Introducing: Simon Dymond. Artist Code: B0AQ
In this Spotlight Interview, we sit down with the super skilled director, editor, motion graphics and VFX artist Simon Dymond, Artist Code: B0AQ .
In this Spotlight Interview we sit down with the super skilled director, editor, motion graphics and VFX artist Simon Dymond, Artist Code: B0AQ .
With directing credits amassing over 7 million online views, Simon discusses everything from feature films, football, and Fox Mulder to popcorn and pop stars. So, without further a do, let’s get down to it and learn more about the man behind the millions.
Simon Dymond, Artist Code: B0AQ
Tell us a little...
About what you do now?
I’m a Nottingham-based freelance director, editor, and motion graphics/VFX artist with over a decade of experience. My directing credits have earned a Vimeo Staff Pick and over 7 million views online, including projects for artists such as James Blunt and labels including Sony, Warner and Ministry of Sound.
My work in post-production covers a broad spectrum of credits including editing for TV with Wellington Films, to animating motion graphics for clients such as the FA and Premier League. I was lead VFX Artist on The Ceremony (feature) which recently won the Sean Connery Award for Filmmaking Excellence at Edinburgh Film Festival 2024.
The Ceremony : Award-winning Feature Film| Lead VFX Artist
What you did prior?
Before I went freelance, I used to sweep up popcorn and sell tickets at Cineworld Cinemas - I eventually graduated from the foyer to the lofty heights of projection, where I helped organise and arrange the films on the screen, including programming all those annoying ads and trailers before each movie. Pro tip: if you're running late for a film - there's usually 25 minutes of junk before the movie starts.
People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
Wash Club : Short Film| Simon Dymond Original | Director
Quick Fire Five ...
Biggest influence, professionally or personally?
This is a tricky one because there's too many answers, but I think a consistent influence has been the work of DANIELS - I love all their early stuff on Vimeo where they were throwing together these absurd crazy projects with very little resources. Watching them grow from small independent creators to Oscar winning filmmakers is something I always look up to.
Best piece of advice you have ever been given, personally or professionally?
Always come in on time and under budget - I've heard this a few times over the years, but I'll attribute it to Barry Sonnenfeld talking about how the Coen Brothers earned so much creaive freedom with the films they made.
Short Film | VFX Artist
Where are you happiest?
I love problem solving - coming up with creative solutions to practical problems. Whether this is in prep, figuring out how to make a budget work, or on set, dealing with the unexpected, or in post when you're trying to fix something that went wrong or give that shot an extra ten percent. If I had to analyse, this would correlate with my love for puzzle games.
What’s your favourite catchphrase?
The truth is out there - Fox Mulder.
Tell us something we don’t know about you – work or personal?
I'm a massive Trekkie. Particularly that 80s/90s era of Star Trek that offered a glimpse into a hopeful and positive future. It's like a comfort blanket of television that explores all these insightful and broad themes that always end up feeling very human and real, despite the schlocky effects and technobabble. My cat Rocky is also a fan too*.
*Editor: He is a very handsome chap indeed and also contributes well to meetings, pic below for all the cat lovers.
People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
And, lastly…
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
Don't focus on any one thing. Allow yourself to be a sponge and take in inspiration from all kinds of sources. Don't pigeonhole yourself into only making one kind of work, because in 5 or 10 years that job might no longer exist. Instead broaden your horizons and learn as much as possible.
“Don’t focus on any one thing. Allow yourself to be a sponge and take in inspiration from all kinds of sources. ”
When I started out making films, all my influences were other movies - and it showed. It wasn't until I recognised this in my work and began to look elsewhere for inspiration that I feel I really grew as an artist.
Rocky Dymond.
Head over to Showcase to see even more of Simon’s work, including his motion graphics mastery!
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Introducing: Kev Wilson. Artist Code: YZVZ
In this Spotlight Interview, we sit down with the incredibly talented Creative Brand Designer, Kev Wilson, Artist Code: YZVZ - the newest member of our Creation Population® family.
