indie animation, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and social media. We utilize channels such as Vimeo, Instagram, and YouTube to share our work and connect with viewers. These platforms allow us to reach a global audience and engage with fans and potential clients alike. Film festivals such as Annecy, London International Animation Festival, Animafest Zagreb, and others are a great way to engage with fellow animators and the general public alike.
New projects in the pipeline?
Always! Currently, we’re working on a mix of Halloween and Christmas commercial projects and two independent films. We’re also exploring live action and hoping we can push the boundaries to new industries we haven’t worked with before and challenge ourselves with what we can create.
We also run a sister production company, Rowdy, which was born from the top talent in the stop-motion industry that has been gathered over the last 40 years, with Clapham Road Studios serving as the central hub.
man weiss nie, was einen erwartet.
