Taking place this year from September 8th to September 14th, VAF transforms Viborg – Denmark’s animation capital – into a vibrant hub for artists, animation aficionados, and experts. Whether you’re looking to explore inspiring animated films, dive into hands-on workshops, or gain insight into the latest trends and challenges shaping the industry, the festival offers something for everyone.
Meet the Speaker
Ian Spendloff | Creative Director
Ian is an Emmy Award-winning Director, Art Director and Designer, with a particular focus on character-led projects. He has created concepts, narratives, characters & creatures for a host of thrilling projects, spanning advertising, episodic, film and immersive entertainment.
Ian created the attention-grabbing visuals for the Disney+ show Ms Marvel, taking home an Emmy for Outstanding Motion Graphics in the process.
Prior to that, Ian directed the storybook sequences for Netflix’s Jingle Jangle, featuring intricately crafted CG characters in a beautifully emotional tale. And most recently, Ian took on bringing to life the animated character Mr Ring-a-Ding for Doctor Who's Season 2 episode, Lux, working with many Framestore departments to take the character from initial concept, design, and previs through to final pixel.
About our Design Studio
Framestore’s Design Studio is a highly-skilled team of visual artists made up of directors, designers and animators. They partner with global brands, agencies and artists to deliver beautiful, impactful work across any platform.
From Sketch to Screen: Bringing Mr. Ring-A-Ding to Life in Doctor Who
2:15 - 2:45pm CEST 11th August
Join Emmy-winning Creative Director Ian Spendloff as he takes you behind the scenes of Doctor Who Season 2: Lux, showcasing the creation of one of the series’ most memorable characters, Mr. Ring-A-Ding.
Crafted entirely in the UK by Framestore, with support from Framestore Preproduction Services (FPS), the team guided the character from initial concept and design through previs, animation, and final integration into live action.
The talk will explore how Mr. Ring-A-Ding evolves across the episode from a charming, 1930s hand-drawn animation to a gruesome, hyper-realistic 3D creature, highlighting the technical and creative challenges of blending multiple animation styles within a single narrative arc.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in design-led storytelling, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the art of character transformation in modern VFX.
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