Aaron Wood, Co-Owner, Skwigly Animation Magazine

Skwigly is the longest running UK based animation magazine and community.

Q&A with Aaron Wood, Co-Owner, Skwigly Animation Magazine

Meet Aaron Wood, Co-Owner, Skwigly Animation Magazine

We are so excited to be partnering with Skwigly – the longest running UK based animation magazine and community. Skwigly loves all things animated; love seeing animation, hearing about animation, talking about animation and showcasing animation. Skwigly brings the animation community a wide range of up-to-date content; including news, interviews, reviews, podcasts, videos and tutorials. Covering all aspects of animation, from the biggest Hollywood blockbusters to the best independent short films, we sat down with Aaron Wood, Co-Owner to hear about the platform.

Q: Skwigly has been a platform for discovery, inspiration and news across the animation community since its inception in 2004. What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the field over those 19 years?

I think looking back over almost 2 decades, the most obvious change that has taken place is the advance in technology; both in terms of animation technique and how films are viewed. I can remember back in 2004 how novel it was to watch animation on your mobile phone – a few studios were making short content for the web and mobile (I remember the first animation I watched on a mobile was Aardman’s Angry Kid!) but it was still quite rare. Fast forward to today and you have films being consumed on phones, all manner of screen sizes, VR headsets, Augmented Reality (AR) apps, projection mapping – the platforms out there have really grown. However, I am still a staunch advocate of the good old big screen. I don’t think you can beat watching animated films on the cinema screen, which is why I am such a fan of animation festivals and live animation screening events.

The next chapter we are beginning is the use of AI in animation creation. That is a whole can of worms I won’t go into now, but the conversations are only just beginning on the ethics of its use, and how it could aid the production of filmmaking. I expect this to influence the process a lot over the next decade or so.

Q: As a UK publication, what have you noticed about the UK industry that makes it unique?

The UK has a strong animation industry and I think that is down to the passion and love for animation that those who work in our industry have – plus a desire to create great work. We don’t have the best funding models compared to other European countries when it comes to short films, but our filmmakers, studios, and producers always seem to find creative solutions and get their films made through sheer determination and hard work.

On the international stage, we are well known for creating successful children’s content (especially pre-school shows it seems) and I think this comes from such a strong history and heritage of storytelling, creating great characters, and producing these shows.

Finally, the UK has quite a strong commercial animation industry – by this I mean service work such as commercials, explainers, idents, educational content, etc. A huge part of the UK industry is comprised of small studios producing work for this sector – which I believe is a great breeding ground for trying out new techniques, visual styles, and experimentation. This all feeds then into the short films, feature films and TV shows that the UK produces.

The UK has quite a strong commercial animation industry - by this I mean service work such as commercials, explainers, idents, educational content, etc. A huge part of the UK industry is comprised of small studios producing work for this sector

Aaron Wood, Co-Owner, Skwigly Animation Magazine

Q: What 3 pieces were among some of your favorite work from 2023?

That is a tough one! But if I had to narrow it down to three films, I would say:

27 by Flóra Anna Buda. (Synopsis: Alice lives at her parents’ place at the age of 27 with no private life or a relationship. It takes a bicycle accident and a short coma to make her realize that it’s time to move out.)

Ninety-Five Senses by Jerusha and Jared Hess (Synopsis: An ode to the body’s five senses delivered by a man with little time left to enjoy them.)

A Bear Named Wojtek by Iain Gardner (Synopsis: Displaced by the Second World War, a troop of Polish soldiers find an inseparable bond through an orphaned bear they name Wojtek.)

Q: The Collision Awards share a similar mission to discover, spotlight and recognize the very best working across animation and motion design from across the globe. As a founding partner, what are you most excited to see in our inaugural year?

I get excited to see and meet the new animation talent that is coming through every year. From graduation shows to animation festivals, I love to see the fresh ideas and stories that come out of new and up-and-coming filmmakers. So I would definitely say that the Collision Awards’ mission to discover the best animation talent is the part I am most excited about this year.