An Interview with Johnny Kelly
Johnny Kelly is a director and master of design, working across various disciplines including stop frame and 2D animation, graphic design and illustration.
Johnny worked at two of Ireland’s leading graphic design studios before completing an MA in Animation at The Royal College of Art in London where he was awarded the Conran Foundation Award by the Provost, Sir Terence Conran. His graduation short film, Procrastination, has been screened at over one hundred and seventy film festivals around the world.
Through his commercial practice and as a director at Nexus, he has worked with clients such as Adobe, BMW, the International Olympic Committee and Vitra, in addition to multiple cross-platform projects with Google. In 2012 his two-minute film for Chipotle won two Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
We spoke to Johnny about his work and what inspires him to make it…
Hi, Johnny can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m an Irish animation director working at Nexus productions based here in lovely, drizzly London.
First of all congratulations on being selected for the Motion Factory exhibition. How does it feel to be one of the filmmakers selected?
Thank you! To have my projects featured alongside such an incredible line up is an honour. It is an inspiring collection of work. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some fantastic makers and production artists in the past, and I think any child seeing this show will want to follow in their footsteps.
Your graduation piece was titled ‘Procrastination’, are you yourself a sufferer of procrastination?
I thought a film would help me kick the habit but unfortunately not! Time organisation keeps me on my toes.
Can you tell us a bit about “Procrastination”?
Well its seven years old so its pretty creaky looking at this stage. It was enjoyable to make because it became a kind of emotional exorcism – It was my graduation film from an animation course, but I had already misspent half the allotted year on a film that didn’t go anywhere. I need to make this quickly, spontaneously and with little time and planning- so the opposite of a standard animation production. Making it in a state of blind panic probably suited the subject matter.
Your Chipotle commercial “Back to the Start” has deservedly seen widespread recognition, can you tell us a about working on that film?
Firstly we were single bid (rather than a pitch tendering process) which means that there is a sense of trust from the start. It was quite an open brief, which is always lovely. Make a film about a farmer losing his way. We had creative freedom, but a very strong message which is ideal for commercial work. Chipotle as a client have a lot to say and are very articulate, so the challenge for us became how to fashion that message into something that wouldn’t overwhelm them or resort to scare tactics.
Liz Chan our producer had worked on Fantastic Mr Fox, which was filmed down the road in 3 Mills. In addition to her expertise, she pulled in an amazing feature-film level crew in to help make it.
We also had time – about four months in all – which is a bit of a luxury. One month each of storyboarding, model build, animation and finally post-production. Willie Nelson made the soundtrack some time after that, and it will be my dying regret that I couldn’t go over for the recording because I was filming another ruddy commercial…
You’ve had the opportunity to work with many clients, which project has been your favourite to work on?
All projects are great for different reasons, but I find them especially gratifying when you learn something – a new technique, how to work with llamas, or in Chipotle’s case the arguments against industrialised factory farming. Procrastination was probably the most fun to make because I was learning so much, and creating new things every day.
You have worked across various disciplines and mediums; do you have a particular favorite (and why)?
I don’t have a favourite discipline but I do love drawing when I get the chance. My fall-back plan is comic books…
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
Don’t wait for the right projects to come to you (they probably won’t) seek out things and people that interest you.
Where do you find is the best place to come up with ideas?
At home on the couch with a sketchbook and 10 cups of tea (not all at once)
Have you always wanted to make films/animation?
We’ve always had cameras around the house growing up (not big-brother style I should clarify) so it was always something that was encouraged. That, coupled with endless summers drawing comics meant animation was always an aspiration.
Where does your overall inspiration come from?
Everywhere! Boring but true answer.
Can you tell us about what projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m making a music video for a Swedish band. It is quite a while in the making, but I think it’s going to be nice. I’m also just finishing a tattoo design! In case my mum is reading, this is NOT for me.
What words of advice would you give for aspiring students studying animation?
The craft of animation is very important – learning how to make a character act, teaching yourself software, timing – but in order for you and your work to stand out, I think it is crucial to spend time on the idea and the design. Learn as much about design as you can – don’t limit yourself to watching animations.
What was your earliest memory of animation?
The first film I went to in the cinema was Sword in the Stone, when I was four years old, which I vaguely remember. Watching odd animations on Channel 4 was the first time I realised there was more to it than Disney and Warner Brothers (as great as those are).
What animated film do you wish you could have made?
Oh Willy by Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels is a thing of incredible beauty. Not just that – it feels like a valid piece of grown-up cinema. It’s not online just yet (it’s still on the festival circuit) but you can watch a trailer here:
Jake is a Researcher and Interactive developer at Wonky Films and the face behind all of Show Me The Animation’s online platforms and website. So if it breaks he’s probably to blame! Aside from running the SMTA online, Jake make’s interactive things for Wonky Films.
