Craig Small
Craig Small in 2022
Born (1969-07-05) July 5, 1969
Galt, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Visual artist, director, animator
Years active1990s–present

Craig Small (born July 5, 1969) is a Canadian visual artist, director and animator known for his motion graphic work and the Biblio-Mat book vending machine. He founded Toronto-based design and production studio The Juggernaut in 2002 and is a member of the band Communism.

Early life

Small was born in Galt, Ontario, to Nova Scotian parents and grew up in Strathroy, Ontario. His father worked in the automotive industry. From an early age, Small was fascinated with computer graphics and animation and spent much of his youth disassembling video games.[1]

Career

Film and television

Small began his career as a broadcast designer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in the early 1990s and went on to work at several design and post-production houses in Toronto before founding his own production studio, The Juggernaut, in 2002. He has directed and produced animation, visual effects and title sequences for numerous commercials, feature films, documentaries, music videos as well as identities for companies including Sony, Ubisoft, Disney and Coca-Cola.[2][3] In 2000, Small created the branding for the I Am Canadian ad campaign that premiered during the 72nd Academy Awards.[4] He worked with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) on the animated films Madame Tutli-Putli (2007) and Subconscious Password (2013). In 2012, Small developed the experimental film KENK, based on the journalistic comic Kenk: A Graphic Portrait that incorporated Small's genre-bending style of animation.[5] It was showcased at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and later adapted into a broadcast documentary by TVO in 2019.[6][7]

Serendipity machines

Biblio-Mat

In 2012, Small created the Biblio-Mat, the first in a series of random vending, or serendipity machines. In the case of the Biblio-Mat, the insertion of a two-dollar coin or "toonie" (now a token), prompts the machine to randomly select an antiquarian book that is delivered to the chime of an antique telephone bell.

Small said, in an interview with CTV News, "You don't choose the book, the universe chooses it for you."[8]

The Biblio-Mat garnered worldwide media attention[9][10][11] and admiration, including from authors Margaret Atwood, who tweeted “This! Is! Brilliant!” and Neil Gaiman, who said “A random used-book vending machine—I think I am in love.”[12]

Literarium

In 2021, musician Jack White, a Biblio-Mat fan, commissioned Small to build a “token-operated lucky dip book machine” for the opening of Third Man Records London.[13] The Literarium, as it is known, dispenses random literature published by Third Man Books.[14]

Phono-Mat

Small's third serendipity machine, the Phono-Mat, which dispenses random vinyl records, was created in 2022 for Sonic Boom Records in Toronto. Jack White and the band July Talk attended the machine's launch before performing at White's Supply Chain Issues Tour concert in Toronto.[15][16]

Live visual performer

Small has been performing with the band Communism as a VJ since 2017. His video and laser projections have been featured at Atlin Arts & Music Festival the Danforth Music Hall and the National Arts Centre.[17] Small designed the album artwork for the band's 2023 album, Lovespeech, incorporating elements from his live projections.[18]

Personal life

Small is married to writer/editor Emily Donaldson and lives in Toronto with their two sons. He plays competitive pinball with his autistic son.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Waldie, Paul (2021-09-30). "Canadian artist's book vending machine makes its debut at Jack White's new Third Man Records store in London". The Globe and Mail.
  2. ↑ "The Juggernaut Q&A: A Far Cry from VFX success". Broadcast Beat Magazine. 2017-06-06.
  3. ↑ "10th Taipei Digital Art Festival Exhibition". Taipei Digital Arts Festival. 2015-11-16.
  4. ↑ "I Am not entirely Canadian". Playback. 2000-04-17.
  5. ↑ "Forget CGI. Craig Small uses photocopiers and bike wheels to make beautiful, gritty films". BLOCK Magazine. 2013-09-13.
  6. ↑ "Kenk | 2010 IDFA European Premiere". IDFA. 2010.
  7. ↑ "Behind the Intriguing Documentary KENK | Meet the Artist". CG Magazine. 2010-10-20.
  8. ↑ Lightfoot, Scott (2017-11-28). "Biblio-mat: Getting your next read from a vending machine". CTVNews.
  9. ↑ Raz, Guy (2012-11-18). "Book-Vending Machine Dispenses Suspense | NPR". All Things Considered.
  10. ↑ "the 'biblio-mat' by craig small randomly dispenses books for two dollars". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2012-11-19.
  11. ↑ Allan, David G. "When did Toronto get so cool? | BBC Travel". www.bbc.com.
  12. ↑ Margaret Atwood tells Strombo about the Bibliomat | CBC TV, CBC TV, 2013-01-25
  13. ↑ Willman, Chris (2021-08-11). "Jack White Combines Anglophilia With Vinyl-philia as Third Man Records Prepares to Open London Shop". Variety.
  14. ↑ Zemler, Emily (2021-09-26). "Third Man Goes Global: Inside Jack White's New London Venue". Rolling Stone.
  15. ↑ LeBlanc, Gilles (2022-08-22). "Jack White with July Talk at Budweiser Stage - Concert Reviews". LIVE IN LIMBO.
  16. ↑ Walker, Mike (2022-08-19). "This vending machine delivers random vinyls". CTVNews.
  17. ↑ Trapunski, Richard (2020-03-16). "Dan Mangan livestreams his cancelled Danforth Music Hall show - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto.
  18. ↑ Sterdan, Darryl (2023-02-24). "Albums Of The Week: Communism | Lovespeech". Tinnitist.
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