How AgileStudios is Coming at Short and Social Content from Multiple Angles
UK production company Agile Films just launched its new offering, Agile Studio. For a while the team there has been bringing together a collective of animators, filmmakers, producers and creative directors to work directly to brand, and with agencies, to develop short form and social content, and now it’s out in the open with a new website and sub-brand.
Agile Studio already works with brands including adidas, TikTok, and Doritos and specialises in mixed media, animation and design, as well as social filmmaking, to create fun, innovative content.
Creative director David Horsburgh, alongside EP Richard South, oversees a large full time team of film-makers, creative producers, 3D and 2D animators, graphic artists, illustrators, offline editors, as well as a full grading facility and a dedicated post-production team.
LBB’s Alex Reeves asked them what’s got them excited about this new adventure.
LBB> What was the seed of an idea from which Agile Studio grew?
Richard> Agile had been growing our animation and post team for some time - it just worked well to have that kind of resource in house for our digital projects, but then as the team’s experience grew, so did the level of projects we worked on. But we were having lots of creative talent coming through the team as well - aspiring directors, animators, creatives, and it just made sense to get some of these people in-house to form a bit more of a broader collective. Plus there just seems to be such a demand now for mixed media approaches, and it’s the kind of work that’s also the most fun!
LBB> Why was now the right time to launch it?
Richard> I mean, we couldn’t have really chosen a better time - there’s been so much post work during lockdown that it just felt a natural fit and a good time to launch things. We'd love to say it was part of some big strategic plan, but, in all honesty we’ve just been assessing over the past year or so how to work best with clients, how we can work more direct to brand, how social fits into all of this, and it just feels like this is the right time to respond to what’s needed out there.
LBB> What makes your offering unique?
David> The work we do at AgileStudio really is a direct reflection of the talented team we have working here. We are in a privileged position of having a really wide range of creative talent under one roof and that's what helps us to come at each new brief from a fun and innovative angle. From our directors, filmmakers and creatives through to our broad team of graphic designers, 3D and 2D hand-drawn animators, editors and in-house colourists, we are extremely well placed to produce work that mixes up different visual styles and film making techniques to create something fresh.
LBB> Why are mixed media and social video such key parts of what you want to do?
David> We’ve always found that the best projects are the ones where we get as many of our artists around the table at once. When we mix together filmed footage and photography, with assets from the 3D team, hand drawn animation from our 2D team and scans and collages from our designers we can build out and test concepts quickly that bring brand new angles to each piece of work. The range and breadth of social and digital media content in the past few years has made this collaborative approach even more vital, and even more fun to create, than ever.
LBB> What’s the sort of brief that gets Agile Studio most excited?
Richard> I think those in which we have a bit more involvement in the creative process, those we can add good ideas to, that have a bit more scope. And also those which might require a few different disciplines coming together to make something unique.
