Iwan Thomas

After Effects Artist, Tag Collective Arts

After Effects Artist Iwan Thomas was just 18 when he started working with Smoke & Mirrors, which is now part of Tag Collective Arts. What started as a week’s work experience turned into a surprise job offer as a runner, and then 11 months later a role as a Junior After Effects Artist – all miles away from his Welsh hometown of Llanelli. He describes the experience as “an absolute whirlwind,” but one that’s led him to do work for Toyota, Burberry and Tesco.

You started out filming skaters - was this an important introduction to being creative?

It’s definitely a natural progression. Although they were very simple videos at the time, what I learned from them allowed me to hit the ground running when it came to working in the industry. I learned the workflows involved in visual projects, and the fundamentals of manually operating a camera. But mainly it kindled a passion for moving image and technology. Being a Gen Z-er, I grew up with the internet, where there was an endless supply of courses and tutorials at my disposal to learn any skill. It’s amazing that the internet has evened the playing field and now anyone can learn anything.

What made you decide to later drop out of college?

I never enjoyed school very much, I found the whole thing quite forced and regimented. I wanted to get out into the real world as soon as I could, and knew I didn’t want to follow the academic path. By the time I was 16, I’d really had enough. I wasn’t very happy and couldn’t comprehend years more of education, so I made the decision to leave. I like to do my own thing and knew that I wouldn’t need further education for the things I wanted to pursue.

How did it feel arriving in London for your first work experience?

It was a crazy time. Having just turned 18, everything about that experience was new to me. I was constantly out of my comfort zone, but enjoyed every second of it. I definitely brought some teenage shyness with me to London, but found the exposure of having to communicate with so many people on a daily basis really helped tackle this.

Was being a runner a helpful introduction to the city and the industry?

Tag’s office is in the heart of Soho, and spending my days out and about picking up food orders or delivering packages, I soon knew my way around. Soho, especially in the summer, was one of the liveliest and most interesting places I’d been - you’d see something new every day. I’ll forever value the skills I learned as a runner. I got to see the inner workings of a big company, I had to deal with clients, improvise, be decisive and work efficiently with a team. Most importantly, I will now always appreciate the work of runners. They are the secret heroes of a company or production.

What was it that made you ultimately decide to become an After Effects Artist?

I’ve always found post production interesting. And I already had some experience using After Effects, so it seemed like the obvious place to start. I liked that motion graphics was a multi-disciplinary field, where I’d need to develop skills in a wide range of other softwares too.

What are your ambitions for the future, and has that changed at all after a year of Covid?

At the moment, I’m focussing mainly on building my skills in motion design; namely furthering my After Effects knowledge, but also hope to branch out into CGI. My plans have pretty much remained unchanged, it’s just the circumstance that’s now different. I’ve been working remotely at home for almost a year now. Which I enjoy for the most part, but I do miss the collaboration and social aspect of being in the studio with the team.

Interview by: Emma Tucker

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