Neil Boyle Introduces "Kensuke's Kingdom"

Neil Boyle introduces "Kensuke's Kingdom" 

Animator and director Neil Boyle joined us on Tuesday 19th May at Escape Studios to talk about his BAFTA-nominated 2D animated feature film "Kensuke's Kingdom" released in 2023. 

Neil Boyle talked about the making of Kensuke's Kingdom, and also discussed the state of 2D animation in the UK.  Making independent animated feature films isn't easy, but with persistence and effort it can be done. 

Neil Boyle - Animator & Director 

Director Neil Boyle

Neil Boyle is a director and animator whose film and TV credits include  Love, Death & Robots, Doctor Who, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Tom and Jerry, The Simpsons, Ethel & Ernest, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Space Jam. 

Neil Boyle explained that his 39 year career in animation has been "not so much a career as a series of random accidents".  Neil's first animated film was Who Framed Roger Rabbit which he worked on as an "in-betweener" back in 1987. Later he worked as an animator on The Thief and The Cobbler, working closely with director Richard Williams. 

The Making of "Kensuke's Kingdom"

Kensuke's Kingdom is a novel by author Michael Morpurgo.  The film of the book was 20 years in development, and it was originally conceived as a live action movie.  But filming with kids is tricky, half-drowning children (which happens in the book) is rather hard, and working with wild orangutans isn't easy either.  So Kensuke producer Sarah Radclyffe decided that maybe live action wasn't the way to go. 

From Live Action to Animation

Kensuke's Kingdom

So Kensuke producer Sarah Radclyffe reached out to a number of animators, including Neil, to pitch ideas for an animated movie, rather than a live action one.  Neil and co-director Kirk Hendry pitched their vision to Sarah - and got the job.  

But this was just the beginning - now they had to raise money for the movie, a very hard thing to do for an independent animated film.  They went to Framestore and got some help with concept art, pitching some impressionistic mood boards for the film to potential investors.  And they did a low-budget teaser/trailer to generate excitement. 

Finance - Eight Years 

Financing Kensuke's Kingdom was still 8 or 9 years away, and would involve many years of raising capital from many small production houses.  This process took almost a decade of dedication, hard work and relentless persuasion. 

Animation - Two Years 

Once the finance was secure, around sixty animators worked on Kensuke's Kingdom; all of them had to learn how to draw the characters the same way.  The art dept had to produce a very detailed Art Bible, to keep the style consistent throughout the process.  The making of Kensuke's Kingdom took around two and a half years. 

Japanese Consultant

Kensuke's Kingdom also needed a Japanese consultant, ensuring that the style of the animation was true to Japanese culture and customs.  How would Kensuke, a World War II veteran, walk, talk and behave? 

Storyboard Animatic

Kensuke's Kingdom

As the budget was very modest, it very important to be sure that the whole film was carefully storyboarded.  The production could not afford to throw away animation, so it was vital that the storyboard animatic was locked before animation began. 

The First Cut

The first cut of the animatic "was dreadful". This, explained Neil "is entirely normal. You have to work through this, solve problems, and find solutions." With much hard work, the storyboard animatic got better and better.  At the screening of the animatic, when executives had tears in their eyes, Neil "knew he had a movie".

Mood Boards

Mood Boards and Colour Keys were very important to establish the visual tone of every sequence, helping to determine time of day, lighting, colour palette and the overall tone of each sequence. 

At the end of the talk Neil took questions from the audience - mostly about the state of the UK animation industry. 

The State of the UK Animation Industry

Kensuke's Kingdom

The UK Animation Industry has been going through some difficult times, but there are still great studios doing fantastic work, such as Lupus films - a great UK based studio, which did a lot of work on Kensuke's Kingdom.  

Versatility and Flexibility

Animators need to be versatile.  Neil is a director, but most of the time he works as an animator or a storyboard artist.  

A great showreel is obviously very important for getting hired onto a new show, and also being able to work in a variety of different styles matters a great deal.  Artists can work long hours, and the economics of the industry can be difficult.  On the plus side, the industry is very much a meritocracy - the studios don't care about your race, sex or religion - they just want to know if you can do the job.  

What Should Go in a Demo Reel or Portfolio?

Life drawing remains a key discipline;  Neil always looks for solid drawing skills in a portfolio or a demo reel.  The audience should be able to see your characters thinking and feeling - this is the essence of the animator's performance. 

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects.
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