Martyn Pick
Martyn Pick is a director and artist recognised for a distinctive fusion of live-action and animation. In feature films, commercials, and shorts he applies his fluid, cinematic storytelling working across pure live-action, computer, and hand animation.
In recent years he has moved into features and tv series. He directed the CGI film: “Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie” and the live action thriller/horror features “Evil Never Dies” and “Heckle”. On Netflix/ITV’s Robozuna he was Head of Story and Voice Director for 40 half hour episodes and on Netflix’s “Kitti Katz” he was co-director.
Credits include the 2009 film The Age of Stupid as animation director; London 2012, the promotional film for the 2012 Olympics; and the celebrated BBC promotional trailers for the Euro 2004 soccer tournament; and the Budweiser 2001 NBA[1] commercials. Late commercials are for Thatchers Cider (2014), Magic the Gathering (2019) and Tata Steel (2022). A striking use of his animation/live action style was in sequences in the acclaimed feature documentary “Coup 53” .
He has applied his painterly filmic style in illustrated books on “Beowulf” and “Witchcraft” for Penguin.
Martyn Pick studied film and fine art at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the crossover of painting and cinema has driven his work ever since.
Coup 53 Animation Compilation
My painterly dynamic style is used for great, dramatic effect in Taghi Amirani’s acclaimed documentary feature about the CIA and MI6’s covert action to overthrow Iran’s democratically elected leader Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953.
The film is edited and co-written by the legendary Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, the Conversation) and features Ralph Fiennes.
Ultramarines Desert Battle
The gritty battle in the desert from my Warhammer feature. I was influenced by the Wild Bunch and Orson Welles’s Chimes at Midnight.
Ultramarines Flashback Scene
An expressionistic flashback from my Ultramarines Movie. Beautifully narrated by Sir John Hurt.
STV Gaelic
Pencil and charcoal animation sequences I directed and animated for a STV documentary on Gaelic culture. Edited for a showreel cut to Jimmy Page’s beautiful Bron-Y-Aur.
Women of 1915
An opening animation sequence for Bared Maronian’s Documentary Feature: “Women of 1915”. The sequence is created with digital painting, digital 2d animation and compositing.
Thatchers Gold TV Commercial.
Martyn directed this TV commercial for Thatchers Gold Cider. It was producedfor the advertising agency Bray Leino. To be aired in the UK throughout spring and summer 2013 on Sky, Ch4, Ch5 and ITV networks. It is the first full commercial application of Martyn’s digital painting technique.
A compilation of Martyn’s painterly animation.
Martyn was the animation director on this commercial. The specific challenge was creating the very tactile paint textures and then compositing that convincingly into the live action.
The Age Of Stupid
As animation director on “The Age of Stupid” I directed this opening sequence from the big bang through the the credit sequence, through the devastated world and into the archive. Its a great application of my painterly cinematic look. Digital paintings, cgi and live action are bound together into a seamless flow with this stylised hyppereal feel. A montage of some of my other sequences on the film is included at the end of this movie. #ageofstupid #climatechange