A compilation reel of my commercial work as an animator.

I had the honour of bringing to life New Yorker gag cartoons by Roz Chast, Emily Flake, Amy Hwang, Lonnie Millsap. These were voiced by Jon Hamm, Tig Notaro, Mindy Kaling and Ellie Kemper. Published for the Centenary Cartoons and Puzzles issue, they were viewed over 4-million times across the New Yorker’s online platforms.

It was an honour to bring the illustrated world of Octopus Energy to life with character animation.

In ‘Green Energy’, Constantine the octopus takes us on an exhuberant tour of Octopus Energy's green energy world, from a wind turbine and solar panel through to a cosy heat pump and EV charger.

Meanwhile, in ‘Heat Pumps Explained’, we take a look inside the Octopus Cosy heat pump and see how it pulls heat from the outside air to warm your radiators and taps, why it beats a boiler, and how it's smarter with energy.

Client: Octopus Energy

Creative Director: Ivan Barretta

Animation: Chris Cray

Plunge into Turkish history with Monocle.

I had the privilege of animating The Monocle guide to hammams, bringing to life Gwendal Le Bec’s expressive illustrations. Helena Kardová and Jessica North-Lewis directed this animated guide to make visiting Turkish baths for the first time less intimidating. Fresh and modern line drawings are juxtaposed with the millennia old ritual of hammam.  Join us as we glide from the hot room to the cold room via a foam massage, using 2D character animation to capture the moment, and celebrate its uniqueness.

Watch the full film here: https://monocle.com/film/edits/the-monocle-guide-to-hammams/

Animator: Chris Cray

Illustration: Gwendal Le Bec

Directors: Helena Kardová & Jessica North-Lewis

Producer: Helena Kardová

Writer: Sophie Grove

Narrator: Sophie Grove

This series of eight animated films unpacks TV Licensing’s most popular topics, such as: how you get licenced, protecting yourself from scams and making the switch to going paperless.

The films place charming presenter Nelly Telly front and centre of this hand-drawn world, helping to make each topic clear and engaging.

Beck Barnicoat's comic evocatively expresses the toxic concept of 'having it all'. It was an honour to bring it to life with animation.

Animation: Chris Cray

Art: Becky Barnicoat

Narration: Becky Barnicoat

I directed, designed and animated a series of playful idents for Rowse, the number one honey brand in the UK. These charming spots can be found airing during ITV Daybreak Weather. 

They follow chirpy characterful Bees on their seasonal adventures to collect pollen.with bees reacting to different weather conditions, having BBQs, awaiting the pollen count and having their clothes blown off in the wind. The commercials were aesthetically informed by Dr.Seuss and A.A. Milne’s children’s book illustrations.

I created these idents for the NHS’s Change4Life's 'Shake Up Time' campaign to encourage children to be more active.

Agency: M&C Saatchi
Client: Public Health England
Director: Chris Cray
Animators: Chris Cray, Harriet Gillian, Antoine Bourruel, Nathan Brenville

One of Bloomingdale's Dubai's largest regional advertising campaign to date, which marked the store's launch of its 'New York, New York' clothing collection in 2012. I directed, designed and animated the television and cinema commercial, set in a surreal world where King Kong and the Statue of Liberty live in a literal big Apple, which is having arrows fired at it by William Tell. Produced at Th1ng for MullenLowe Dubai.

I had the privilege of bringing to life the cover art of Flora Carr’s THE TOWER for Hutchinson Heinemann.

It was exciting to translate the evocative interplay of bold shapes and colours from still image to animation. Deviating from the original design to bring it to life and then to resolve back again to reveal the final cover art.

Join The Macallan on a voyage through time; past, present and future.

I had the pleasure of animating on ‘The Heart of the Spirit’, an immersive digital experience celebrating 200 years of The Macallan, Based on beautiful illustrations by Javi Aznarez.

Client: The Macallan

Agency: Potlatch

Production Company: Pixel Artworks

Celebrate 100 years of the BBC with cutout animation!

Chris Cray had the great honour of recasting Captain Pugwash with Rod Stewart and Ted Heath for Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse’s Adam Curtis-style documentary spoof.

The Love Box in Your Living Room is available to watch now on BBCiPlayer.

Director: Daniel Kleinman

Producers: Bradley Adams, Harry Enfield and Bryan Elsley

Production Company: Balloon Entertainment

Animation director: Chris Cray

Design: Chris Cray, Jennifer Kirkham

Animation: Chris Cray, Ana García Sebastiá

Lihn’s english is going backwards and she’s walking backwards too. How can she turn it around?

I directed this playful video for BBC Learning English to promote subscribing to their Youtube channel.

I worked with Outdoor Classroom Day to create this film explaining the importance of children spending time outside and the benefits it can have on their learning, health and well-being.

I co-directed and animated this quirky hand drawn commercial for Ore-Ida's all natural Simply Fries.

I directed and animated this campaign of four commercials where kids puts Land’s End productions through some extreme tests. The design and animation is informed by comic strips of the 1960s.

I had the pleasure of creating some bold animation with a big message. The goal was to add a graphic style, informed by signage, to a campaign that acts as a stop sign to the practice of burning.

I worked on inventive animated transitions to mirror the persuasive line of reasoning of the script. The tactile brush textures added an approachably human touch to a topic that may seem intimidating in scale.

Client: Beyond Burning

Agency: Daughter Studio

Production: Somesense

Director: Chris Cray

Do you need a tree in your life?

Fruit-full Communities went to YMCAs and Foyer Housing Schemes, supported lodgings and youth groups around the country to support residents in gaining confidence and skills through our very special orchard project.

Screened at Brighton International Film Festival, Shouting Ginger explores the mixed feelings about going bald as a redhead. This super short film mixes stand-up comedy with 2D animation.

I wrote and directed these animated comedy sketches.

Sometimes we all need a confidence boost.

I wrote and directed this delightful short film, about a singing woodlouse who finds a way to live her dreams.

Writer and director: Chris Cray

Vocals: Anna Moorey

Orchestral arranger: Jo Ranger

Design: Jennifer Kirkham

Rigging: Ana García Sebastiá

Animation: Kim Alexander

Storyboards: Ravi Swami

Sound design: Mark Smith

I designed and animated a series of animated optical illusions, titled Illusion Dimension,

As a way to display the work during the pandemic, I also created an online VR exhibition by the same name. The world of ‘Illusion Dimension’ showcases a series of animated visual tricks, displayed in an equally paradoxical gallery space and screening room, which you can visit, here.