The Caerphilly animation studio behind Foo Fighters videos marks ten years in business

An award-winning computer animation and graphics studio, whose credits include music videos for the Foo Fighters, has celebrated its tenth anniversary.

Working from an upstairs office overlooking Caerphilly Castle, Bomper has grown into one of the leading creative studios in the UK working on international projects for major brands.

One of its most recent projects was a reworking of the colourful branding on Celebrations chocolates.

In addition, the company has done advertising work for the likes of Levi’s, Hello Kitty, Tesco, and Cadbury’s.

Over the past few years it has also branched out into music video production with animations for the Foo Fighters and American country singer Tyler Childers.

Studio founder Emlyn Davies, who is originally from Penpedairheol runs the company alongside his co-director and wife Ceri.

Its innovations aren’t just restricted to the screen though.

Last year it introduced a four-day working week for its ten employees after a successful six-month trial – meaning all staff have Friday off without a cut in their pay.

Studio manager Ceri said: “Flexible working options and overtime pay can bring many great benefits, but we wanted to make sure we were doing all we could to prevent burnout and provide a healthy balance for our team.

“A four-day working week allows our team to have an extra day to relax, with more time for hobbies or to spend with loved ones, to recharge and to ultimately focus on their well-being”.

Almost 18 months on from introducing the new working arrangements, Bomper has found no decline in the quality of work or its ability to meet deadlines, with the studio delivering the same volume of work and growth.

Ceri added: “It’s truly a win-win situation as not only has our output increased, with a more healthy work-life balance our team is happier, which in turn has led to a more focused work-week.

“We hope this encourages more businesses to work towards this model and shake up what the future of work life balance looks like.”

Bomper also places an emphasis on staff development and actively encourages its staff to learn new technical skills by giving them the space and time to learn.

It recently launched its internal training programme ‘Bomper Academy’ as part of its commitment to help shape the future of the creative industry in Wales.

One of the first to benefit was lead animator Bianca Iancu who pitched to direct a one-minute film called Laundry Day – a vignette about a domestic robot’s familial love for the child it serves.

Laundry Day (Short Film) – Bomper Studio x Bomper Academy from Bomper Studio on Vimeo.

Emlyn said: “Our ethos is to embrace our natural curiosity and challenge our ambitions in crafting our best work.

“There’s no doubt that it’s everyone’s ideas, talent, and energy that has helped the studio grow and achieve so many ambitious productions, and we’re absolutely committed to enabling the best in everyone.”