James Cunningham

Director

James Cunningham believes that although animation is ultimately just a tool, it can be a very powerful tool — the kind that allows filmmakers the ability to craft exactly the images and angles that they want to realise their vision.

Cunningham’s own career has seen him specialising in computer-generated imagery, be it full 3D animation or visual effects added to live action. Since graduating from Elam (in Auckland) in 1997, he has crossed back and forth between the stylised CGI images found in his own shorts, and the photo-realistic kind used in live action commercials and movies.

Where to start: Prickly Jam (2020).