Bradford-based stop motion filmmaker Arfaan Amini turned a childhood fascination with action figures into a career working with major toy brands. Now, as part of the Bradford Digital Creatives project, he’s bringing his expertise into Bradford schools to inspire young people to find their own creative passions.
What first drew you to digital arts?
My passion for animation was something I discovered unexpectedly in my late 20s. As a child, I spent countless hours creating elaborate stories with action figures, completely unaware that this was a form of storytelling and creativity. When I stumbled upon stop motion, I found the perfect medium to bring my childhood passion to life—allowing me to animate my action figures and turn my stories into moving art.
As I delved deeper into the world of animation, I developed an appetite for learning more about VFX and the digital side of animation. The ability to incorporate the latest technology into my work has opened up endless possibilities, making my visual art more dynamic and immersive. Every new technique I explore pushes me to elevate my storytelling and bring my creative visions to life in more exciting ways.
Why were you interested in being part of the Bradford Digital Creatives project?
Growing up, I had no idea I possessed the enthusiasm and creativity for this field! Through the Digital Creatives project, I want to inspire others who might have the same passion but risk going through life without ever realising their creative potential. By learning new skills we are giving the students a better chance of finding their ‘thing’—the ‘thing’ that excites them, that makes them want to dive deeper into that specific field, that really changes their inner dialogue and hopefully allows them to follow their interest into a career.
What does a typical workshop look like?
We take a hands-on approach, giving students the chance to experience different production roles—puppeteer, director, photographer—so they understand the collaborative nature of stop motion. In one session, we animated Bradford’s Town Hall using a simple but effective set made from polystyrene blocks. Students learned the technical aspects of stop motion, from frame-by-frame shooting to post-production techniques like keying out backgrounds in Photoshop. We even incorporated AI tools to help them select the best images for their final edit.
Seeing students go from initial uncertainty to complete engagement is the most rewarding part. Once they understand how stop motion works, they become completely immersed—generating their own ideas, experimenting with techniques, and taking real pride in their work.
What do you hope students take away from working with you?
Beyond technical skills, I want them to understand that creativity is as much about the process as the end product. Stop motion, for example, requires patience and persistence—it can feel repetitive, but the sense of accomplishment at the end makes it worthwhile.
See a selection of Arfaan’s work on YouTube.
Find out more about Bradford Digital Creatives on our website.