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Angus Kneale of Preymaker on Seeing the Bigger Picture
And exploring remote parts of the world
Angus launched creative and tech studio Preymaker, a collective of creatives and technologists who utilize an advanced custom cloud platform to craft content for brands and studios. He also serves as CCO. Prior to Preymaker, Angus co-founded The Mill U.S.
We spent two minutes with Angus to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.
Angus tell us …
Where you grew up and where you live now.
I grew up in the suburbs of Johannesburg in the 1980s. I now live in SoHo, NYC. You couldn’t get two more different places.
How you first realized you were creative.
From an early age, I was always painting, drawing, playing musical instruments and building things. My family was supportive and encouraged me to keep experimenting and creating. My hobby became a passion, and my passion became my life’s work.
A person you idolized creatively early on.
I am a huge graphic design nerd and admired The Designers Republic, British studio based in Sheffield, and started by Ian Anderson and Nick Phillips. They were doing artwork for electronic music labels and albums, as well as graphic design for video games, like an early PlayStation’s “Wipeout.” Along with the Psygnosis, they designed the look and feel of the game, the industrial design of the ships, the logos and animation. “Wipeout” defined the intersection between ’90s club culture, EDM, graphic design and gaming. It blew my mind. I was 19. It was a perfect example of design across disciplines. It made me realize that they were all interconnected.
A moment from high school or college that changed your life.
I was studying graphic design at college, and we were taken for tours of various different parts of the advertising process. We went to a place in Johannesburg called THE WORx, started by graphic designer Gavin Hong, artist Fawa Conradie and engineer Reg. They were doing some of the most exciting work in South Africa at that time, from 3D animation to early compositing, before VFX even had a name. They let me intern there while I was at college. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. During the day, I was studying design and at night I taught myself 3D animation. A friend (Murray John) and I did a spec spot for Coca-Cola. It got a huge amount of attention and ended up winning a Clio Award.
A visual artist or band/musician you admire.
I really admire Ai Weiwei, as an artist, activist and filmmaker. Much of his art draws attention to human rights abuses; he is an outspoken opponent of the Chinese Communist Party. He also designed The Bird’s Nest—the National Olympic Stadium in Beijing, an architectural masterpiece.
A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.
Book: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, about fungi. It explains how little we know about the world and how much more there is to explore.
Film: Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. The look and feel, the production design … they transported me to another universe.
One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.
Michel Gondry’s video for The White Stripes that was parodied on The Simpsons.
A recent project you’re proud of.
Working with director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Greig Fraser on Xfinity’s “The Aviators.”
It was an incredible project to be involved in as it really showcased what we can do at Preymaker. We created the flying sequences. It’s one of the best things we’ve done to date.
Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.
Jonathan Glazer’s “Surfers” for Guinness was groundbreaking and beautiful. It’s one of the most iconic pieces of work.
Someone else’s work you admired lately.
Free Nationals, A$AP Rocky, Anderson .Paak: “Gangsta”
Little SIMZ: “Gorilla”
Your main strength as a creative person.
The ability to see the bigger picture and not get caught up in details that don’t matter.
Your biggest weakness.
I’m too much of a perfectionist. The last 5 percent of something takes most of the time and it is hard to let things go.
A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.
Melanie Wickham and Verity Grantham—they have helped me navigate a lot. They’ve been in the industry as long as I have, and I still bounce ideas off them. The industry is constantly changing, and we share the same values. It is all about the people, the relationships and the work.
How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.
Our culture at Preymaker is based on mentoring, growth and creating opportunities for our team. We also recently began a three-year scholarship program for a student in South Africa unable to pay for a university education, but aspiring to pursue a career in animation and VFX. We did this in collaboration with The Animation School in Cape Town.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.
Architect or an industrial designer. I love the relationship between form and function. Creating something permanent that is beautiful and functional would be very fulfilling. If I did not have to work, I would be driving around the world in a Land Rover, exploring new places.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