In this Spotlight Interview, we sit down with the incredibly talented Creative Brand Designer, Kev Wilson, Artist Code: YZVZ - the newest member of our Creation Population® family.
UK Based Creative Brand Specialist Kev Wilson, UK. Artist Code: YZVZ.
With a wealth of experience in graphic design, brand creation, and an eye for impactful visual identities, Kev takes us through his journey, his creative influences, and what drives his passion for design.
Read on to learn more about the man behind the creative matter. Over to you Kev!
Tell us a little...
About what you do now?
I'm a senior graphic designer with a passion for crafting impactful visual identities for brands. I love the process of shaping a brand's look and feel, whether from the ground up or helping established brands evolve to new heights.
There’s a deep satisfaction in connecting with each business, understanding its essence, and creating visuals that truly reflect its identity and values. For me, each project isn’t just design work; it’s about becoming part of a brand’s journey and building something meaningful alongside the people who drive it.
Chelsea FC | @Seventy7: Typeface Design
Chelsea FC | @Seventy7: Typeface Design
What you did prior?
Prior to going freelance, I spent over 13 years at a multichannel creative agency, working with a wide range of clients from SMEs to multinational brands across different sectors, including leading creative campaigns for M&S Home and typographic work for Chelsea Football Club.
My last role before freelancing was creative lead and brand custodian for a fast-paced, experiential retail start-up called SITU LIVE in London, where I helped shape the brand's visual identity and marketing communications, designed in-store environments and creatively led brand activations.
Quick Fire Five ...
Biggest influence, professionally or personally?
My biggest influence has got to be my parents. My mum was a talented artist with a remarkable skill for drawing and oil painting and my dad is a skilled craftsman and carpenter, which combined made creativity an integral part of my upbringing. Every birthday and Christmas was filled with art-related gifts. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a pad and pen in my hand.
Paints & Paint Brush. People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
Illustration was my first love and I always dreamed of becoming an illustrator. When I discovered graphic design, it opened up a whole new world for me and I quickly found ways to merge the two.
My early career was defined by a highly illustrative approach to design, blending my passion for drawing with the structure and creativity of graphic design.
I will always be grateful to my parents for nurturing that passion, surrounding me with creativity, and encouraging me to explore my artistic side from such a young age.
Creative UK | The Big Creative UK Summit:
Brand Refresh
Best piece of advice you have ever been given, personally or professionally?
My old creative agency boss, advised me to stop searching for perfection because I’d never find it. I now know what he was telling me, but at the time, I was young and determined to be a “perfect” designer, so I didn’t fully understand his point.
Now I have come to learn that perfection is an endless struggle with yourself that you can never truly win. Advice that still helps me to this day.
ZEROH20 | Hummel, Yeh Group
@Seventy7: Brand Identity
Where are you happiest?
I’m happiest in the countryside with my family. There’s something about the clean, fresh air and the sight of green fields stretching beneath a perfectly blue sky that brings me peace.
What’s your favourite catchphrase?
Don’t follow me, I’m lost too.
People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
Tell us something we don’t know about you – work or personal?
Twelve years ago, I founded ODFU (One Down Five Up is a gear ratio) a clothing brand inspired by the underground motorcycle culture in London. It was a time when bike enthusiasts weren’t just mechanics - they were artists, crafting motorcycles that reflected their personalities and creativity.
One of my proudest moments with the brand was collaborating with a renowned bike builder to launch a collection of graphic t-shirts and building a one-of-a-kind motorcycle that became a recognisable symbol of the brand which featured in well known magazines and shows.
ODFU: Founder, Brand Identity, Design & Illustration, Digital Marketing
And, lastly…
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
My advice to anyone starting out in the creative industry is to get hands-on experience as early as possible. You’ll learn more working for a successful creative agency than you ever could in a classroom.
Whether you have a degree or not, I recommend finding a way into an agency, through a paid role or one day a week apprenticeship alongside college or university, and immersing yourself in the day-to-day workings.
