D&AD Winning Animation Director Will Samuel Joins 1stAveMachine

Mixed Media Production company,1stAveMachine has signed animation Director Will Samuel to their roster.  Will’s design and animation skills add another high-end level of craft to the talent pool.

Will’s reel shows a directing style which champions experimentation, thoughtfulness, and sophistication, and it’s this approach which has led him to work with well-known brands such as Google, Apple, Adidas, Nike, Channel 4, Twentieth Century Fox and CNN, building a reputation for narrative driven animation and progressive design.  His film for the BBC won him a D&AD pencil.

A graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design, Will initially worked as a graphic designer at established studio, Why Not Associates, where he bridged the gap between Design and animation.  From there he collaborated with other designers to create We are Iso, then made the bold move to become independent – amassing a list of his own clients for animation and design projects.  It was at this time that he started working with 1stAveMachine and building up an independent reel.  Will also collaborated with directors such as Aaron Duffy who immediately grasped onto his talent as an animator and designer.

1stAvenueMachine EP Isabella Parish said: “It’s great to have Will in our animation studio. He was snapped up, as soon as we signed him, to work on a brilliant short narrative lead piece that uses design, characters and set pieces to tell a story without any dialogue and I’m looking forward to sharing very soon.”

Will added: "I am super excited to be part of the 1stAve team. If past projects are anything to go by, I know we work great together. Officially joining feels like the natural next step for me. I look forward to pushing boundaries and going slightly bonkers with them…"