I first saw the work of Sam Mason a few months ago with his graduation film, Wild Robot; a surreal, psychedelic sci-fi piece inspired by Zardoz and Le Planete Sauvage. The marriage of lo-fi shop materials (the hero being a painted tangerine) combined with CG elements tracked somewhat crudely into scenes creates a unique, tactile authenticity.
A few months later, Sam’s at it again. This time, with the fitting support of Colonel Blimp and Blink Ink, he delivers another hybrid world of miniatures, live-action and animation for Badly Drawn Boy. The presence of human touch and hand-crafted approach joins the rank of the continuously refreshing work that boldly thumbs it nose at its slick CG contemporaries. Despite budgetary restrictions we are still making interesting and innovative good work.