A brew with Andy Ogden: full-time creative, part-time comedian

Andy has been an integral part of the creative team for the last 3 years. Find out about his background along with a few fun facts for good measure. 

What do you do in your role day to day? 

I have one ritual that I’ve done every day in every job without fail and that’s to start my day on the right foot with a good strong coffee! Aside from that, each day can be completely different from the last, so it keeps the creative juices flowing. I can be working on anything from a full branding exercise, packaging concepts, art directing at our Eat and Breathe photography studios, animating and even editing/colour grading video footage… It definitely keeps you on your toes!

What inspired you to go into the creative industry?

This is going back a few years! Originally, I started out in fine art, watercolours, oil paints, making things from clay and even running around Salford to collect and recycle material to make an installation for a public exhibition. To be honest, not knowing what I really wanted to do.

It actually took until I was halfway through my foundation art degree to realise that I really enjoyed the digital design side of the course. I ruled out a few other options along the way before stumbling across the sector but over 14 years later I’m still loving it and every day is school day.

What’s your weekend go to? 

Over the past year I’ve caught the bug for mountain biking (weather dependent), even though at the moment I’m still a fair-weather rider. I love to get out in the fresh air, waste all my energy climbing up some massive hillsides and then ROLL DOWN the other side. Joking aside, it does get me off the sofa and out of the house to get together with the guys and enjoy the views and exercise. I do think it’s important to clear the mind after a long week of coming up with creative solutions to client briefs.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

I think it has to be the Britannia brand relaunch. It gave me the opportunity to work on the project from the initial ideation all the way through to the launch of the new website. I worked through step by step branding, creative, CGI, photography, video and website, so there was a lot of great work to be involved in and also plenty of people to learn from along the way.

Who’s your dream client?

Adidas. It’s simple… I think what they produce is just awesome! Everything from fashion, to the packaging design, social media and video/tv advertisements. It just seems like a really creative and fun brand.

Do you have a favourite designer?

My favourite designer/artist has to be Roy Lichtenstein. He’s someone I’ve been an admirer of since my career started in fine art. I have one of his prints, Whaam! on my front room wall.

What’s your favourite thing to work on?

Currently, I’m really enjoying the challenges of motion graphics. This is something I’ve been developing over the past 18 months, it’s a bit of a challenge but the sense of achievement you get when something you thought in your head comes to life on the screen is great – especially when you’ve learnt some new techniques to achieve it.

Where’s your dream holiday destination?

It’d have to be Thailand. I’ve always had a dream of being able to go there. The culture, the food and THAT beach, the one from the film ‘The Beach’. I think that’ll have to be my next holiday location.

What TV shows are you currently hooked on?

At the moment it’s got to be The Stranger on Netflix. Every episode ends on a cliff-hanger so obviously you’ve got to watch the next one.

What’s your favourite thing about working at Shoot the Moon?

It’s got to be the people. We’ve got some very talented individuals who are always there to help, as well as a great mix of characters who make day to day life fun and enjoyable.