Alice Bloomfield: From BFI Future Film Award Winner to Creative Powerhouse
Alice Bloomfield went from winning the BFI/Black Dog Future Film Festival Award in 2019, to becoming one of the strongest creative voices in the industry
Last week, she returned to the BFI stage to tell young creatives, illustrators and animators, about her journey. In a conversation with LBB’s Zoe Antonov, Alice explored how creatives can translate personal emotions and ideas into visual storytelling, develop a distinctive artistic voice, and push boundaries through collaboration and experimentation.
Since signing to Black Dog Films in 2021, two years after winning the BFI award, Alice has worked across both traditional and digital mediums, delving into themes of human emotion, sex, and love through her illustrated and animated works. The worlds she creates are where emotions take shape through colour and movement, making the intangible visible.
Alice has carved out a space for herself as one of the most exciting new creative voices today. Her portfolio spans collaborations with Ninja Tune, Rihanna, Netflix, Queens of the Stone Age, and Beavertown, with each project showcasing her ability to transform emotion into compelling visual storytelling.
LBB> Alice, can you start by walking us through your creative process behind the Puma Blue ‘As Is’ project, which was also the project that won you the BFI/Black Dog award in 2019?
Alice> Sure! This was my first major project, and it came right after I graduated from university. At the time, I knew I wanted to pursue art as a career, but I wasn't entirely sure what that would look like day-to-day. I just knew I wanted to create art and earn a living from it.
I ended up reaching out to my musician friends, offering my skills for anything they needed – album art, posters, music videos, you name it. Luckily, my friend Jacob Allen, who performs as Puma Blue, responded and said he wanted to make a video. It was such a great starting project because it wasn't a typical client-artist situation; it felt more like two friends collaborating, which was a fantastic experience.
LBB> Did you feel like you had already found your artistic voice at that point, or were you still exploring?
Alice> I think I had the beginnings of my style by the end of university, but it continued to evolve over the next few years. I often get asked about finding one's artistic style – it's something many creatives are curious about.
For me, it started with understanding my aesthetic preferences and honing my taste. I would ask myself questions like, "Am I more drawn to line work or abstract shapes? Do I prefer figurative art? Do I like bold colours or softer pastel tones?" Once I identified these preferences, it gave me a solid foundation to develop and refine my style.
Experimentation played a huge role. I filled sketchbooks with drawings, constantly sketching and pushing my ideas. I’ve always loved Japanese manga and anime – the big eyes, elongated limbs, and exaggerated forms. Over time, these elements became more pronounced in my work. For example, I’ve always been obsessed over drawing eyes. As I continued, the eyes I drew became bigger and more detailed, and I applied similar exaggeration to other features, like noses and lines. It was all about exploring and letting my style naturally evolve.
LBB> It sounds like your work really grew into a living, breathing expression of emotion! The Puma Blue project led to signing with Black Dog Productions, which was a significant milestone. What did that mean for you as an artist?
Alice> It was incredible to be recognised by such a respected production company. After the award ceremony, I had the opportunity to visit their offices, meet the team, and build relationships.
I didn’t sign with them immediately. For a couple of years, I worked off-roster, getting occasional freelance projects. My first project with them was quite unusual – it involved animating a section of a documentary where some footage had been accidentally deleted. They had the audio, but needed animation to fill the gap. It was an unexpected but exciting challenge.
LBB> That’s such a unique way to step into the industry! I’d love to talk more about your immersive project with the Outernet. What was the brief for that project, and how did you approach it?
Alice> The Outernet project was my first major collaboration with Black Dog. At that time, the building hadn't even been completed, so we had minimal reference material to work with. We had a basic layout of the screens but had to imagine how the art would interact with the space.
The brief was quite open-ended. They wanted someone who could use the screens creatively and avoid the obvious approach of playing the same video on each screen. They wanted the screens to work together, creating an immersive and innovative experience.
It was also my first successful pitch. I put a lot of thought into my pitch, creating storyboards and mood boards to bring my ideas to life. Winning that pitch was a huge milestone for me, and it set the tone for future projects.
LBB> And because you didn't know what the building of the Outernet would look like, I know VR played a role in your process, right? How did it help you?
Alice> Yes, absolutely. I’ll start with the lead-up to that, from pitching to the brief and my process. Going into it, I really wanted to use all the screens in a fun and dynamic way, which was a big part of the brief. I was also thinking about how rare it is to have the chance to show an animation in such an immersive 360-degree space. That became my main goal.
I had this idea of creating a really calm, nature-inspired environment. The Outernet is right on Tottenham Court Road, which is super busy, grey, and noisy. I wanted to make something that completely counterbalanced that. I envisioned this little oasis of calm and nature, where people could come in, breathe, and feel at peace.
I also wanted to use the screens creatively, combining the natural elements with the 360-degree setup to create a fully immersive experience. My goal was for the audience to truly feel surrounded by the world I created. I even used the smaller side screens to show the character’s reactions, like a wink or a subtle expression, to make the audience feel like they were on this journey with the main character, seeing and feeling what she did.
LBB> Were there any unexpected challenges in working with this space? I know you had to navigate frame rates and repositioning animations. How did you handle those?
Alice> Oh, definitely. There was so much to learn along the way. Honestly, at first, I had no idea what I was doing. It was hard to imagine how my work on a small laptop screen would translate to these massive displays. I spent a lot of time with my face right up to the screen, trying to visualise how it would look blown up.
