Thiago Dantas, Tom Clapp and Will Robinson Join Electric Theatre Collective

From Brazil to Spain, and Manchester to London, the collected CVs of ETC’s latest signings - Thiago Dantas, Tom Clapp and Will Robinson - read like a roadmap of the footballing world.   

And with the World Cup in full swing, the introduction of these fresh-legged artistic maestros add up to an extra time win at the end of a magnificent year for Electric Theatre.  

Electric Theatre shouldn’t take the footballing references too far though, because sooner or later someone will find out Tom supports Charlton and Will is a Derby County fan.   

Oh well. It’s out now, but whatever teams they support these three are big players with a big future in the world of VFX.   

With over 20 years in the business Thiago Dantas comes to ETC not merely with a world-beating name, but with a wealth of skills and experience. Compositing since 2004, Thiago learned Flame and Smoke in Brazil, and worked there until 2008, before moving to Spain until 2014 and then on to London. Having worked at Passion Pictures, Time Based Arts & The Mill, Thiago has worked with clients around the world on a plethora of projects, including being the 2D lead on the award winning Lacoste project.   

Joining Thiago in the ETC midfield is the fresh faced Will Robinson.  

Born in Manchester, Will grew up in the Peak District before moving to London five years ago to get into the industry. After working as a runner for a year, Will gained four years’ experience as a 2D artist with Time Based Arts, and highlight jobs include V&A - Creativity. It’s what makes us, Bodyform -’ Periodsomnia’, Pinterest - ‘Procrastination’, and Penny - ‘The rift’.    

Naturally for a Peak District lad and many other Derby fans, Will’s a keen hiker, which is just as well because their team has a mountain to climb if they want to get out of League One.   

Linking up with Thiago and Will, new singing Tom Clapp is returning to ETC having started here as a runner in 2016. Tom left to work at Unit, Absolute Post and nineteentwenty, building more than five years’ experience as a Nuke Compositor and becoming a VFX Supervisor early in 2022. With experience of on-set supervision in the UK and abroad, Tom is welcomed back to the ETC fold, with a string of highlight jobs under his belt - including being the 2D Lead and On-Set Supervisor for Adidas GMR; working on the opening title sequence for Sky Sports Monday Night Football, and a wealth of other projects including Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.  

Ryan Knowles, head of 2D spoke on the news of the newcomers ‘’We’ve been on the lookout for artists with spirit and a burning desire to hone their craft. The fact this big hearted trio joined the family within days is a bit of a miracle. Truly exciting time ahead.’’

ETC asked them some questions to get to know them a bit better:

Q> How does it feel arriving at ETC? What made you want to join?

THIAGO> Very excited to join such a talented and vibrant team in the VFX industry. The fact that ETC has been pushing the limits of technology in favour of creativity makes it one of the best VFX companies in the world. The projects on their website speak for themselves. And that's where I want to be. I can't wait to collaborate and learn from everyone. 

TOM> It’s good to be back where it all started for me and very happy to be part of such a talented team here at ETC. There is a good culture here and I’m excited to get my teeth into some fun projects.

WILL> Elated and ready to get stuck in with such a talented team! 

Q> It’s that time of the decade, so we have to ask - who’s going to win the World Cup and why? 

THIAGO> If I knew who was going to win, why should I even bother watching the games? The fun is in the process isn't it? But trying to guess, Brazil has a better team, so I think Brazil will win. Sorry!

TOM> England, surely? We got to the semi-final in 2018, the final in 2020, we are going all the way this time.

WILL> It’s coming home.. *insert St.George’s cross emoji

Q> What inspired you to choose VFX above a career as a sports superstar? 

THIAGO> When I was 15 years old, I wanted to have my own money. Then a friend who worked at a post house in Brazil told me that they were looking for someone for a position that would be equivalent to a runner in the UK. Until that moment I had no idea what kind of work they were doing there. So against my dad's will, but with my mom's support, I decided to take the position.

One day I saw a guy rebuilding an old picture of his grandfather in photoshop, and I was fascinated with it. So that is when everything started.

TOM> Definitely better suited to an office job, but I have always enjoyed being creative thanks to my Dad who is a Photographer and taught me Photoshop when I was young. I studied Animation at Uni but quickly realised I was destined for the Compositing world after one lesson in Nuke. I loved it and the rest is history.

WILL> Newspaper clippings of stop motion sent relentlessly by my Grandma. Love ya Betty.

Q> In your opinion, what are some of the most important skills for a VFX artist to have?

THIAGO> Good will to learn, open-minded, good listener, good observer, great artistic eye, know how to work as a team member

TOM> Obviously it’s important to have a good creative eye, but I have found that you can achieve a lot if you are proactive, communicate well and work hard in your team to problem solve. Also, be kind, it goes a long way.

WILL> A good eye, communication and a sense of humour for deadlines.

Q> If it’s not too early, Happy Christmas, have you got any plans for it? 

THIAGO> Happy Christmas! I am going to Paris with my wife and daughter. What about you?

TOM> My daughter has just turned 1 so I’m looking forward to just being at home with her and the family this Christmas. Hopefully, Santa pays her a visit, she’s going to love it.

WILL> Good food, long walks and a smattering of family board game spats.

Q> And finally, is there any advice you would give to your younger self starting out in the industry?

THIAGO> Be proactive, be open-minded, be a curious child, observe every single detail around you, listen more before you speak, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, NEVER stop learning, work hard, but most importantly DON’T forget to reserve quality time for yourself and your loved ones.  

TOM> Never be afraid to ask questions, there’s always more to learn. Take as much advice and knowledge as you can.

WILL> Every day is a school day, ask questions and take it all in.