Darren Walsh (director)

Darren Walsh is an award winning director, animator and writer using stop frame animation, live action and CG in his work. He lives in London and is represented by production company Passion Pictures having worked previously independently and for Aardman Animations.

He originally trained in animation at West Surrey College of Art and Design, where his graduation film “Oozat” (1993), using pixelation and mask animation, was broadcast on Channel 4 and also went on to win awards at both the Cork International Film Festival and the Hiroshima Animation Festival.

He is well known for devising, directing and voicing the acclaimed comedy series Angry Kid. It features the misadventures of an animated teenager who is continually aggravating his parents, younger sister and friends. Angry Kid was commissioned by the BBC and produced at Aardman Animations winning numerous awards including Best Animated Short at the World Comedy Short Film Festival, Toronto in February 2003. As well as two Angry Kid series he has devised and directed an Angry Kid half hour special entitlted Who do You Think You Are. In addition to the two Angry Kid series, he also directed commercials, title sequences and broadcast idents for both BBC Television and Channel 4 before moving to London and joining Passion Pictures in 2003.

Walsh is also known for his award winning commercial direction. Since joining Passion Pictures in 2003 he has directed campaigns for Comparethemarket.com, Sony Bravia “Play-Doh” (with Frank Budgen at Gorgeous Enterprises), Peperami, Specsavers, BBC iPlayer, Duracell and National Express Trains. Aleksandr Orlov, the Russian meerkat character was designed and brought to life by Walsh for Comparethemarket.com. Walsh has directed all of the TV advertisements for the campaign. This award winning character now has 750,000 fans on Facebook.

In Campaign’s 2009 annual survey of the commercials industry Walsh was listed third in the Top 10 Commercials Directors and top in animation.

His animation direction on Sony Bravia “Play Doh” (live action directed by Frank Budgen at Gorgeous) where hundreds of plasticine rabbits take over Manhattan won Best Animation at the 2007 D&AD Awards. The Compare the Market campaign swept the board at the 2010 British Television Advertising Awards winning one silver and three gold awards.

In total his commercials have picked up over 50 industry and animation awards since 2006

In July 2011 Darren Walsh was awarded an honorary MA from University of the Creative Arts, Farnham http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/news/2011/july/darren-walsh Walsh is currently focusing on a feature project.

External links

• http://www.passion-pictures.com/flash.html#page=d8

http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/news/2011/july/darren-walsh

Sources

Campaign Big Awards 2009 <http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/948604/Campaign-Big-Awards-2009---View-winners/>

BTAA Gold Awards 2010 <http://www.btaa.co.uk/>

Sony "Play Doh" <http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2007/october/we-made-the-play-doh-bunnies-bounce>

BTACA Best Animation <http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2008/december/and-the-btaca-winners-are>

British Animation Awards <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/14/television.filmnews1>

Angry Kid <http://www.sci-fi-online.com/Interview/03-04-29_DarrenWalsh.htm>

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Name	Walsh, Darren
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