This week, jelly London welcome award-winning animator, Effie Pappa, to their exclusive team of directors.
Effie specialises in all ranges of Stop Motion as well as 2D animation. She is best known for her short film “My Stuffed Granny”, which has been selected for International Festivals and awarded multiple times, including the 25th McLaren Award for Best British Animation at Edinburgh Int. Film Festival, and, most recently, Best Animated Short at the London Independent Film Festival.
Originally from Greece, Effie is now based in London creating commercial content, music videos, educational series and short films. She has worked with a range of clients in the UK and abroad, such as McDonald’s, Museum of World Cultures, Doctors of the World and Greek National Opera.
To celebrate the newest addition to their fantastic repertoire of talent, jelly London decided to delve into the world of Effie Pappa, and got to know one of the UK’s most exciting animators.
Describe yourself in 3 words, Effie.
Observative, explorative, usually baffled.
Tell us a little more about your work.
I love working on subjects that provoke thinking, especially social and political issues. I observe a lot; behaviours, characteristics, body language of people around me etc. These are all added to my ingredients cupboard, waiting to be used.
I'm a fan of unpredictable twists in storylines, as well as absurd and surreal elements that exist to support each message. I enjoy working with a variety of animation techniques and experimenting with new mediums. Whatever it takes to bring the best out of each story.
What would you say your “stand out” pieces are?
I would say "1.2 million children" about child trafficking, and "My Stuffed Granny.”
Agreed! The award-winning ‘My Stuffed Granny’ really caught our attention, and is one of the many reasons we wanted you to join our roster of talent here at jelly. Tell us more about this inspiring piece.
True family love is the core message of "My Stuffed Granny.” Everyone is trying to help each other during crisis, but pragmatically, everything slowly turns into a disaster. The moment that you think everything is hopeless, here comes the most unpredictable person to save the day. My (very) Greek family was certainly an inspiration for the piece.
In the production, we made the very conscious decision to play and experiment a lot. We were determined to get the most out of the technique of stop motion and do everything on camera. Thus, all tracking shots exist as a result of DIY motion control and all sets were built from scratch instead of VFX additions. Putting all these little ideas together is what brought "My Stuffed Granny" to life.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Wake up early, learn new things, and get involved in new adventures.
What would be your perfect brief or dream client?
The "go crazy - use your imagination" thing!
What do you listen to whilst working?
Loads of classical music, especially Rachmaninov. It reminds me of when my brother was rehearsing those pieces on piano and how determined he was. You can compare it to animation… It needs patience and slooooow movements but in the end, it’s alive!
What’s your favourite snack whilst working?
CHOCOLATE! What other snacks exist?
What work has inspired you in 2015?
Birdman. I loved everything about it.
Which fictitious character do you most relate to?
Mafalda.
If you could have dinner with any well-known figure, dead or alive, who would it be?
Jan Svankmayer!
Tell us one unknown fact about yourself.
I mentioned chocolate, it's stuck in my mind and I can't think…
Want to work with Effie? Drop jelly a line! [email protected]
Watch the trailer for “My Stuffed Granny” here.
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