INSIDE Flipbook – Kevin Taylor

INSIDE Flipbook is our web series promoting the talented individuals that make the studio so great. From artists to producers, every member of the team brings a unique personality and skillset.

In this edition, we spoke with Flipbook Studio’s Lead Animator, Kevin Taylor.

When did you first become passionate about 3D?

I had, what I can only describe as, an epiphany whilst watching The Lord of the Rings. I was totally blown away by the animation to the extent that I decided, at that moment, that I wanted to change my career and pursue a career in 3D animation. I stopped what I was doing, jumped on my horse and rode straight to Hollywood to follow my dreams. In reality, those movies were not produced in Hollywood nor did I have a horse, but I did look into what I would need to do to break into that industry and I spent the next several years studying. I still feel as passionate now as I did then about my career.

What interested you in joining Flipbook and when did you start? 

I’ve had previous experience of working for smaller, boutique studios, and in my experience, they are generally fast-paced and keep you on your toes. They usually have a great variety of work and have multiple projects on the go so there’s never a dull moment. I enjoy being busy and I also like the variety which Flipbook provides. I think it is that which attracted me to the studio in the first instance. Flipbook is also based in Manchester which is a really vibrant city and a place I now consider my home. I started with Flipbook in 2016 and I can honestly say I have never had a dull moment or a project where I have not felt challenged.

What’s a typical day like as a Lead Animator?

Busy is the best word I can use to describe a typical day! I always try and get an early start, and a bit of time in the studio without the rest of the team around, so I can review my projects from the previous day with fresh eyes, and plan my work for the upcoming day.

Mornings are usually spent with the team, whether having formal production meetings or giving feedback. I’m not limited to animation, and I’m involved in various parts of the production, from concept to the final product, so the meetings can be very varied.

Afternoons are when I try to get stuck into animating, but I’m still available to assist the team when needed, and my skills are not limited to simply animating; I also deal with rigging, modelling, lighting and have general oversight of all elements of the animation pipeline. I can honestly say that my days just fly by but that my work is so varied I never have a dull moment.

How has your role changed since you started at Flipbook? 

My role has changed significantly since starting with Flipbook, and whilst I still spend time animating, I have been lucky enough to be given responsibility for oversight over other animators and, as mentioned previously, I am involved at various stages of the production in addition to animating. Flipbook Studio has really allowed me to push my creativity over multiple disciples from working on a variety of projects and I’ve also been given the opportunity to lead projects and direct them.

What’s your favourite part of being a Lead Animator?

As an artist, I take great satisfaction in being part of a team that produces a piece of work that satisfies our clients, and of which, I feel proud to have either created or overseen the creation thereof. Flipbook really does allow me to have a lot of creative freedom, and I also enjoy overseeing and assisting other members of the team to ensure we produce a fantastic product. Variety also plays an important role as we constantly work on different projects and need to come up with new and innovative ideas.

What’s been the most memorable project that you’ve worked on so far? 

I think my most memorable project was the Christmas campaigns we produced for Manchester City Council. We literally had a blank canvass for one year and we were able to come up with a short animated film that, in my view, really paid homage to the victims of the Manchester bombing and how Manchester had come together as a community. We obviously needed to be very sensitive about the issue and I believe our animation really paid tribute to those that were affected. I felt incredibly proud seeing the characters from the animation pop up on the side of buses and billboards throughout the Christmas period and the social media content received much positive praise.

What future do you see for Flipbook Studio? 

Since I started at Flipbook, the studio has grown and grown and we have produced some great pieces of animation of which we are all very proud. I think the studio will continue to grow and since Manchester has become a hub for the creative industry I feel very excited about the future of the studio.

We’ll be back next month for another INSIDE Flipbook feature with one of our talented team members. In the meantime, why not check out some of our other news content and INSIDE Flipbook features below: