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Heads Up! It's Head Gear by Deb Mayo
Just 'google' the name Head Gear and you'll end up with a myriad of possibilities, everything from soup to nuts. There are helmets for any sport one can think of - wrestling, rugby, cycling, sky diving. There's Head Gear from orthodontists and Head Gear accessories from the hippie shop. Surprisingly, Head Gear can be macho, waterproof, or made of leather. But the Head Gear we're interested in lies directly to the north of us in the great expanse known as Canada - and where one premiere animation house is making great strides in the world.
In 1997, creative partners Steve Angel and Julian Grey founded Head Gear Animation. The duo have impressive backgrounds: Angel studied at McGill University, Parson's and NSCAD, with gigs at Shift Magazine, and The Globe, while Grey studied at Dawson College and Concordia University - and eventually ended up at Cuppa Coffee where he met up with Angel. Together, they have conceived a boutique animation shop that provides clever alternatives to purely traditional animation or computer graphics.
The dynamic studio has had "a really great year," according to Grey. In fact, the director adds, "there seems to be a revival of traditional animation, which is proving to be really exciting. Trends come and go - it was CG a couple of years ago with people wanting to diversify their work. The kind of stuff we do - hands-on, time-enhanced traditional techniques - creates mood and atmosphere without the Sci-Fi emotional connection. The 'anti' Matrix look, if you will."
And new techniques are constantly flourishing and evolving. "The stuff that interests us the most is mixing it all together. The more imaginative, the better," says Grey. Because of their leading status in a very niche market, Head Gear is able to maintain its edge. Matching value with result, the company is able to compete by delivering a creative product without ever underselling themselves. "We truly believe that our clients are getting a product they can't get anyplace else, which only serves to enhance the perception of the value," says executive producer Sue Riedl.
Case in point is a spot they're currently working on involving a badly drawn doodle that comes to life. "The challenge," says Riedl, "is reducing the character to its barest essence while still maintaining its integrity." It's obvious, after 40 drawings plus, that Head Gear hit the task spot on. Grey elaborates, "the cool thing is the client wanted the end result to be a bad doodle - and in making that happen, we had to rely on all of our animation skills to enhance the piece. It's amazing when you see the ad that this funny little character is more than able to carry the entire spot."
The secret to Head Gear's success is its modus operandi - providing the client with diverse solutions - and how it continues to appeal to their ever-expanding roster of clients. "Other animation companies focus on one kind of animation," says Riedl. "Here, we do it all." As the company has found out, sometimes the diversity is a difficult sell because clients don't necessarily understand the different techniques. "It's a learning curve each time," states Grey. "But with every situation, the best client comes to us with a bit of a visual design idea they're after. It's then that we manage to come to equal terms in discussing the outcome." Certainly being able to articulate ideas, mood and tone has bolstered the clients' trust in the company.
Sharing their building space with other production companies has proven to enhance the creative working environment for the team at Head Gear, too. "What makes us really great is that we are like a big ol' family that feels defined by our employees," says Riedl. "Being able to rely on a consistent team of people - current and returning artists, is the most we can ask for." Grey continues, "I think our challenge is to do as much good work as possible. We want to grow and avail ourselves to more opportunities - but on the same hand, we've kept ourselves small in order to deliver a high standard of work."
So what's up next for this team that is constantly finding new avenues in which to express ideas? "Well," says Grey, "we always have our eyes and ears open for music videos - even though it couldn't be a more abysmal time for that, with budgets so low and timelines so tiny. That's a shame because of the freedom afforded to be creative is immense. I hope this changes and we get our chance." What about features and shorts? "It goes without saying that more film titles would be great, too. I mean, look at the narrative that happens there!" All in all, the business aspect for Head Gear is simply, secondary. It is the creative spirit that decisions are based and what makes them a unique place in terms of growth. Well that, and the fact that Grey never plans on retiring. "Why would I ever want to retire when I love what I'm doing?"