Hocus Pocus - Delicious London Animation Studio
Hocus Pocus is a busy animation studio and video production company in London making lovely films for brands, businesses, and agencies across the world. Through craft and devotion, we create worlds of colour and tell stories that sparkle.
We love 2d animation, 3d animation, live action – or best of all, a mixture of all three. We make distinctive films for social, gaming, TV and film for a diverse bunch of broadcasters and industry sectors.
headquarters
Focus
Recommended Providers
Portfolio
3M, BNY Mellon, Heineken, KING, Permira, LEGO, Nissan
American Express - Nurture
We love to mix live action and 2d animation, and here’s one of our favourites. These films show how everyday spending on your Amex can lead to some special family rewards. A wonderful young actor, a cute crab and a puffing red train made this a dream to work on.
UniLIVE
Business to business doesn't need to be boring!
Here’s a next-gen explainer we made for UniLIVE. We wanted to ditch the tired tropes of the explainers that launched a thousand startups over the past decade; they’ve become a tired and generic. Our goal was to to create something slicker, more atmospheric and forward looking.
So that meant a snappy script, delicious art direction and building a world to fill with all the lovely content. The job was epic, but we
had fun along the way, particularly with the spoof OOH adverts. More of this please!
LEGO - play tips
What a lovely brand and project to work on. These little snackable social films were to show different ways you could use LEGO to play games, inside and out, as well as just building stuff. Everyone’s looking for ways to encourage nippers away from screens, so here are 3 great ways of doing that. Working with such lovely illustrations and bright colours made it a real pleasure to animate.
BNY Mellon FX
A short promotional film for BNY Mellon’s Foreign Exchange (“FX”) capabilities allow you to transact in a variety of currencies in developed, emerging and frontier markets
A futuristic, clean creative execution made this fx product film stand out from rivals.
3M - Scotchbrite Fresh
The challenge here was to make a very different type of TV Commercial to the normal washing up spot. So we went for a super colourful, graphics driven creative with lots of bounce and personality. The USP of the new Fresh sponge is that food doesn’t stick like it does with a traditional scourer – and we wanted to represent that literally to some degree, without the food looking yucky. Another major consideration was to keep this as social friendly and international as possible, as it was shown in many global markets.
WESTIN - let's rise
Digitas hired us to make a film for their campaign for Westin to highlight their wellness program. We went for an illustrative approach rather than live action or CG.
So there’s lots of old-school craft here with the cel animation. We worked particularly hard on the transitions and keeping the film flowing nicely between shots.
Reviews
the project
Digital Marketing for Private Equity Firm
"We have a general consensus that Hocus Pocus Studios produces high-quality, phenomenal work."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a graphic designer for a private equity firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
Some of our content is not that exciting because of the industry we’re in. We wanted to create more engaging visuals for the website and for social media. We wanted to increase employee engagement, make people feel like there was more of a community during work from home. So, we brought on Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd to help.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They work on a lot of projects. Most recently, they worked on the Christmas animation. It’s something we do every year. They came to build the animation that showed that although we’re working virtually, we’re still a community.
We’ve also worked on other deliverables. We worked on an external-facing COVID response that we put on our socials. They worked on everything from conception and ideation to animating. They created an excellent project that captured the hopeful spirit we were looking for.
They also helped on other projects. They provided support with ideation, thematic projects, stock photos, animation, and more. They’ve worked to tie our firm’s messages into a visual industry, to help people understand what our firm is.
What is the team composition?
We had three people on a core team from Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd, then other people came in who also worked closely on our projects.
How did you come to work with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
It was important to us to find a creative graphic design team that also could understand the goals immediately and hit the ground running. A colleague of ours worked with them previously. She recommended them very highly.
From their pitch, we knew they were fantastic. They understood our brand and our agency and instantly got what we wanted. It was a perfect fit.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in August 2019. They’re still our partners.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
As a graphic designer, I’m incredibly happy with their work visibly. We’ve had great feedback on how engaging their animations are and the storylines that they tell with them. We have a general consensus that Hocus Pocus Studios produces high-quality, phenomenal work.
We get rid of agencies if we’re not happy with their work. It’s not something we take lightly. The fact that we continue working with them speaks very, very highly of them. They’ve delivered high-level results every time.
How did Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?
