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ANIMATION

“Leo Crane’s hand-painted animations feature highly expressive nude motifs and images of transfiguration and escape, evoking a sense of transformation and liberation.”
— Grazia Magazine, August 2023

Leo’s animations combine traditional fine art media with expert digital training. He has made films in watercolour, pastels, and charcoal, as well as born-digital films in 2D and 3D.

He graduated with an MA (Distinction) from the National Centre of Computer Animation, Bournemouth University, UK, and completed the Open Residency and Ani:Dox Lab programmes at the Animation Workshop, VIA University, Denmark. His animations are produced at Figuration, the London studio he co-founded with Roy Joseph Butler in 2016.

Screen or commission an animation
Animation 2020
The Masterpiece of Tamagata
The Masterpiece of Tamagata

When a celebrated artist paints a daughter for his wife, he inadvertently puts them on a collision course with the powerful Shogun.

Based on a story by Betsy Misheiker
Directed by Ilona Suchitzky & Leo Crane
Writer: Roy Joseph Butler
Producer: Leo Crane / Figuration

UK | 40 mins | 2027 (in development)

L'amour rebelle
L'amour rebelle

Love, conflict and technology in the first live opera on the blockchain. Reimagining Bizet’s Carmen.

Director: Leo Crane
Music: Zachary Whitney / Merav Eldan (after Bizet)
Featuring Roy Joseph Butler

UK/Israel | 4 mins | 2022

Ithakas
Ithakas

Every experience, every journey is a step closer to understanding our destinations or destinies, our own Ithakas.

Director: Leo Crane
Music: Zachary Whitney

UK | 90s looped | 2021

Nude Triumphant
Nude Triumphant

Jay is trapped in the relentless City until he is forced to confront his relationship with Time and himself.

Director: Leo Crane
Writer: Roy Joseph Butler
Producer: Animate Projects
Exec Producer: Celia Atkin

UK | 8 mins | 2020

The Foundling
The Foundling

An Untold Tale of abandonment and dreams

Director: Leo Crane
Producer: Abigail Addison / Animate Projects

UK | 1 min | 2018

The Library
The Library

Annie’s day at The Library starts like any other, but the intriguing man who takes the seat opposite her encourages her thoughts to stray. This animation for the London Library pits library etiquette against carnal desires.

Writer/Director: Leo Crane
Produced at the National Centre for Computer Animation, Bournemouth University

UK | 4 mins | 2012

Of Angels and Dirt
Of Angels and Dirt

Stanley Spencer is one of the most distinctive British painters, fusing together religion and sexuality, work and leisure, nature and industry, in richly detailed paintings of everyday life. As Spencer himself put it: "I am on the side of angels and dirt".

Writer/Director/Producer: Leo Crane
Commissioned by The Hepworth Wakefield
Exec Producer: Celia Atkin

UK | 2.5 mins | 2016

Modern Queer Heroes
Modern Queer Heroes

14 Queer animators celebrate their LGBTQ+ heroes in an exquisite corpse animation made during the 2020 quarantine.

Producer: Kate Jessop
Animators: Dan Parry, Lily Ash Sakula, Kate Jessop, Robert Duncan, Rosanna Wan, Sam Gurry, Daniel Murtha, Leo Crane, Laura Jane Hodkin, Terry Wragg, Gemma Green Hope, Ada Guvenir, David Delafuente, Cheng-Hsu Chung

UK | 5 mins | 2020

Water Water
Water Water

Uniting diverse voices of poetry in a journey of exploration and discovery for National Poetry Day 2013. With accompanying downloadable resources for schools.

Director/Producer: Leo Crane
Music: Andrew Hayes
Producer: Forward Arts Foundation

UK | 1.5 mins | 2013

Paint Skin
Paint Skin

A digital exploration under the richly textured skin of an ancient art form by Leo Crane and Jonathan Armour featuring Roy Joseph Butler.

UK | 1 min (looped) | 2015