A VERY NERDY HALLOWEEN FT – ORCA & ARCADE

Halloween is here and for all you horror freaks out there, turn the lights off, sit back and relax or cower behind a cushion in fear because we’ll be taking a deep dive into these spooky films by NERDY Orca & Arcade director teams.

Arcade provides endless Halloween spookiness with their latest animation for Apple bringing a playful and wicked sense of energy to the table. We’ve also been informed no vampires were harmed during the making of the film!

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Click here to view Apple Halloween

Click here to see more of Arcade

Ed and Nelly over at Orca have done a few projects over the years for the scariest holiday of the year. Including their delightful deranged ‘Halloween’ short that creates a sense of dread and unease in what can be described as an existential chase sequence.The animation style is reminiscent of prime Cartoon Network if it fused with the unsettling body horror of John Carpenter’s The Thing which is to say it’s pretty messed up…

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Halloween 2023 available here

Here’s what Orca had to say about the film – “We wanted to create something for halloween and thought about those nightmares you have when you’re running from something and you can’t seem to get away – that was the starting point. For the imagery itself we didn’t take influence from anything in particular, we just started drawing and came up with this monster which we found quite funny/ terrifying. We then filmed video reference for the animation as this is always really useful for timing and capturing acting decisions that you might not think about when drawing. For the background we wanted to continue on this dream/nightmare train of thought and created a barren desolate place where you would always be able to see the monster chasing you.”

Another ghoulishly horrifying project Orca worked on was for a show within a show for the fifth season of the BBC and HBO show “Strike”. The animation is inspired by point and click video games. Perfectly blends Orca’s trademark style with the themes and atmosphere of the programme.

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Strike available here

Orca discuss the creative process working on Strike – “At the beginning, the main point of reference was the artwork of Jan Pieńkowski, however as we developed the look further (with production designer Hugo Cuellar) we moved away from pure silhouettes as we wanted to show the character’s expression and all the details of the heart character. The use of shadows, silhouetted shapes against a marbled sky carried through though, which we think works really well. For the video game sections, we looked at video chat games such as Club Penguin and then wondered how they would look with a more gothic twist. It was also important for the plot that we referenced a real section of Highgate Cemetery, which proved a really rich source of inspiration when it came to the types of architecture and foliage we included in the background art.

Working with the client, (Bronte films, the production company that makes the Strike series), was really fun and super collaborative.”

Ed and Nelly shared the films that scared and influenced them.
Ed: “I was particularly scarred by Nightmare on Elm Street, which I saw when I was 14. It really stuck with me and I definitely had that in mind when we created our first Halloween microshort.”

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Nelly – “The Exorcist is one that really disturbed when I was young (and still does) – it’s so scary, but also grotesque and incredibly uncomfortable to watch. It must have influenced something on a subconscious level!”

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Click here to see more of Orca’s

And to find out more about NERD Productions click here.

October 14, 2025October 14, 2025

Motherland in Adland: Davitha Tiller

In this instalment of the series, head of social and integrated communication at Havas shares her experience of becoming a single mother in a city away from her family, and how building a daily rhythm with her son has helped her grow in her life and career.

Motherhood in advertising has long been an unspoken challenge – a career-defining crossroads where ambition is too often questioned, and support systems fall short. And while the industry has made progress in acknowledging the realities of working parents, tangible change is still slow, leaving many mothers to navigate the journey alone.

In this instalment of Motherland in Adland – the series founded by NERD’s Milana Karaica in partnership with LBB – we hear from Davitha Tiller, head of social and integrated communication at Havas.

Davitha shares her experience of becoming a single mother while leading in one of the industry’s most demanding sectors – with no family nearby, no fallback, and a young son relying on her. What followed was a journey of emotional extremes: fear, liberation, exhaustion, growth. And, ultimately, pride.

From the challenges of raising a child alone in New York City to the structural support of working under strong female leadership, Davitha’s story is one of extraordinary resilience – and a powerful reminder that motherhood, in all its forms, can shape more empathetic, grounded leaders.

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IT WASN’T THE PLAN, BUT IT’S MY PATH.

I will never forget my first official day as a single working mom.

I was standing in the kitchen of the apartment my 11-month-old son and I had just moved into following my difficult separation from his father. After a long day of meetings, pitching and thinking; I had put him to bed, and now it was time to make myself dinner. But before I could so much as reach for a pan, a wave of emotion hit me – an overwhelming cocktail of debilitating fear and exhilarating relief.

There was the fear of the road ahead. The relentless logistics. The loneliness. The unknown. And at the same time, there was this liberating sense of reclaiming control – of knowing that, for better or worse, I was back in the driver’s seat of my own life.

How am I going to do all of this?

The sleepless nights. The childcare arrangements. The all-day meetings. The after-work mom mode. The after-mom-mode work mode. The co-parenting conflicts. The tiredness. The confronting reality of knowing that you’re staring at your greatest support system in the mirror.

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And yet – alongside all that – came the longing to be the best mom I could possibly be. To stay healthy, strong and active. To nurture friendships. To make new mom friends. To help my son make his first friends. To sign him up for extracurriculars. To travel the world for work and for fun. To eventually, maybe, date again.

Being an expat single mom in a place like New York City, with no family nearby and a sole custody parenting arrangement, while working a demanding leadership job in our fast-paced industry, is its own level of hard. And being a stubborn Taurean who doesn’t easily accept help certainly didn’t… well, help.

