about Gareth Crook (UK): By day I work as a motion graphic designer for fresh in Manchester. At night I produce experimental short films and animations, under the name GraphicQuarter.
career highlights: With GraphicQuarter, film festival recognition has always been a good yardstick, so I guess Kinofilm International Film Festival selecting ‘Day2’ was a big deal as it was my first festival appearance. Recently, my latest film ‘The Sky’s Gone Out’ has been selected by OneDotZero for their International ‘Adventures in Motion’ tour, which probably marks my biggest public foray to date.
which creative people, places and things on your radar right now?
people: There’s an abundance of great work out there, but I think Wyld Stallyons are well worth keeping an eye on. Also worth a look is Conrad Ostwald, a multi-talented animator who creates some humourous and truly astounding work.
places: My favourite place will always be home, but in general I like anywhere that has a relaxed atmosphere and a screen. There’s a growing trend for film nights in bars and pubs around England at the moment, which is great for the Indie filmmaker, and I’m always on the look out for new places to show my work. Future Shorts screen worldwide and show a really nice mix of short film. I’m also a big supporter of more local nights like Filmonik in Manchester and Rotoreliefs in London.
things: I’m taking a renewed interest in 3D graphics, so Cinema 4D is getting a lot of attention at the moment. I work a lot with Adobe After Effects for speed, but there’s something really tactile about immersing yourself in true 3D. My next film will be a mix between 2D and 3D animation.
what’s your favourite daydream? I wish I had time for daydreams! I spend most of my time hopping from one thing to the next, so a daydream would really be having the time to do so. I did have recurring dreams some years ago. Not knowing what their purpose could be, I used them for the basis of a film, ‘Dark Particles’. Maybe I get daydreams confused with concepts!?
what was the last rule you broke? In regard to motion graphics and video production, my being self-taught has meant that I’ve not been bound by the usual ‘rules’ that are instilled in courses teaching how to animate and how to edit. Although experience has taught me the rules that need to be followed (there have to be some), I find that my creative thoughts and processes tend to break the conventions… something that seems to have served me well so far. I’m fond of my car’s accelerator too.
if you could ask a question of someone you respect, who and what would you ask? I think I'd ask most people the same question, "What makes you tick?" "Why do you do what you do?" I think it's interesting to find out other people's take on things - you usually learn something. I'd be naturally drawn to filmmakers of course, Lynch, Aronofsky and probably Hitchcock to name a few. I'm not sure what the question would be though… maybe "Do you have any projects I can help you with?"
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