Inside the Course: 2D Animation with Harriet Gillian and Hannah Jacobs
Gain insight into paths into animation and how illustration and animation compliment each other. Plus what to expect from our 4 week course with tutors Hannah Jacobs and Harriet Gillian.
Interested to start your creative journey? Find out more and book your place: Introduction to 2D Animation. (opens in new window)
Could you introduce yourselves and your work?
HJ: My name is Hannah and I’m a 2D Animation Director and Illustrator. My work is all hand drawn and I make my animations using a traditional frame by frame approach. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with (and knowing!) Harry for the last 6 years now and she’s an animation wizard! We’ve worked together across countless commercial and personal projects now and working with her is always a total joy!
HG: Hi, I’m Harriet. I am a 2D animator who specialises in hand drawn, frame-by-frame character animation, FX, morphs, basically swirly fun stuff - a very technical term! I’ve worked in the film/tv and commercial animation industry for nearly 20 years now, collaborating with amazing illustrators and directors. I met Hannah around 2019 and never looked back - she’s my number one, all time fav collaborator.
What was your first introduction to animation?
HG: Wallace and Gromit made a huge impression on me as a kid. I loved the animation, the storytelling and the cinematic scope of these 20-30 min shorts, set in a very ordinary, relatable world. I always knew I wanted to make films but it wasn’t until I tried animation at uni and I saw my hand drawn characters come to life, that I really fell for the magic of the craft.
HJ: I was OBSESSED with The Simpsons from quite a young age, around 9 I think. From there I remember being fascinated with the process of animation, making little flip books and comics. There was an awesome museum in London called The Museum Of Moving Image and that really fuelled my interest in the medium too. I would also copy comics a lot, like Garfield, and I really loved that form of storytelling.
– Hannah JacobsI think a lot of illustration briefs are keen to incorporate moving elements now, and being able to add this string to your bow can make your portfolio even more attractive to a client.
What advice would you give someone starting to animate?
HG: Start small and play. Have fun with it and make whatever you’re drawn to making, no matter how simple, niche, or weird (weirder the better!)
What advice do you wish you had received when you first started?
HG: There’s no right or wrong. My tutors did tell us this, but I don’t think I took it on board for a long time, holding myself back until I felt things were ‘perfect’.
HJ: Don’t overthink it! This is also the advice I wish I had given myself too. There’s such a spectrum when it comes to animating in terms of technical ability, and I think the best way in is to stay loose and playful and let yourself experiment. Experiment with different mediums, different ways of telling the same story, and don’t get bogged down in the technical process of it all. There are definitely animation ‘rules’ but it’s also fun to find your own approach to it.
Could you tell us about a favourite project of yours?
HG: Making mine and Hannah’s short film; Your Mountain Is Waiting(opens in new window) was an incredible experience. Working with Hannah is always a dream and getting the opportunity to make something personal, with all our favourite animators was all you could ever hope for as a creative.
HJ: The short film that Harry and I collaborated on together back in 2019 Your Mountain Is Waiting. Getting to work on a personal project together from the initial seed of the idea to having a complete 8 minute film was a total dream. I learnt so much from Harry on that project!
As an illustrator-animator, why do you feel it’s important to have these two sets of skills? What do you feel animation brings to your illustration work?
HG: I think illustrators are amazing at conveying a feeling or emotion in a single image, which is an incredible storytelling skill. Animation allows you to build on that, to immerse yourself in that world further and go on a journey.
HJ: I think it’s super helpful from both a personal development and commercial point of view. As animation is so time consuming, I think it’s allowed me to be more economical in my approach to illustration at times. I like that it’s allowed me to be loose and playful in my work and not stick to one aesthetic too rigidly. From a commercial point of view I’ve found it to be immensely helpful. With so many commissions sitting in a digital space now, I think a lot of illustration briefs are keen to incorporate moving elements now, and being able to add this string to your bow can make your portfolio even more attractive to a client.
– Harriet GillianWe love topics that help us connect with what it is to be human and we’ll bring that playfulness to the course while we guide students down the animation path.
Can you tell us about your Introduction to 2D Animation(opens in new window) course you will be teaching with us? What can attendees expect?
HG: Hannah and I are two fun-loving, empathy-fuelled, creatives who enjoy making work on themes we feel passionate about. We love topics that help us connect with what it is to be human and we’ll bring that playfulness to the course while we guide students down the animation path.
We’ll set small, achievable tasks and encourage students to have fun with what they make, make it personal and answer questions they have about the medium, industry and animation process.
Thanks to Hannah and Harriet for speaking with us. Interested to start on your own creative journey? Find out more and book your place: Introduction to 2D Animation.(opens in new window)