The non-stop nature of it all was terrifying. And, honestly, some days it still is. But even in the darkest moments, I held onto one belief: that eventually, it would get easier. And it did.

To my own surprise, I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey.

Because what I’ve learned is this: just like writing, or riding a bike, once you get the hang of single working mom life, it becomes second nature. And in doing so, it reveals a level of vulnerability and resilience you might never have known you had.

I’ve always been a creature of habit, someone who believes that structure is the antidote to chaos. So I approached life with my son like a military mission – building a daily rhythm so reliable, both he and I could follow it with our eyes closed. That structure became my lifeline. It still carries us through.

And through it all – just as research so often shows about children raised by single mothers – my son has become the most loving, flexible, perceptive, and emotionally intelligent little man. He lights up my life every single day, and together, we make a pretty great team.

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And speaking of teams; I am immensely grateful to work for an agency with a strong female leader at the global helm, where offering people the flexibility and support to navigate their personal circumstances isn’t an exception – but the cultural norm.

Over the years, I’ve come to wear my “single mom” title not as a burden, but as a badge of honour.

It wasn’t the plan, but it is my path. It has made me who I am.
And today, I can finally say it:
I’m proud of her.

October 9, 2025October 9, 2025

LUCAS BORRAS AND CARLOTA SANTAMARIA – MOVING ACROSS THE GLOBE TO MAKE MOVIES

Life as an artist can oftentimes be a life of moving to where the work is or travelling to new places to be inspired, living a nomad existence, always seeking out the next project. On the 4th and 5th of October World Day of Migrants and Refugees was celebrated and we wanted to take this opportunity to speak with NERD Productions talent Lucas Borras and Carlota Santamaria originally from Spain have lived all over the globe swapping the towering skyscrapers of NYC and now finds himself in tinsel town living amongst the stars. The pair will be moving forward as a collaborative force known as Chosen Family and we cannot wait to share more with you in the near future.

Moving can be a hard and difficult process like leaving a piece of yourself behind, places can root us down, remind us of people and memories. Another consideration is uprooting family, having to look for new schools and fit in with new cultures and customs. We caught up with both of them to discuss how migrating impacted his work and whether it inspired or changed his approach to making art.

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How did you both originally meet?

Like all great stories, in prior days of online dating, we met dancing in Barcelona and from that point onwards we just clicked together.

What was your first creative collaboration?

“The first time we collaborated was on a TV show called Anecdotari—a project that marked the beginning of our creative partnership. It went on to win both the Gold LAUS Award and the European Design Award. I led as Director and Animation Director, while Carlota brought her vision as Design Director and Illustrator. It was a project rooted in shared values, distinct perspectives, and a deep creative trust.” – Lucas

Was home sickness something that ever impacted you when you first moved away from home?

“We’ve always had each other’s back which always helps, naturally most of our family still live over in Spain but what’s helped since moving to LA is there’s a strong spanish speaking community in our area. We’ve made friendships through work collaborations, but as well through exploring the “californian” culture and taking our children to school and it’s important that we’ve built connections outside of the film and advertising space as well.” – Carlota

How does living on the West Coast differ from living on the East Coast?

“New York moves at a very different pace, you’re at what feels like the center of the universe, the hustle and bustle of a sprawling metropolis. When we moved back in 2009 it was very easy to build up connections especially in the creative space. You were always within walking distance of agencies and creative studios. LA on the other hand is more spread out and vast, unless you drive a car it can be harder to get from A to B. So you learn to find your people where you’re based which in a lot of ways helps with the community feel.“

Our surroundings often provide us with inspiration, when was the last time the LA sunshine helped form an idea?

“It’s so true, our surroundings provide us with so much inspiration, moving to LA in many ways felt like going home to Spain, the sunshine beaches and the open air provided us with a sense of clarity that was almost impossible to achieve living in New York City. We have more time to relax and collaboration feels less strained. I think in LA we have mastered work and life balance better than what was possible living in New York.“

Take a look at some of the prime examples of Chosen Family’s colourful work.

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Click here to see to see colourful and inspiring Erno Laszlo film.

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Click here to see Quantic

Could you tell us a bit more about your creative relationship and how that’s evolved over the years into Chosen Family?

“After 18 years of living—and creating—together, we’ve developed a rhythm that allows us to balance the personal and professional with honesty and flow. Our different points of view consistently push the work to new places, and we’ve found that what might feel like friction at first often becomes fuel for something better. Over the years, our dynamic has matured into one of synchronicity and clarity, especially when navigating complexity or high-stakes moments.

We’re both deeply curious and wired for what’s next. We thrive on experimentation, openness, and momentum. If we had to name our shared ethos, it would be this: Live without fear, and create like you mean it. That mindset permeates everything we do—how we collaborate, how we take risks, and how we bring ideas to life.” – Lucas & Carlota

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How do you deal with prejudice in and out of the workplace?

With empathy.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you would give to someone who is also looking to migrate for work opportunities?

If possible, go spend some time in the place you’re considering. Live it. Walk its streets. Connect with the studios, agencies, and people you admire. Get a real feel for the energy. See if it matches what you imagined—if it truly feels like somewhere you want to be.

To see more of Chosen Family’s work click here