'I turned a drawing passion into an animation career'

Will Lloyd-Cook is a talented animator who turned his childhood passion for drawing into a successful career in animation. Growing up in Lowestoft, Suffolk, he discovered his love for drawing Marvel Comic characters as a child. Now, at 35 years old, he has made a name for himself as an animation series director, working on beloved children's shows such as The Adventures of Paddington Bear, Alphablocks, and Digby Dragon. Recently, he became a father and is eager to create shows that will inspire his daughter and entertain the next generation of children. Will attended Kirkley High School, which is now known as East Points Academy, where he first realized his talent for drawing. He later enrolled at Lowestoft College, where he made a pivotal decision one evening by flipping a coin to choose to study digital animation. Reflecting on his journey, he said, 'I had very hard working lecturers that I owe my career to. ' Before attending university, he had little knowledge of animation or the software used in the industry. Will describes working in children's animation as incredibly fun and rewarding. He works diligently on his laptop, fully immersed in his projects. Initially, he dropped out of university to take a job, but he made sure to return and graduate in 2011. His first role was as an animation fixer for Blue Zoo Animation Studio on the show Tree Fu Tom, where he specialized in animating the characters' clothing. He recalls, 'Before I knew it, not only was I doing skirts and wings, but then I was getting my own shots to animate, my own sequences, then I was getting my own scenes. ' This experience led to a flourishing career in animation that has spanned 14 years. Will has aspirations of judging a competition show focused on animation, similar to the Great British Bake Off. In 2019, he was part of the Bafta award-winning team for the show Numberblocks, and during the pandemic, he contributed to the Emmy award-winning team for The Adventures of Paddington. He takes great pride in how they adapted their work to create a high-quality series during challenging times. Will is passionate about giving back to the community and often speaks at schools and his alma mater. He believes in the importance of inspiring the next generation, stating, 'I like giving back to what made me. ' Engaging with students reminds him of his own beginnings and motivates him to stay ahead in the industry. He hopes to inspire them just as his teachers inspired him. Will always keeps his daughter in mind while working on new projects. He said, 'Whenever I make anything I always think of her. ' He aims to create shows that she will enjoy as she grows up. While he is currently focused on preschool content, he looks forward to making shows for older children as well.