Whilst many industries have been hugely impacted from the global pandemic there are always good news stories that need celebrating. One such business that has been working on some incredibly creative projects is Creature Post. We checked in on the team to find out what they’ve been working on and how they’ve adapted during these challenging times.

Tell us about Creature Post

Creature Post is a VFX (visual affects), animation and experiential arts studio based in Auckland, New Zealand. Operating since 2013, founders Kim Baldwinson and Lakshman Anandanayagam wanted to bring their collective experience together to make work they could have fun with and be proud of.

We engage with a wide range of clients and creative partners from advertising agencies, media companies, museums, festivals and government departments.  We wield a broad toolset to build custom solutions for every client, using a wide range of media and delivery platforms. Our portfolio includes post production for commercials and media, content creation and experience design for both indoor and outdoor live events.

What have you been working on?

On any given week we will be working on a broad range of commercial and arts work. From the outset we’ve wanted to be curious and adaptable with regards to the work we create. Over the years, that’s earned us the reputation for the more interesting ‘think outside the box’ projects which clients are increasingly sending our way.

We are currently working on a permanent projection mapped installation for the Auckland Museum’s south atrium redevelopment, developing new light works for our annual trip to Luma Southern Lights festival in Queenstown. We are creating a new 3D brand ident for Te Māngai Pāho. Throw in some TVC post production for Countdown, an interactive snakes and ladders style game for Auckland Council and a projection mapped perspective illusion for Redwoods Tree Walk visitors, you’ll see that our weeks are never ever boring!

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How has your business changed?

Our business is continuously changing as new technology and ways of working emerge, that always drives creative opportunities and new thinking.

Luckily for us, our team is able to work remotely and via zoom for 90% of the work, so we count ourselves very lucky.

We’ve actually found that lockdown was a time of immense creativity, having a moment to stop, take a breath and allow space for more creative ideas to flow. We have some new projects in development and some exciting colabs as a direct result of the lockdown.

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What future changes, if any, will you make to your business?

We will aim to be both nimble and flexible with our clients in the next 12 -18 months. It’s going to be about tight relationships and being clever with what is available, both creatively and financially. There are also some good government lead incentives happening internationally to get more clients to come and do work in our creative space so we will be pushing to be involved in that.

Keeping a broad variety of clients seems 101 in this changing climate.

We will also be reviewing our agreements with both clients and 3rd party suppliers going forward. Creative production and post in NZ has always been done reasonably casually on a chat and a handshake (*other than those of us who have been well trained by HGM legal luckily!). This has been a timely reminder on how clear we all need to be with our contracts, postponement and cancellation processes going forward. Clients will need to be aware that no insurance will cover any Covid related issues, and that risk will sit with the clients. It will mean more cautious milestones and payment schedules which should help to assist all parties in these uncertain times too. Ultimately we do need to work together to keep the work coming through, so communication from the outset of a project will be key.  

What tips would you give other creative businesses?

Keep pushing to make the work you love. As long as you are out there doing great work you are passionate about, the right people will notice, and more streams of work will open up. Be curious, open, get to the core of the idea, and remember to enjoy yourself along the way.

Thanks to the team at Creature Post for taking time out of their busy production schedule. We certainly hope that as New Zealand eases into Level 1, that this creative sparkle continues and those ideas are brought to life in the most magnificent way.