Catharine Pitt
Catharine Pitt
Co-Founder of Formplay Studio
Brighton, UK
www.formplay.co
instagram @formplaystudio
twitter @formplaystudio
vimeo
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“We are a new independent animation studio, specialising in 2d films and content.”
I co-founded the studio with animator and illustrator, Mark Davis and our approach is based on the belief that simple, characterful animations, inspired by play, create the most engaging content.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
We have always worked in creative teams and before forming this studio, we owned a small advertising agency with a focus on retail industry. It was a successful ‘lifestyle’ business and enabled us to be hands-on in so many disciplines, but we were frustrated offering the full-service’ model, when actually, we just wanted to be illustrating and animating! We decided to channel this passion into one niche offering.
How do you stand out in your field?
We are fortunate to be an animation studio, with years of experience in both digital and print environments, so fully understand the clients needs with regard to the overall campaign and how it should translate across the different platforms.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Well that’s top secret! Actually, we are just finishing a lovely 'explainer' video for a new enterprise and then it’s juggling time between our own film and other scheduled client work. It is a fine balance prioritizing commissioned work as well as studio-driven projects, but these are equally important!
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
We chose our studio name carefully, so the balance between 'FORM' and 'PLAY‘ is at the core of our approach to projects and how we want to be perceived. Sometimes we PLAY through research and exploring styles, other times it’s simply capturing a playfulness in the work...
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Definitely frame-by-frame animations! The images shown here are all examples of this and we love their hand-crafted quality!
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I don’t think we have any major frustrations. There are definitely challenges running the studio, but on the whole, we can tweak and adapt the things that aren’t working.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Good animators & creatives are always top of the list!
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I went to music college and didn’t enter this industry via the traditional routes, so imposter-syndrome occasionally makes an appearance! I would tell myself from the start, not listen to those nagging doubts and just go for it!
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
There are so many creative, entrepreneurial approaches to business development - it’s great to just listen and absorb.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
In truth, collaborating on campaigns to create fresh and unique animated content.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
An ideal project is one with a clear purpose, where we are able to take the lead creatively.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
Animation can be a time-consuming process, so we price each film or project individually. It’s not the cheapest option, but the impact can be huge.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
DM through social or email us - we’re always open to possible collaborations! Every client is different and some approach us with a written brief, budget and scope of work required, but many just have an outline idea. If we think we can help, we work together on the brief and how we can best provide a creative solution. Our studio contact is hello@formplay.co
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Close Pinterest. Close Instagram. Practice being playful :-)
This member profile was originally published in July 2018.