I studied contemporary art at Leeds Met from 2005 to 2008. In the summer of 2007 I landed an internship at Electronic Beats magazine in Berlin, where I wrote, photographed and designed. Music, culture and graphic design, all in one place.

After graduating I went underground on the nightshift at a supermarket in Wigan. Then I got a junior role at a production company in Soho. I was skint, but it was an amazing education. I got to work with, and learn from, some of the best animation and live action directors around, and picked up a broad technical understanding of how moving image works. I worked my way up to editor, and in 2011 I shot and directed a cycling documentary that aired on Eurosport.

Then the freelance world. From 2012 I worked at some of London’s finest production companies and ad agencies, including BBH, Publicis, M&C Saatchi and VCCP, who offered me a job. Making branded content and commercials in a great team, I developed my motion design skills in After Effects and Cinema 4D. It was a natural progression, combining editing, directing and design.

In 2015, a couple of colleagues and I hatched a plan to escape the cosy confines of free fruit bowls and sick pay, and set up Surface Studio. For three years we directed and designed short-form motion graphics and live action for brands and agencies. We had fun.

But all good things come to an end, and in 2020, in the midst of a minor global health situation, I set up Play Function Studio. Since then I’ve designed and directed motion for small tech startups, a coworking space business and a global clean energy supplier. I’ve made work for DAZN that’s been seen by millions around the world. With a tight-knit team of trusted designers, animators and strategists, we’ve also created brands for a London salon chain, an historic learned society and a startup ice manufacturer.

I still do this today, directly with clients and freelance with agencies, brands and broadcasters. If you’d like to chat about a project, drop me a line at danny@playfunction.studio.