Twine
Twine

Paolo Russo is an experience freelance 2D animator based in Bristol. After graduating with a First-Class BA in Animation from the University of West of England, my graduation project—a fully hand-painted-on-glass children’s

PaoloRusso

PRO

Paolo Russo is an experience freelance 2D animator based in Bristol. After graduating with a First-Class BA in Animation from the University of West of England, my graduation project—a fully hand-painted-on-glass children’s animation titled The Pangolin and The Hedgehog—was selected for numerous international animation festivals, including the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival and Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. Driven by a commitment to enrich knowledge in film studies and

Available to hire

Paolo Russo is an experience freelance 2D animator based in Bristol.

After graduating with a First-Class BA in Animation from the University of West of England, my graduation project—a fully hand-painted-on-glass children’s animation titled The Pangolin and The Hedgehog—was selected for numerous international animation festivals, including the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival and Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. Driven by a commitment to enrich knowledge in film studies and festival curation, I subsequently completed an MA in Contemporary Film Culture, graduating with Distinction and receiving the Elspeth Kydd Memorial Prize.

As you’ll see from my portfolio, I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide range of projects. Recently, I created a 2D animation for the V&A Museum, reinterpreting a chapter of Alice in Wonderland as part of their Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition campaign. This project involved bringing a fresh, imaginative perspective to the classic “Mad Tea Party” scene while ensuring the original material was treated with care and respect. I also recently created animation for a TED Talk series on Irish mythology, with the Diarmuid and Gráinne tale gathering over half a million views on YouTube. Other notable projects include two seasons of BEX—a children’s series for Ceidiog TV that blends live-action with animation to address mental health topics in a child-friendly way—and a recent collaboration with Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBT+ charity, to raise awareness of young queer people’s mental health challenges.

One of my most fulfilling roles was as a lead storyboard artist with Unanico Group, where I worked on two seasons of Buddi, a CGI children’s series on Netflix. I contributed to the storyboarding of 15 episodes, including the Annie Awards-nominated episode “Snow.” Collaborating on a tight schedule, I played an integral role in shaping the creative process and achieving strong results under pressure—a skill I am excited to bring to your team.

My versatility as a freelancer for Winding Snakes Productions has also given me the chance to work across creative roles, including logo design, animation workshops, and editing. Notable projects include two animations for Newport Music Scene, a 10-minute cut-out animation for Ancient Connections, and A Cardiff Ghost Story, created for the Iris Prize Festival. In addition to this experience, I have directed and designed six music videos, handling all creative roles—from concept to completion—for artists such as alternative pop artist Rio Romeo and Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon. In addition, I worked on some brilliant short films and animated sequence in films: A Moment Longer by Efa Blosse-Mason, By a Thread by Ryan Olimgueller, Why Do Butchers Close So Early? by Inez Skilling, and Man Wanted by Irida Zhonga.

See more

Skills

2D
2D Animation

Experience Level

2D Animation
Expert

Language

Italian
Fluent
English
Fluent
French
Intermediate

Education

Intensive Foundation Course in Art and Design at Oxford Brooks
September 1, 2013 - January 8, 2014
BA in Animation at University of West of England (Bristol)
September 8, 2014 - July 8, 2017
MA in Contemporary Film Culture at University of West of England (Bristol)
September 1, 2018 - June 1, 2020

Qualifications

After Effect Course at Sun& Moon
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2020

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment
    uniE608 Tumble
    Commissioned by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and singer Polvito to do the animated sequences in his music video. 'Tumble' is about a car crash he experienced and the almost psychedelic eupohoria at being alive after a near death experience, and the sense of seeing the world afresh afterwards.
    uniE608 Marcy
    Animation commissioned by Stonewall, the largest LGBTQ+ rights organisation in Europe. The project is based on interviews by teens from the queer community. Watch full animation here: https://www.twine.net/signin education animator
    uniE608 Something's Gotta Give
    Music video commissioned by cabaret punk & indie pop star Rio Romeo as part of their acclaimed album Valentine. Watch full video here: https://www.twine.net/signin musicvideo animator filmdirector
    uniE608 A Moment Longer
    Animator on Efa Blosse Mason and Nia Morris short film A Moment Longer, produced by Winding Snakes Productions. On a wet and windy, Welsh winter night, a lone woman escapes for a moment and is lost in a steaming bowl of spicy noodles. Watch full animation here: https://www.twine.net/signin
    uniE608 Newport Rock Collectiong
    Newport Rock Collecting is a social history and contemporary collecting project, created by Winding Snake Productions in partnership with Newport Museum & Art Gallery. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and with support from First Campus (University of South Wales). Real interviews
    uniE608 By a Thread by Ryan Oligmueller
    Animated Sequence commissioned by filmmaker Ryan Oligmueller for his personal and delicate documentary By a Thread about loss and anticipatory grief. A woman becomes her mother's caregiver when she is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Told through the lens of Live Action, Animation,
    uniE608 Le Rondini by Fabrizio Cardosa
    Commissioned music video for Italian composer Fabrizio Cardosa. Le Rondini is an experimental a-capella piece inspired by the first lockdown in Italy in 2020. Watch full film here: https://www.twine.net/signin video animator filmdirector
    uniE608 Empty Sea-William Newsome
    Dreamy music video for belated Bristol kora musician and song writer William Newsome. Watch full film here: https://www.twine.net/signin musicvideo animator filmdirector
    uniE608 Love vs. Honor: The Irish myth of Diarmuid's betrayal
    Animation commissioned by TED-Ed as part of a series dedicated to mythology. Co-directed with Efa Bloose-Mason and written by Iseult Gillespie Watch full video here: https://www.twine.net/signin explainervideo filmdirector animator
    uniE608 Animating Alice - A Mad Tea Party
    As part of the Marketing Campaign for the V&A Exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, I was commissioned by art collective Reformed the Funk in collaboration with Audible to reimagine a scene from Lewis Carrol beloved classic. Watch full animation here: https://www.twine.net/signin advert
    uniE608 The Pangolin and the Hedgehog
    Entirely hand-painted on glass, my graduation short film was selected by dozens of international animation festival such as Fest Anča International Animation Festival and Fantoche International Animation Film Festival. It's a children story on family ties and belonging centered around a young
    uniE608 Hashtag by Iwan Rheon
    Music video for renowned Welsh musician and actor Iwan Rheon for his new album I Should’ve Never Got to Space. The video follows an imaginary billionaire leaving for space after several cataclysms destroyed Earth. Alone in space he has to confront what he had lost and what he took for

Hire PaoloRusso today

To get started post up your job and then invite PaoloRusso to your job.