Paolo Russo is an experience freelance 2D animator based in Bristol.

After graduating with a First-Class BA in Animation from the University of West of England, my graduation project—a fully hand-painted-on-glass children’s animation titled The Pangolin and The Hedgehog—was selected for numerous international animation festivals, including the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival and Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. Driven by a commitment to enrich knowledge in film studies and festival curation, I subsequently completed an MA in Contemporary Film Culture, graduating with Distinction and receiving the Elspeth Kydd Memorial Prize.

As you’ll see from my portfolio, I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide range of projects. Recently, I created a 2D animation for the V&A Museum, reinterpreting a chapter of Alice in Wonderland as part of their Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition campaign. This project involved bringing a fresh, imaginative perspective to the classic “Mad Tea Party” scene while ensuring the original material was treated with care and respect. I also recently created animation for a TED Talk series on Irish mythology, with the Diarmuid and Gráinne tale gathering over half a million views on YouTube. Other notable projects include two seasons of BEX—a children’s series for Ceidiog TV that blends live-action with animation to address mental health topics in a child-friendly way—and a recent collaboration with Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBT+ charity, to raise awareness of young queer people’s mental health challenges.

One of my most fulfilling roles was as a lead storyboard artist with Unanico Group, where I worked on two seasons of Buddi, a CGI children’s series on Netflix. I contributed to the storyboarding of 15 episodes, including the Annie Awards-nominated episode “Snow.” Collaborating on a tight schedule, I played an integral role in shaping the creative process and achieving strong results under pressure—a skill I am excited to bring to your team.

My versatility as a freelancer for Winding Snakes Productions has also given me the chance to work across creative roles, including logo design, animation workshops, and editing. Notable projects include two animations for Newport Music Scene, a 10-minute cut-out animation for Ancient Connections, and A Cardiff Ghost Story, created for the Iris Prize Festival. In addition to this experience, I have directed and designed six music videos, handling all creative roles—from concept to completion—for artists such as alternative pop artist Rio Romeo and Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon. In addition, I worked on some brilliant short films and animated sequence in films: A Moment Longer by Efa Blosse-Mason, By a Thread by Ryan Olimgueller, Why Do Butchers Close So Early? by Inez Skilling, and Man Wanted by Irida Zhonga.

I am also an avid cinephile and advocate of promoting film and animation culture. In fact, I was part of a film collective called Cine-Cycle, I was selected as a young film critic at Animafest Zagreb Festival for CineEuropa and I was part of Beyond Boundaries, a programme designed to make film exhibitions more accessible and diverse.