Hornet, a full-service production studio with offices in New York City and London, is proud to announce the signing of Moth Collective, the London-based animation collective composed of Daniel Chester, David Prosser, and Marie-Margaux Tsakiri-Scanatovits.

In sitting and speaking with Moth Collective, you begin to understand why they’ve called themselves a collective. Their thoughts run into one another: descriptions are begun by one, evolved by another and refined by the third. “We’re really three individual design directors,” says David, “but everything we do is as a design and directorial team.” Like in their conversation style, ideas are passed from one to the other: “It always means we end up with something different.”

Since collectively graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2010, they have quickly become renowned for their perceptive, emotive storytelling. “It’s about balance.” says Dan of their approach, which veers towards more filmic sensibilities.

“I’m usually trying to go in for something funny, snappy and time-efficient, David tends more to abstract moments that take slightly longer to breath, while Marie-Margaux allows details and emotion to flourish. If you take a little bit of each of those, it allows us to create what feels like a beautiful, short film, rather than a few minute animation.”

Whether it’s examining the looming threat of artificial intelligence, the effects of rainforest deforestation, or the plight of refugees, their colorful, hand-drawn animation style and narrative cadence possesses a maturity that belies their youth.

“Their work is incredibly considered,’ says Hana Shimizu, Hornet’s New York-based executive producer, “which is enhanced by how collaborative and trusting their working process is. It’s three creative minds, each providing perspective on how a story can be told, which unites design, character, and narrative in an entirely new way for us.”

By signing with Hornet, Moth Collective is hoping to gain the same perspective and sensitivity they apply to their projects. “Everything during the past six years has happened organically,” says Marie-Margaux of the collective’s successes and growth. “We know we’re able to do more. To do different things, but, perhaps because we’re a smaller studio, people weren’t sure whether we were capable of them. Hornet provides us with that platform, that voice.”
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Moth Collective are represented by Hornet Inc. in the USA, UK, Europe, and Canada. They have worked with clients such as The New York Times, the NSPCC, the WWF, the Guardian, RayBan, Kiehl’s, and the Global Canopy Programme. They have also won a number of awards, including the D&AD Graphite Pencil, the Best Commissioned Piece at both the Annecy Film Festival and the British Animation Awards, the ADC Young Guns 12, and the YCN Professional Award.