Michael Chapman Joins Electric Theatre Collective as Creative Director

Electric has announced the arrival of VFX legend - Michael Chapman (Chappers). Michael joins as creative director. 

Michael has a whopping 17 years experience. After ending his 13 year journey with The Mill back in June, Michael took some time away from advertising to be a full time dad and is ready to get stuck into VFX once again and ETC has welcomed him with open arms (and a wacom pen).

Jon Purton, MD said of Michael’s arrival ‘’This was a big one for Electric. We’ve wanted to work with Chappers for a long time and as with all amazing talents, you have to be patient. He fits the mould that we’re building at ETC perfectly. He’s got incredible creative taste and is a lovely human being at the same time. We’re very excited to be working with him.”

When it comes to CG roles, there’s nothing Michael hasn’t done. He joined The Mill as a CG artist before becoming a CG Lead, later he was promoted to, VFX Sup and then Head of CG before becoming Creative Director and lastly ECD. Yeah….told you. Now his eyes are set on a new challenge in joining Electric to continue to build on the success of the studio. 

Chappers has had an illustrious career, but some career highlights include Coca-Cola ‘Open that Coke’ directed by Los Perez. Heathrow ‘Coming Home For Christmas’ and its sequel ‘It’s A Wonderful Flight’ directed by Dom & Nic and John Lewis’ 'Man on the Moon’ directed by Kim Gehrig.

Electric Theatre Collective caught up with Chappers to find out more about him and the decision to join ETC: 

Q> Why ETC?

Michael> Well many reasons really, there is obviously the work, not just the quality but the forward thinking way it’s approached. I knew a few of the team already but then Jon really took the time to introduce me to a number of the key people I’d be potentially working with, they were all so friendly and passionate about the place, that feeling is infectious and made me want to get involved.

Q> How did you start your career in VFX, what inspired you?

Michael> I worked out recently that I have been making images on computers since I was about five or six, so that part of what I do I have kind of always done. But a landmark moment was probably a chap named Ben Turner who worked at The Mill, turning up at my Uni when I was in 2nd year to talk about the work he’d recently finished on Black Hawk Down, who would have thought 10 years later I’d be working alongside him. I think that was the first time I realised high end VFX happened outside Hollywood.

Q> One of the first things people may notice about you when meeting you is your lovely beard - what's your secret? 

Michael> Not shaving, right? It started as a bet with a friend for us not to shave till the end of the project we’d just started, neither of us thought that project would still be going six months later. That was it we embraced the hipster tram chic, I did have a wobble when I turned 30 and shaved it off, but other than that it’s been with me ever since. My wife has never seen me without it.

Q> As a self confessed TV series binger, best series of all time?

Michael> I mean that’s a hard one, it totally depends on how my days have been. I’ve probably seen Brooklyn 99 the most times, it's like putting on an old pair of slippers, sort of the TV equivalent of hanging with your mates. The 1st season of 24 got me into the whole bingeing culture we are now all so used to, but don’t re-watch it, time has not been kind at all. Favourite though, the mini series Years and Year or the 1st couple of seasons of Black Mirror, both pretty prescient and scratch my near future dystopian itch in a darkly British way. Or I could just go with the crowd and say The Wire, it’s pretty epic isn’t.

Q> Past ETC project you wish you worked on?

Michael> The first Freeview job has always stood out as one of the ones that got away, pitched on the job but didn’t go our way, would have loved to have worked on it. More recently B&Q ‘Flip’ is a great, really good simple idea on paper, amazingly executed.

Q> Past anything you wish you worked on (film, TV, commercial, music video)?

Michael> Not pulling any punches here? It would probably have to be working on The Matrix, so many techniques pioneered on that film also totally warped my sense or reality as an impressionable 16 year old. I even wore a long trench coat for a while after watching it while listening to the soundtrack on my minidisc player.

Q> You’ve worked on some pretty massive pieces of work, what in your portfolio are you most proud of?

Michael> Would have to be Audi ‘Birth’, the whole process on that job was amazing, I mean it was hard but I think everyone that worked on it has a real sense of ownership, or I hope they do. For me leading a crack team of artist, many of which I can now call my friends, and also working closely with Andrew, who is a CG native director made for a super collaborative way of working, BBH were great also, coming up with the mad idea and selling it into Audi and then totally buying into our vision and supporting in any way they could.

Q> Highlight of taking time out of the industry to be a full time Dad?

Michael> I think the question answers itself, but if there was one thing, watching her figuring out then nailing walking was a big milestone, but there are new things every day. Today's new word was scooter.

Q> You migrated to London from the Wirral , what's one thing that you miss from the North West?

Michael> Outside of my family, probably living by the coast, London is the first place I’ve lived that isn’t by the sea. 

Q> If you didn’t end up in VFX, what was plan B?

Michael> I’ve never seriously entertained doing something that isn’t making images for a living so probably another job where I could do that. In saying that I started baking sourdough at the beginning of the year so maybe opening a very very (very!) small bakery?!