Art&Graft's In Pursuit of Magic is a reminder of why we do this at all

For an industry facing something of an existential crisis, you'd forgive it for forgetting why it exists at all. But Art&Graft has reminded us why we love what we do. The hard work, the messy creative process, the frustrations and the triumphs. It all comes with the territory. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Its latest film, In Pursuit of Magic, is entirely self-initiated and began with a question: "What is the pursuit of magic for you?" Art&Graft put it to everyone in the studio – its animators, designers, team leads and interns, the lot – and then read every answer, "tipped them into a blender", and made something out of whatever came out the other side.

The short took two years to make. It was picked up and put down between commercial jobs, and involved 42 people across the studio. It is, in the words of creative director Stephen Middleton, "a love letter to creativity and all the facets, joys and despairs that come with the process of being creative".

Five characters came out of the fun mix of ideas: the Explorer, the Bird, the Skateboarder, the Trumpet Player and the Wagon. Each lovable one is rendered in a completely different style – 2D, 3D, felt, hand-drawn, cartoony – which sounds like a recipe for chaos, but instead became the whole point. They're loosely based on real people from the team without being portraits of anyone.

The Explorer has a sort of Shaolin monk quality about her (or at least she did during her initial drafts). The Trumpet Player has his own emoji in the studio chat (adorable). The thread running through it all is about finding your happy crew of creative crusaders, picking each other up off the floor, and heading for the horizon together. (I can totally see why this is Art&Graft, having spent a happy evening with them at Motion North earlier this year.)

There was no director's chair

What I love most is how everyone got stuck in. "It's made by us, in the way we work, by the people in our team," says new business director Vicky Ghose. "It represents the breadth of style, different approaches, and the collaborative way we work: making through play, making through making, exploring – where two and two equals ten."

There's a lovely democratic tone to it, with every voice equal. In fact, Stephen's favourite day of the whole thing was the pitch day itself, when the entire team stood up and presented their ideas. They could've made 50 films out of what was shared in that room.

"For everyone in the whole studio to be working on one single project together is rare," he says. "Seeing people come out of their shells, reveal things about their creative journeys and have robust conversations about what the film should be felt really powerful."

Picture consequences, with sound to match

Another brilliant aspect of this project is how it was pulled together. Art&Graft approached the film like picture consequences... remember that? It's the game where you draw the head, fold the paper over, hand it to the next person, and nobody sees the final beast until the end. I'd totally forgotten about it. But it makes me smile to know this was part of the process. Sections were made without full knowledge of what came before them. People inherited a handoff and had to go from there.

They did the same thing to the audio. Sound partner Zelig Sound was brought in early and mirrored the same blind process, working section by section across the film's three parts and never seeing the full picture.

It's why the film embodies its theme: real struggle, genuine confusion, moments when you get stuck, and then the epic breakthroughs when everything comes together.

We had moments of struggle, despair and confusion, then those shining breakthroughs – finding creative nirvana and arriving at something where we thought, 'Yes, this is it'.

"We set the challenge to the team, then lived the creative process as we were making it," explains Stephen. "The film has a story and a narrative, but we also love people's interpretation of it. If someone can follow that journey with us, whatever their interpretation, that's a really exciting moment."

In pursuit of 'Sparks'

All this hard graft didn't appear out of nowhere. It came from Sparks, Art&Graft's dedicated non-commercial output, which has been running in some form or another since day one. It only got a proper name a few years ago.

The brief is straightforward: bring the same energy and passion the studio gives to client work, and enjoy making something magical. Everyone gets protected time. It ebbs and flows with the commercial stuff. But it's treated as a genuine priority. Right now, Sparks has pivoted to shorter, more experimental pieces rather than anything feature-length. You can't blame them. Not when you see how much graft was poured into this project.

We especially like The Walk, a simple yet heartfelt short story about a character who goes for a hike. I must admit, I welled up watching it, given it was only very recently that I was well enough to walk the fells myself (long story – I broke my back a few years ago).

"We have to keep making this stuff for ourselves," says founder and executive creative director Mike Moloney. "We have to keep asking ourselves why we're doing this – why it's our vocation – and make things for the sake of making and expressing ourselves outside of the commercial world."

And then Mike says something that made me smile: "If we make the things that we want to make, you end up making those things." A dash of northern charm and an understanding of the studio's philosophy. A quick scan of its portfolio (Apple, Meta, Google, Virgin) reveals it's working.

What does magic even mean to them?

Ask three different people what they think magic is, and you'll get three different answers – a point they wanted the film to make.

For Mike, it's the moment a concept lands. "What are we kind of chasing? What is this thing that almost calls us, or gets us to do this silly thing every day? We wake up and work really, really hard, and spend our lives obsessed with it. What is this thing that we're in pursuit of?"

His answer? "It's that feeling you get when you land on an idea that you know is good. When a concept or approach appears that just lands so well – you think, 'Oh my God'. That feeling feels amazing." Even in tight brand parameters, he says, you can still suddenly "hit the nail on the head".

For Stephen, it's when the entire studio comes together, all pulling the same rope and what that reveals about the people doing the pulling. And for Vicky, it's the finish line. "There's such a great triumph in achieving something you know is really, really great – not just the first thing you choose – where nobody was hurt in the process, it ticks everybody's boxes and does everything it needs to do."

"All that collaboration and magic that happens when we're together, working together, playing together, experimenting and exploring," she adds. "That's so us."

They certainly all agree that side projects aren't just magic; they're an opportunity to showcase the breadth of styles and capabilities Art&Graft has to offer.

The parting gift for us all

If you're reading this and feeling a bit lost, Vicky's advice is simple: "If you're not doing an exciting project, make one. If you're not seeing the change you want to see, go and do that."

And for anyone needing some extra encouragement, she says: "All those people at the top aren't necessarily the best or most talented – they're just the ones who haven't given up. You're good. Just don't quit. Keep going."

You can watch In Pursuit of Magic below. We love its tagline: "An expression of the creative call that drives us forward. A call to move, explore and discover. Dedicated to the strength of the team and co-creation. Finding the answers together, the unknowable void, the self-doubt and the nirvana – a glimpse into a journey of discovery that never ends." Nicely done, Art&Graft. What will you make that you want to see?