My name is Luca, and I am an Italian animation director based in the UK, working across advertising, commissioned projects and independent short films.

I began my career at the London animation studio Slinky Pictures, where I gained experience across all aspects of the animation process, from storyboarding and character design to post-production. Over the following years I worked on a wide range of projects for clients including the BBC, Channel 4, Volvo and Honda, before joining Picasso Pictures as one of their directors. During this time I developed and pitched projects while collaborating with artists, designers and animators across a broad range of productions.

In 2019, with the arrival of my first child, I began to rethink both the way I worked and the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. Together with my partner, I chose to share childcare responsibilities, which led me to move away from long hours within large production companies and towards a smaller, more independent studio practice.

This shift also influenced the projects I was drawn to. In recent years I have increasingly focused on work that explores personal experiences and social issues. These include directing a short film for the Glasses for Classes campaign, helping raise awareness of poor eyesight among schoolchildren, and creating For You, an intimate animated film dedicated to my son. The film won Best International Short at Planet in Focus and screened internationally at festivals including Uppsala Short Film Festival, DokuFest, Aesthetica and the London International Animation Festival.

Today I run a small studio from Peckham, South East London, producing both commissioned and independent work. I continue to be drawn to animation’s unique ability to explore complex emotional experiences through image, sound and storytelling.

You can contact me directly:    +44(0)7765 660325       luca@lucapaulli.com