Inspiring inclusion through animation
Q&A with our in-house illustrator and animator Altea Claveras, as part of International Women’s Day 2024 finding out about her inspiration and how animation can be used for inclusion.
Q/ What inspired you to become an animator & illustrator for advertising?
A/ I studied fine art at college as I have always loved to draw, but felt that a career in that world was impossible to create for myself. I felt the animation industry was growing rapidly and believed I had a lot of transferable skills. I graduated from the animation course at the University for the Creative Arts and jumped straight into freelance work as an animation director. After working on various short films, educational series and music videos, I decided to try and find a more permanent position for myself within the industry. Creative advertising felt like the perfect blend to me as it combines my interests whilst also pushing me to learn new skills in branding and art direction.
Q/ How does animation help make content inclusive for diverse audiences?
A/ Animation is the perfect tool when considering the inclusivity of content as it enables the creation of bespoke assets that can be adapted to aid accessibility. Every element, from the colours used to the speed of the movements on screen, can be customised for a particular audience. I am able to create designs that are considered when it comes to sensitive and important topics such as gender, race and sexuality by creating androgynous characters and using vibrant colour pallets.
Q/ Where do you get your inspiration from for inclusive animations?
A/ I always keep my eyes open when it comes to finding visual inspiration as you never know where you might find it. I keep various Pinterest boards of things I’ve spotted online and stay up to date with work being produced by animation studios I admire, some that immediately spring to mind are Moth, Wednesday, Buck and Panic.
Q/ Which campaign have you worked on that #inspireinclusion?
A/ Respite tea was a really fun project to work on as it was a chance to experiment with traditional hand-painted animation, a considered and time-consuming process that felt appropriate to adopt as I felt it helped reflect the values of the company itself. The business was founded by two Nigerian women who were inspired by their Grandmother and uses natural ingredients for a range of teas which provide a range of health benefits and help conditions such as endometriosis.
