In a world filled with screen technologies, Stop Motion animation is alive and well, with an abundance of charm and hand-made often hybrid styles. Audiences often warm to its tactile nature instinctively, and it’s come a long way from the Fast Show “just a tiny amount” Nick Park parody. Today Animators use a variety of technical and digital support techniques to achieve their visions In this panel discussion we celebrate the art of Stop Motion and Claymation Animation in the 2020s and look at how inventive craftspeople use technology in a myriad of ways.
LIAF presents the 2026 UK Animation Industry Event – 7 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire and Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 7 talks are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday December 5 and Sunday December 6.
Please note this industry event is pre-recorded.
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Panellists
Moderator: saint john walker
Saint John Walker is the Programme Leader for postgraduate media at the UK’s University of Hertfordshire and a leading VFX educationalist with over 25 years of experience of teaching and training in the games, animation and VFX industries. Most recently Saint was Dean and Director of Industry Engagement at the UK’s Escape Studios and previous to that he designed, initiated and ran the VFX degree course at Norwich University of the Arts for four years. Saint is an active member of Access:VFX. Saint is also the convenor, designer and chair of the popular Industry panels at the London International Animation Festival each year. In 2024 he has chaired and taken part in panel discussions at the View conference in Turin, the Viborg Animation Festival and FMX, Stuttgart.
Dan Richards
Dan Richards made his first stop motion film at twelve and has worked in the medium ever since. He trained at the Bristol School of Animation, Aardman Animations’ training school, then worked on Wallace & Gromit. In 2005 his own animated short ‘The Windmill Boy’ premiered at the London International Animation Festival. Then he set out on his own. Dan founded A+C Studios and grew it, commission by commission, into a specialist stop motion studio with clients across the world. Advertising agencies, broadcasters and toy brands come to A+C for stop-motion. Every stage of production happens under the studio’s own roof in Margate, on the Kent coast, among a close community of artists and makers. Dan runs the studio as founder and creative lead.
Glenn Holberton
Glenn is a BAFTA-nominated animation and puppetry producer, and writer. He worked with Spitting Image in the 1990’s and has produced film and TV content for the BBC, Channel 4, Universal Studios, Viacom and the BFI; as well as many major TV advertising campaigns. More recently he was the stop-motion unit producer on Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024) feature film, working through Mackinnon & Saunders. Again working with Mackinnon & Saunders, he produced the stop-motion content for Tim Burton’s “Wednesday” Series 2 (2025), on Netflix. In late 2025, he was the Executive Producer for the stop-motion animation scenes on Apple’s Shot on iPhone film “Glad I Met You,” created by MAL Shanghai. Animated films that he produced have won prizes at film festivals around the world, including nominations for both Cartoon d’Or, BAFTAs and the Oscars.
Will Studd
Will loves animation big and small, literally. He holds Guiness World Records for largest and smallest animated films Gulp and Dot respectively. But it’s not just animated record-breakers, over the last 15 years Will has brought to life countless shorts and commercials covering all types of animation, including CGI/ live action, 2D, multimedia, and stop frame, for companies like Thatchers, Nike, McDonalds, ITV, and the BBC. His latest work is two animated commercials for Nest pensions featuring a Creature Comforts inspired community of animated birds. With a love of character and art direction Will has a strong background in design and cinematography,having gained a host of awards over his career including Cannes Lions, BAA, British Arrows Craft Awards, Kinsale Sharks and RTS awards.
Jonathan biggins
Jon is a visual effects supervisor at Aardman Animations, where he has worked for 15 years. He moved from compositing into supervisory roles and has played a key part in the studio’s recent features. Jon supervised the VFX on Robin Robin, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Shaun the Sheep:The Beast of Mossy Bottom, and he was Compositing Supervisor on Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. His work on Dawn of the Nugget and Vengeance Most Fowl earned VES Award nominations. He is currently VFX Supervisor on Let’s Go Timmy, Aardman’s series for the BBC.
Renee Zahn
Renee Zhan is a Chinese-American director and animator from Houston, Texas. In her films Renee is primarily interested in exploring topics of female identity, nature, and sexuality – all things beautiful, ugly, and squishy. She is an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab, Sarabande Foundation, BAFTA crew x BFI Network and Berlinale Talents and her short films have screened and won awards at festivals internationally including AFI Fest, Locarno, TIFF, Telluride, SXSW, an Annie Award nomination, BAFTA LA shortlist, and the Jury Prize for Animated Short at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. She is developing her first feature film, BAOBAO, with BBC Film. She has worked as a commercial director with Blinkink since 2022.
Our Funding Partners
With Special Thanks to The Elf Factory, official sponsor of LIAF 2026.
With Special Thanks to the Arts Council England
Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery.
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