#SpillingTheTea - with Alex Zepherin

This week we headed to George Street to visit the small, but perfectly formed Don Dada Studio. Over tea and biscuits, we chatted with the studio’s founder (and animation director) Alex Zepherin, about the venues she thinks are at the heart of Croydon’s creative scene, how an actress sliding into her DMs led to work on a BAFTA nominated film, and her innovative idea to support more Creatives in the Borough.
 

How did you begin your career journey in the world of animation/motion design?

I grew up in a very creative family – my mum works in fashion and my uncles are producers and Djs. I was always encouraged to try out different creative pursuits and for me it was drawing that I really took to. When I got my first computer, I loved experimenting with digitally drawing on that. I went to college to study graphic design, and during one lesson, my teacher showed me a video of how they created the Transformers movie. I was fascinated, and from that point on I realised it was animation that I wanted to build a career in. I went to University for the Creative Arts in Kent and studied CG Arts and Animation. The first few years were hard as a lot of people had already done foundation courses and had a solid idea of exactly what they wanted to specialise in so I felt like I was playing catch up. But by the third year, I knew I wanted to be more of a generalist as I loved the whole process – from concepting and storyboarding to the actual illustration and animation.

What made you set up on your own?

Coming out of University, my whole peer group struggled with finding full time employment – and it took me two years before I got my first job as a junior motion designer at Disney. During that time looking for a job, I did a lot of freelance work and I guess that’s what gave me a taste of running my own business. I left Disney after a year and half as, whilst it was a great name, the work was pretty repetitive. I felt like such a small cog in a big machine and was keen to find somewhere I could use my imagination. I moved to a small TV company which gave me more exposure to different parts of the business and allowed me more creative input. It was great, but they weren’t getting enough work, so I in 2019, I left, and went freelance. Work grew steadily and actually boomed during the pandemic (as everyone needed more online/digital content). By 2021, I was solidly booked had some great clients including the BBC. It was great to be so busy but I was also trying to work on my own creative project (making an animated film about Stop and Search) and so I decided to bring in a paid intern to help me manage it all. Three years later, we’ve grown to a team of three (with Madeleine and Britney), got our own office, just did our first trip to Cannes Lions Festival and we’re finally working on my Stop and Search film project!

How do you find your clients and what is the creative process when working on a new project?

Most of our work is from recommendations but we’ve also had referrals through Advertising and Marketing agencies, Linked In and other social media platforms. For example, last year, Fola Evans Akingbola (an amazing actor and fellow South London girl) had produced and directed a documentary called ‘Untold Stories: Hair on Set’ about the untold struggles of Afro hair on film sets. She was looking for an animation company to help bring to life some of the messages within the film and came across us on Instagram. She slid into my DMs (!) and we ended up working together to create some animated content within the film – which went on to be nominated for a BAFTA!

Whilst we don’t have a typical client (recent projects have included a trafficking animation for The Guardian and a sustainability animation with the Food Foundation) our work is generally focused on education around social issues.

Regardless of client, the creative process is quite similar and always very collaborative. It starts with an intro call where we get to speak about their brief in more detail. Some clients have a really clear vision as to what they want (and just need our help bringing it to life) whereas others have a message they want to get across but are super open to how to go about it. As a team, we make sure we’re knowledgeable on the topic – and have had some great chats in the studio as a result! Then, once agreed, we have various sign off points, to ensure we’re still going in a direction they’re happy with.

What are some key trends in motion graphics that excite you, and how do you incorporate these into your work?

To be honest, we don’t tend to follow trends – for me the story is king. I’m always on the lookout for inspiration but that doesn’t necessarily come from the motion graphics industry – it might be from film, photography or fashion. As a team, we all have our own areas of interest – for example Britney has come from an architectural background so is very inspired by buildings and her line-work is incredible while Madelein comes from a Fine Arts background and is really interested in characters and capturing people.

What do you think of the creative scene in Croydon?

I love that Croydon is such a melting pot and for me, Riff Raffs is at the heart of our creative scene (so I love that it’s pretty much opposite my office!) My late partner (DJ BusyFingers) used to run events (like Beats and Liquor) at a venue called V Bar on the High Street and through those, I met a huge range of creative people – from musicians and graphic designers to spoken word poets and graffiti artists. I’m also a regular at Matthew’s Yard  and Stanley Arts where I’ve attended life drawing classes that a lot of my creative friends tend to meet up at. Croydon is great for general networking within the creative scene but the main animation industry events I go to are all in East London.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a company and how have you overcome them?

Keeping things afloat when it’s quieter and getting the right balance of work. I feel really strongly about doing work that we all love because if we’re not, we may as well be back working for bigger corporate companies. But equally, as a business owner, I’ve got bills to pay! 

What more could be done to support creative businesses in Croydon?

I opened my office here because of the connections I had with the creative community. But whilst it’s been great to build on my own network, I’ve struggled to find wider networking and funding opportunities. I recently came across the Creative Digital Lab which is an incredible resource with so many great tech facilities, but it was by fluke that I found out about it. Through that I got access to some free training which was great – but again, these opportunities all feel quite hidden away and hard to find out about. I mentioned it to a few of my local friends and they had never heard of the place. So, I think there is more to be done in terms of engaging with the people at a grassroots level. I also think it would be great to have a Creative Awards event to highlight creative talent in the Borough. I’m not sure if the Croydon Business Awards are still running (?) but regardless, it would be good to have something more focused on the creative industry. Everyone’s profile benefits from being “award-winning” or “award nominated” so I think this would be something local creatives would be keen to get involved with.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own creative business?

Have some money behind you for the quiet times! I built up a decent savings pot during lockdown which has been very useful. And make an effort to be around other creatives as it’s so easy to isolate yourself. It doesn’t matter if they are not in the same discipline – anyone running their own creative business will experience similar issues so it’s useful to be able to talk. I often look at small businesses who seem to have it all together, then when I speak to them, I realise we’re all winging it a bit!

What role does diversity in Croydon play in shaping your company's creative output?

I want Don Dada to reflect the diversity of the South London I grew up in, both in terms of the team and the work we produce. My idea for the Stop and Search animation film was born out of hearing about so many of my Croydon friends getting searched illegally during lockdown. My black male friends were regularly being stopped in the street for no apparent reason. A lot of them didn’t know their rights or any of the procedures that should be followed if you get stopped by the police (for example, when you get searched, you’re supposed to be given a receipt so you can complain). So, I wanted to make a short, animated film to help educate people on their rights. This year, I’ve finally had the time to script, storyboard, and work on the character designs and we’re now collaborating with a Stop and Search charity to apply for funding (via BFI) to get it made.

What’s next for Don Dada? Are there any upcoming projects or goals you’re particularly excited about?

Getting the Stop and Search project funded and out into the world! I don’t have a specific business plan as I prefer to follow my instinct and respond to what comes up. But I’m keen to grow the team so we can work on more of our own projects (and then the ultimate dream is to create our own feature film!) 

For more information about Don Dada Studio, visit www.dondada.studio or
follow @DonDadaStudio

Further info:

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