About Robert

Robert Duncan is an Animator, Illustrator and Designer, and a recent graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art Animation programme. With a strong interest in the interplay of music, narrative and visual design, it is no surprise that Robert’s work often takes the form of the music video.

Finding much of his inspiration in early experimental animation, such as the work of Norman McClaren, alongside contemporary illustration, design and moving image, Robert throws himself headfirst into anything he tries his hand at;

“If I want to try something new, I just do it. I keep a sketchbook with doodles and ideas which almost acts like a catalogue. When it comes to making an animated project, I pick and choose ideas from there to build upon in order to create something new.” - Robert Duncan

Although guided by contemporary illustration and its habit of giving a different take on things, simplifying forms and communicating the visual in continuously new ways, Robert likes to take a more traditional approach to his animating; hand-drawing, with paper and a lightboard.

“I find it incredibly tactile, and it's a way in which I can really understand motion. For a lot of my projects it is the starting point, but I often introduce digital techniques into the mix. Though, where applicable, some works can be entirely digital.” - Robert Duncan

Having just stepped out into the world after graduation, Robert already has a wealth of achievements under his belt, having had his work screened in Glasgow Short Film Festival, World Festival of Animated Film in Varna, Bulgaria, Imagine Science Film Festival Paris and Edinburgh International Film Festival (breathe!) and is soon to have work screened at Leeds International Film Festival.

Even more impressively, he was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award, received the Helen A Rose Bequest Grant from ECA for outstanding degree show work, was a semi-finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards and won the 2015 AniJam, a Scotland based 48 hour fast animated film competition.

Need we say more?

Robert’s Graduate Film Étude will be available to watch right here on DOCK very soon!