DUCK Brings In Australian-Based Director Knife Party

DUCK has sliced two birds with one stone, considerably escalating its presence in both the live-action and animation realms with the addition of versatile director Knife Party. The Sydney, Australia-based talent — also known as Simon Robson — will focus on ad campaigns, full-length feature films, and cause-based special projects.

“We’ve entered an age when clients demand a production studio that can deliver any mix of animation and live action, in any length or format,” stated DUCK EP Mark Medernach. “In Knife Party, we have that rare talent that can do both, capturing the essence of a brand and delivering it in any imaginable format.”

Knife Party’s recent projects include award-winning animated work in a spot for MasterCard and a trailer for the SBS series Immigration Nation. In the live-action realm, he helmed an impressive spot for Australian telecom brand Telstra. A trio of NBC Universal spots promoting sustainable living brought his two specialties together, as 2D line-art animation flooded live-action footage. Other short-form work includes spots for Adidas, Nike and Save the Children. Knife Party’s long-form work includes the animated film Coalition of the Willing, animation for the Chris Atkins feature film Taking Liberties, and the 2003 film festival favorite What Barry Says.

Aside from films screened at major festivals across the world, Knife Party’s work has collected honors at ADFEST and Promax World. The Guardian website has featured his work, and he has been shortlisted for The British Design of The Year Award and nominated for a BAFTA.

“DUCK is the perfect fit for me,” noted Knife Party. “I like to stay busy with varied projects, and this is a studio that is always seeking new challenges, new clients, new ways of doing things. I can guarantee I’ll never be bored working around a group this driven and talented.”