Plastic Zoo Projects…
Say hello…
Plastic Zoo is a moving image production company based in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
We produce all kinds of video and animation for the music industry, television and online. Often collaborating with other artists, animators and filmmakers, we have a wide skill set, enabling us to tackle a variety of exciting projects. We use a range of formats including VHS, Super 8 and HD video to achieve the right aesthetic for our clients, and techniques such as stop-motion, digital animation and live action to bring their projects to life.
Select clients include: Converse, Blacksticks, Envirofone, Universal Records (Ireland), JD Woman, In The City Festival, Cooking Vinyl and Melodic Records.
LATEST // O Emperor ‘Po’ Official Video
O Emperor ‘Po’
Music video for ‘Po’ By O Emperor. We co-designed and directed this animated music video for the wonderful O Emperor. We created a set of illustrations which were then passed on to animator Jono Candlish-Wilson who added is own twist to the designs before bringing it to life.
Blacksticks Cheese TV Advert
As well as collaborating on the concept and storyboards for this national TV ad for Blacksticks Cheese, we supplied our friends at Edit 19 with a whole load of illustrations, which they used to produce this dynamic animation. The music was composed and recorded by Manchester’s own Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six.
Envirofone Advert
We provided a whole load of illustrations for this lovely advert put together by our friends Edit 19. We prepared the hand drawn illustrations in Photoshop and those clever souls made it move!
JD Woman Autumn/Winter Collection
Produced by Photolink, we were commissioned to edit this promo video for JD Woman’s Autumn & Winter collection.
Brown Brogues ‘Anyone But You’
Filmed on our faithful and ever-giving Hitachi VHS camera, this end of the world ramble took us to the beautifully eerie Formby Beach, where our favourite garage rockers Brown Brogues slowly but an end to an unfortunate guitar’s life!
Plastic Zoo Viral
Selfishly, we filmed this for ourselves. We went into the woods and jumped up and down until our shins could take no more.
Unconvention Factory
We were commissioned to document this fantastic event by Manchester’s Unconvention. The premise to the event was that eight bands, along with three hundred volunteers and sixty industry experts, would produce an album…in a day. We were there to document the process and enjoy the amazing atmosphere and working environment.
In The City Festival 2010
in 2010, we were commissioned to produce the official In The City Festival promo film. We filmed live panels, band performances as well as the good time vibes of the festival itself.
Ghost Oufit ‘I Was Good When I Was Young’
Commissioned as part of Ghost Outfit’s ‘Young Ghosts Project’, this video was filmed on an old VHS camera. We chased Ghost Outfit around Manchester’s city centre as they terrified the public in their Ghostly costumes.
Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six ‘The Tell-Tale Hound’
This music video was animated using After Effects by our cohort Scott Lockhart and was heavily inspired by German expressionist aesthetics and shadow puppetry.
Brown Brogues ‘Treet U Beta’
The initial idea behind this video was to film Mark & Ben from Brown Brogues drinking “until they puked”. However, as our evening at The Swinley Working Men’s Club unfolded, we got a whole lot more than that. There was dancing, romancing and even a high kicking cabaret maniac. The resulting music video has been seen at SXSW and provided Hew Stephens himself with “lols”!
Aidan Smith ‘Living On Allotments’
We made this video for Aidan Smith and his overlords at Humble Soul in 2009. We combine live action and stop motion animation techniques to produce this fun, family friendly, allotment reveling tour de force!
Regis Hair Salons: Behind The Scenes
Produced by photolink, we were commissioned to edit and ‘graphic up’ this bad boy.
Still Down Gill ‘Cut My Eye’
Music video for Still Down Gill’s ‘Cut My Eye’. Made using using HD footage overlayed with multiple layers of 8mm footage filmed in Timor.