Our project manager is excellent. She’s fantastic. It’s a seamless process. We never feel like we’re missing information. We’re always emailing them and on calls. If I need them, they’re always there.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They really understand the workings of the firm. They take the time to understand your needs and limitations, and that really sets them apart.
They also think quite creatively. They’re always going to create a visually satisfying storyline.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I wish we could have face to face meetings.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a clear understanding of what you’re looking to achieve going into it. Particulars aren’t important, because Hocus Pocus Studios will be able to help with all the rest.
the project
Animated Video Campaign for Asset Management Firm
“Their animation is among the best I’ve seen.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the VP of marketing and communications for BNY Mellon.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd creates videos to help us deliver our message.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We work with them to create a script, come up with visuals, and select songs for the soundtrack. Then they will animate the videos.
What is the team composition?
We usually work with 2–3 people, including Miles (Producer) and James (Founder & Creative Director).
How did you come to work with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
We worked with Miles and James at another agency and have been working with them since they founded Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in January 2019 and our partnership is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We often include the videos in client emails and internal communications. We also share them on LinkedIn and our website.
People are blown away by the quality of the videos. They’ve been very impactful because drawn to the videos. Every time we include a new video, we increase the click-through rate and open rates for our client emails.
How did Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re amazing. They’re the fastest studio I’ve ever worked with, but that hasn’t impacted the quality of their work. They always meet the deadline or deliver the videos faster than expected.
To communicate with them, we usually rely on email but will call them as well.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The quality of their stand out from other providers. Their animation is among the best I’ve seen.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There isn’t anything they need to improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Brainstorming sessions can be very helpful. Those sessions help their team grasp what we are looking for and, as a result, they come up with an even better version of what we want.
the project
Content Development for PR Firm
"I was impressed with their versatility."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I work at a PR firm, and I’m an account director on the digital team. I do everything from content strategy and production to managing marketing campaigns.
What challenges were you trying to address with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
One of our health clients wanted to create content around Type One Diabetes. We bought on Hocus Pocus Studios to help create a batch of assets for this awareness campaign.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They created a set of social media assets for the client’s campaign. We worked collaboratively on storyboards. Their work included video editing, animation, motion graphics, and design.
What is the team composition?
I worked directly with two people: Miles (Producer) and James (Founder). In addition, I believe there were at least two designers and an editor.
How did you come to work with Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
I received a recommendation from my colleague. She had worked with them previously on another project.
How much have you invested in them?
We’ve invested around £22,000 (approximately $30,102 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in December 2020, and as of now, the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The assets they created haven’t gone live on social media, so I can’t comment on performance in terms of engagement or impressions. However, our client is happy with the creativity and designs. The team was also able to turn a lot around in two weeks, which is impressive considering there were animations involved.
How did Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?
They were great. They met tough deadlines. We were in constant communication, and their team always kept us up to date. They picked everything up quickly, and I was impressed with how fast they could come up to speed on the client’s account. They were also very accommodating.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was impressed with their versatility. They have a breadth of capabilities that allow them to be a one-stop-shop.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. A few things took a bit longer, but that wasn’t a result of them. The project was complex, and feedback from our client wasn’t always clear.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Engage them as soon as you can. It takes time to get things right, ensure you have space to finalize your plans and approach.
the project
Graphic Design Services for Communication Agency
"The team cares about the quality of the work."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Integrated communications agency. CEO and founder.
For what projects/services did your company hire Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
Develop sizzle reel and imagery for new corporate website.
What were your goals for this project?
To use high quality, sharp and impactful creative to enhance a new corporate website. Upgrade Paragon brand positioning.
How did you select Hocus Pocus Studios Ltd?
I have worked with James Murphy and Miles Paulley in the past and have always found them to be highly professional, creative and reliable.
Describe the project in detail.
Development of a sizzle reel of the agency's main areas of business. No more than 40 seconds for use on the home page of a new website and in marketing activities. Creation of banner imagery for new corporate website.
What was the team composition?
Miles led the Hocus Pocus team with Jams as the creative lead.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Timely delivery of a fast-moving, energetic and impactful sizzle reel which will play an important role in our new website. Banner imagery.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Very good communication flow.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The team cares about the quality of the work and James in particular has a high level of creativity. Both Miles and James can be trusted.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None of note.
The work produced is always high-quality, engaging, and visually appealing. Hocus Pocus Studios' project management is excellent, as they're incredibly communicative and responsive. Their team is creative and takes the time to understand their clients' unique needs.