Thankfully, VR was a game-changer. They actually built a whole replica of the building in a VR world. I could put on the VR headset, load my animations, and see how they would translate on the big screen. It was surreal but so helpful. It highlighted issues I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. For example, anything too zoomed in or too high up on the screen didn’t work – you’d end up craning your neck uncomfortably. I had to reframe everything, which was strange on the laptop but worked perfectly in the space.
LBB> You’ve worked with major brands like Beavertown, Fenty, and Netflix. Despite these huge names, you’ve maintained your signature style. How do you balance servicing a brand while keeping your creative identity?
Alice> It really depends on the project and the brand. Some brands approach me because they specifically want my style, and they give me a lot of creative freedom. Others, especially in advertising, have a clearer agenda. In those cases, I do have to adapt a bit more. It’s a balance between expressing my voice and aligning with their brand values.
LBB> And what about collaborating with other artists, particularly on music videos? How does that compare to working with brands?
Alice> Working with music artists can vary too. Smaller artists often want more control, which is fair – they’re investing their own money. It can become a bit of a creative push and pull, finding the balance between their vision and my own ideas.
LBB> Your work with Beavertown and Queens of the Stone Age spans music videos, short films, and product design. It’s a great example of brands creating visual worlds. How did your collaboration with Beavertown evolve?
Alice> That came through Black Dog Films. I remember being terrible at replying to emails that day – my producer had to call and say, “Pick up your phone!” Beavertown has such a unique, recognizable style with its bold characters and worlds. It was incredible stepping into that universe and animating those elements. It was a more collaborative experience than I’m used to. Normally, I handle everything myself – directing, storyboarding, editing – but this time, I worked closely with Nick Dwyer, Beavertown’s art director. He’s amazing and responsible for so much of their iconic imagery.
LBB> So, in this case, you were working within someone else’s established style. How did you still inject your own creativity into the project?
Alice> It was definitely about finding ways to express myself outside of the visual style. I focused on framing, character movements, angles, and transitions. I love a good transition between scenes, so I put a lot of my creative energy there. It was a different kind of challenge, but a rewarding one.
LBB> What was the most challenging part of that project?
Alice> Honestly, the biggest challenge wasn’t the creative part – it was the admin and compliance. There are so many rules around advertising, especially with alcohol. We couldn’t show knives, guns, blood, cigarettes – nothing remotely scary, which was tough because it was meant to be a Halloween-themed project. We ended up going for more of a psychological thriller vibe, which I think made it even creepier in a good way.
LBB> I also wanted to ask about your work with Fenty. What was it like working with Rihanna? Did you get to meet her?
Alice> Unfortunately, no. I was pretty removed from the process – everything was done through my laptop. It was such a surreal opportunity, though. I just got a DM on Instagram one day asking if I’d like to work with them. I thought it would be a small illustration or something for social media, but then they asked if I could design an entire lingerie line. I even had to pitch my ideas alongside other artists, which was a bit nerve-wracking, but an amazing experience overall.
LBB> How was your experience designing for clothing?
Alice> It was great! I love doing projects that aren’t just digital or only viewed on Instagram. There’s something really exciting about creating a print and seeing it come to life on clothing. I enjoy exploring different formats for my art. The design team I worked with was amazing – they were so receptive to my ideas. They helped me figure out how to make designs work across all sizes, from XS to XXL. It was a really collaborative process.
LBB> Today, you’re both an illustrator and an animator. How did you find yourself working across both mediums? Do you prefer one over the other?
Alice> I can’t pick a favourite! I definitely started with illustration – I did an illustration BA at Brighton University. The course was broad; it wasn’t just about sketching but included filmmaking, animation, and even sculpture. That’s where I first discovered animation and fell in love with it.
I started small, making looping GIFs by drawing every frame in Photoshop. I didn’t even know how to animate within Photoshop at the time! I’d export each frame and use gifmaker.com to bring them together. My work evolved slowly – I loved creating graphic novels that blended illustration with subtle, looping animations. It was a gradual process, not a jump straight into complex film projects, which I really appreciated.
Having both skills is great. I often find myself working on long animation projects for months, which can be exhausting. Switching back to illustration is a nice break and helps prevent burnout while still keeping me productive.
LBB> Looking back to your university days, what’s something you wish you had known earlier in your career?
Alice> There’s so much! One big lesson is to be wary of people taking advantage of young graduates. Many will try to get as much work as possible for the least amount of money, often through copyright and usage issues.
For those unfamiliar, a project usually involves either selling usage rights or a full copyright buyout. With usage rights, you set specific terms – how many prints can be made, where they can be sold, for how long, and so on. If they want more, they pay more.
A copyright buyout is different. You give away all rights to your work – they can print it on a million T-shirts or put it on billboards, and you won’t see any extra money or own your work anymore. Early in my career, people often tried to convince me that a copyright buyout was standard practice. Even now, I sometimes see sneaky contract clauses attempting to slip it in. You really need to read everything carefully.
LBB> And what are the pros and cons of going freelance versus working with a production company? Do you think one path is better for certain types of artists?
Alice> I think a mix of both is ideal. Black Dog always encourages their directors not to rely solely on them for work. It’s healthy to diversify – get some work through a production company, some through freelance channels like Instagram. Spreading your opportunities across different sources keeps things fresh and stable.
LBB> As a closing question, do you have any advice for young artists, illustrators, or animators watching today?
Alice> Definitely. Building on what we mentioned about Instagram – social media is a super valuable tool. It offers a level playing field where everyone has the opportunity to showcase their work. Many brands have dedicated people who scroll through Instagram looking for fresh talent.
I always try to keep my portfolio active. Even when I have a bit of spare time, I’ll create a short video or a small piece to post. It keeps my work visible and helps attract new opportunities.
