Half-Life, The Matrix and Alien: meet the sci-fi inspired motion designer, Felix Geen

It was while scrolling on Instagram that we first discovered the work of motion designer Felix Geen, courtesy of an ident he created for online music broadcasting platform, Boiler Room. Slick and reminiscent of many a sci-fi interface, the short clip sees smoke billowing in various shapes, interlocked with green strobes, eventually forming the Boiler Room logo. Intrigued, we checked out the rest of Felix’s work only to find an impressive roster of 3d videos and digital art.

Felix grew up in a small, rural Scottish village called Lintrathen where, for the first eight years of his life, he had no access to computers. “Once my family got one, I was basically addicted and would play games whenever I could,” he recalls. From there, he began to learn how to make simple 2D and 3D models, eventually transitioning to making full 3D games.

“I was set on making video games until 2015 when I decided to switch direction and started working as a motion designer,” he explains. Now, his practice nearly entirely encompasses music videos, a genre which, until a few years ago, he didn’t even really engage with. “Now, I find them my main source of creative outlet and I think they are extremely exciting as a medium. I really enjoy the unpredictable nature of music video work, and I love approaching projects from different angles and trying out new things every time,” Felix adds.

Despite the change in his career, video games such as Quake, Unreal and Half-Life still form a large part of what keeps him inspired, a fact that’s clear when looking at his portfolio. Full of references to these worlds, as well as films like The Matrix, Alien and Ghost in the Shell, he’s developed a visual language which explores “portals, windows and frames into other realities. Or, as people who studied fine art might say, I am exploring liminal spaces in my work,” Felix jokes.

In terms of how this language is then implemented, Felix’s output is incredibly varied. “Due to the fact I’ve entered my current industry from quite a sideways direction, I think my creative practice really mimics my unstructured approach to my own career,” he remarks. A particular highlight of his portfolio, however, comes in the form of his work on Avalon Emerson’s video for One More Fluorescent Rush. Directed by Hayden Martin and shot by Josha Eiffel – who are both members of the collective Mcbane.tv, to which Felix also belongs – the video mixes live-action footage with photogrammetry and digitally manipulated imagery, all shot over two days in Kew Gardens.

“I think I’ve started to notice a bit of a pattern in my work,” Felix responds when questioned on the reoccurring concepts in his work, “It’s taken quite a long time for me to understand my own visual language and it is constantly evolving but it is fascinating for me to start to see some consistency across my work take shape. It’s very satisfying as an artist to start seeing this in your work.”