“My advice to anyone starting out in the creative industry is to get hands-on experience as early as possible. ”
This experience not only gives you insight into how the industry operates but also shifts your mindset. You’ll move from focusing solely on the fun, creative side to understanding the practical aspects - like developing communication skills, collaborating with multiple departments and project managers and truly understanding client needs. Mastering this balance will put you ahead of the pack.
Visit Showcase for a deep dive into Kev’s stunning brand refresh for The Big Creative UK Summit. The UK’s largest gathering of creative visionaries tackling the sector’s biggest challenges and opportunities.
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Introducing: Georgie Prow Artist Code: O5IW.
Introducing Spotlight Interviews: Dive into the world of our Creative Director and Photographer Georgie Prow, Code: O5IW.
Introducing our brand new series, Spotlight Interviews where we dive into the brilliant worlds of our Creation Population™ artists.
UK Based Creative Director & Photographer, Georgie Prow, UK. Artist Code: O5IW.
In this, our first edition, we find out more about the incredibly talented UK based Creative Director and Photographer Georgie Prow, code: O5IW.
Georgie let’s us in to the worlds she’s created through her work. She shares her biggest influences and she teaches us why, viewing the world through her eyes, really will make you look up.
Over to you Georgie!
Tell us a little...
About what you do now?
I’m a Photographer and Creative Director. I have also extensive experience as a Producer. My style is often described as romantic, cinematic and evocative. I create work that dances the line between reality and dream-like worlds. Sometimes nostalgic, other times thought-provoking, uncanny, or other-worldly, my images offer an escape to the viewer.
Cherry Tinted Dream Series: A nostalgic love story captured in a cherry tinted dream.
What you did prior?
In my youth I loved oil painting and went on to complete my degree in ‘Visual Communication: Illustration' at Brighton University in 2019. This is where I started to navigate into the world of photography. Through crafting light in a similar way to how I had previously controlled the paint brush, I discovered a new passion.
After university I worked for several years as a Visual Media Designer and Photography Assistant and then as a Producer and Agent for a photography agency. All while still actively shooting and building my portfolio.
Now as a Creative Director and Photographer, I often draw on my previous experiences in the industry. For example, I understand the pressures of a producer, the responsibility of an agent, what a designer is looking for or how an assistant can best be supported. So I like to think that these insights have shaped me into a great team player with a can-do attitude.
Quick Fire Five ...
Biggest influence, professionally or personally?
American photographer Gregory Crewdson. Through combining familiar objects in unfamiliar contexts, his work provokes the sensation of the uncanny.
Sigmund Freud. People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
At university I studied the psychologist Sigmund Freud’s notion of the uncanny and how it applies to the work of Crewdson. Through the use of juxtaposition, Crewdson’s photographs display ambiguity.
This provokes the viewers imagination to fill the gaps or resolve the story. Inspired by Crewdson, I love to make work that invites the viewer’s imagination to participate.
Beyond Retro: A Commercial Photoshoot ‘Y2K Edit’, featuring Music Duo Adora.
Best piece of advice you have ever been given, personally or professionally?
My tutor at university used to tell me, Georgie sometimes you need to give yourself permission to engage in creative play where you don’t worry about the outcome. This will exercise your creativity and new ideas will form in the process.
This advice took me a while to grasp in truth and sometimes I have to still remind myself. However I have found when I do this more regularly, whether it be setting aside a day to go out with my camera or doodles random thoughts with no expectation, I have developed great ideas that fuel later commercial projects or personal work.
Portraiture: A stunning image from Georgie’s portrait and beauty work.
Where are you happiest?
On the beach in Herm, a tiny island in The Bailiwick of Guernsey. Herm is where I spent a lot of my youth growing up. I have memories of exploring the one and a half mile long island which has no cars, mostly bare foot. It’s always nostalgic visiting and where I feel most free.
What’s your favourite catchphrase?
I'm not as green as I am cabbage looking.
People One Fifty, Illustration, UK. Code: 31S7
Tell us something we don’t know about you – work or personal?
I was born with a rare eye disorder called Brown Syndrome which means my eyes cannot look up. I don’t let it stop me shooting though. Yes, I have seen the stars, mind you I do get neck ache, but it’s worth it!
Want to learn more?