Duration: We decided to start Lobster almost two years ago after we had already been working together for a few years and had become a well-organized duo.

Location: We are based in Genova, Italy, and Sofia, Bulgaria, but we like to think that our home is also worldwide, as we are located in separate countries and work with clients from around the globe.

Education: The team members at Lobster have studied illustration and animation, or both together. We specialize in 2-D illustration and animation, and lately we’ve focused on frame-by-frame work. We believe this gives us much freedom.

Career path: We first contacted each other on Behance five years ago, when we started discussing the possibility of working together on a project. This turned out to be our very first short animation, “Under the Sea.” We physically met for the first time some months after, at the World Festival of Animated Film in Varna, Bulgaria, when our short was selected. After working on personal projects together and experimenting with different approaches, we began collaborating on client projects. A few years later, we decided to start Lobster and expanded our team, with animators and motion designers Teodor Hristov and Petko Modev joining us on this adventure. Currently, we also work with Fabrizio Martini, who creates most of the sound work for Lobster, and with freelancers, depending on the amount and style of work.

Artistic influences: Our vision is a mix of elegance and fun, created around the concept of simplicity. We are influenced by many cultural movements and contemporary artists, like the Bauhaus and the illustrated advertisements of the last century. We take inspiration from the world around us and from different ambients, like nature, architecture and theater.

Favorite projects: The short film “Weird,” which we directed and produced at Lobster. The project was a great challenge and one of our first dives into frame-by-frame animation on a bigger scale. We put a lot of effort into this film, and that was returned by the recognition the film gained at festivals worldwide. Thanks to this work, we’ve gotten more chances to work with incredible clients and create high- quality projects. We are also really happy with the GIFs that we manage to produce between client projects. They help us try new approaches and techniques without sacrificing too much time.

Work environment: Our studios are located in the central areas of the cities of Sofia and Genova. Each city has a unique cultural heritage and an ancient history. While the studio in Genova is located by the Ligurian Sea, the studio in Sofia is just beneath Vitosha mountain.

Approach: We aim to find the perfect balance between ideas, illustration, dynamism and innovation. What makes us unique are the different levels of narration that underly each project and the research that is hidden behind each shape and motion we create day by day. For the past few years, a lot of production companies and studios have been doing great work, and we are happy that we are able to have a voice that stands out in the middle of so much talent.

Aspirations: Our main focus for the future is to be able to collaborate with the best talents out there, tell more stories each day, and do more work in new fields like contemporary art and urban installations. Also, to never stop advancing and innovating.

Philosophy: It is not important what you are doing, but to do it best. This mantra has permitted us to vastly improve; gather a good selection of clients; and, even more importantly, transform some small, clever ideas into projects that have received worldwide attention.