Step into the world of Magic Beach
After captivating children and families for 30 years, Alison Lester’s beloved book Magic Beach has been brought to life by director Robert Connolly and some of Australia’s leading animators.
Acclaimed director, animator, Oscar and BAFTA nominee, and Deakin Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation teacher, Anthony Lucas shares his passion and dedication for bringing animated stories to life. Discover his insights on navigating the film and television industry and how he leverages his extensive experience to equip Deakin animation students with practical skills for their future careers.
Magic Beach brought to life by Australian animators
Anthony Lucas's mantra, 'persistence over perfection,' has propelled his animations to cinematic success.
His work features in Arcane Media’s adaptation of Alison Lester’s beloved children’s book Magic Beach, a magical blend of live action and animation.
Capturing the boundless imagination of childhood with its calm, inviting style, the film seamlessly transitions between live-action scenes, where children read the book, and dreamlike animated sequences inspired by its pages.
The film showcases 10 distinctly unique animations by 10 Australian animators, each interpreting a different page of the book. For his own contribution, Lucas chose the smuggler adventure page. 'It’s set in twilight, there are six lanterns, there’s six smugglers on the beach, I could see it. We had a lot of creative freedom,’ he explains.
Describing the film’s development, Lucas says, ‘We engaged in a writing and storyboard process before the animation process. I wrote a 13-page script and then condensed it to an eight-page script, each page representing one minute of screen time.’
‘We all brought a lot of love to Magic Beach,’ Lucas reflects.
Lucas's dynamic animation career
Lucas has built an illustrious, varied and international career. He has worked as a special sequence director alongside Michael Rymer on the Warner Bros. feature film Queen of the Damned and for Spike Jonze on Where the Wild Things Are.
His extensive portfolio also includes directing TV commercials, an episode in Tim Winton’s The Turning, an interstitial identity series for SBS television, and numerous animated shorts.
Lucas’s short film The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello won a host of awards and was nominated for an Oscar.
In addition to his industry work, Lucas shares his expertise with aspiring animators studying Deakin's Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation. By teaching practical and industry-relevant skills, he plays a vital role in equipping students with the in-demand competencies needed in this rapidly evolving sector.
Practical animation skills from the start
If you're looking for an animation course in Victoria that will get you work ready, Deakin’s hands-on practical approach is unmatched. As a Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation teacher at Deakin, Lucas ensures students start animating from day one. 'We set up a camera on a tripod, form groups and mingle in ways that can become performative. It relaxes students and shows that there are a lot of different ways to animate that aren’t just about drawing.'
Animation made simple and fun with practical tools
Lucas helps students discover ways to create using technology. ‘I love to show the students stuff that doesn’t require drawing, and it gives them the freedom to muck around and be serious and not serious.’
He describes giving a student simple but effective strategies, ‘I sat with one student and said let’s work with a circle, click that button to get a circle, now you can draw a straight line with this tool, you can get a box for a body, make stick figure arms. That student made the most fantastic stick figure short film, which was one of my favourites that year.'
The importance of constructive feedback
Lucas is proud to be called a mentor by his Deakin students, ‘call me Coach Anthony,’ he jokes. He understands the importance of great mentors, having been a mentee several times throughout his career.
‘I like discussing the pieces students are working on and fitting into the vision of what they want to make. I go down the rabbit hole with them and work through the style or genre that they want to make. I go on the journey.’
He says working in casting is a lot like mentoring animators. He worked alongside a renowned casting director for the feature film of The Turning based on Tim Winton’s novel.
‘People reveal their vulnerabilities; it was so important to give constructive feedback to the young actors who we had to turn away. I learned that how feedback is given is crucial to maintaining creative and emotional resilience.’
Why tenacity leads to better storytelling
‘Animation is a technical medium, and it helps if you have a technical bent, but nothing will replace being tenacious,’ Lucas continues.
Creating animation is more than just mastering software. Every scene and every frame you build is an opportunity to tell a story. Animators are both storytellers and architects, constructing entire worlds from imagination and bringing them to life through dedication and skill.
‘As an artist you get to control the world and control all the elements of that world. Animators go and build all those pieces and create their own environment. It’s magic.’
Big screen moments for Deakin animators
Every year, Deakin student animations are screened at Deakin Visionnaire at The Astor Theatre. It’s an invaluable opportunity for students to showcase and screen their work to live audiences. Lucas agrees, ‘The thing with shorts is when you go to see them again, or you see them at different moments with different audiences, they can actually be different films, or quite different experiences.’
How lifelong learning can fuel your creative career
Collaboration and building a creative community have been key to Lucas’s early career. ‘I encourage students, even after they’ve finished their degree, to keep working on things and keep being excited about work.’
The creative industry is constantly evolving; staying engaged and exploring new techniques helps you refine your skills and discover fresh perspectives. Continuous learning enhances creativity and opportunities.
Lucas agrees, ‘I’m experimenting all the time, I’m going to start on a new project this year in a different animation style just because I haven’t had a chance to work on it before. I keep learning because I love what I do.’
Interested in studying animation? Check out Deakin's Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation.