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Michael Please

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Mikey Please
Born1984 (age 40–41)
England
Occupation(s)writer, director, animator, illustrator
Websitemikeyplease.co.uk

Michael (Mikey) Please (born 1984) is an English writer, director, animator and illustrator.

Biography

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An alumnus of the Royal College of Art (MA Animation) and the University of the Arts London (BA Technical Arts and Special Effects), Please is a bestselling author and OSCAR nominated animation director. He has made several music videos and short films including his BAFTA winning (2011: Best Short Animation) RCA graduation film, The Eagleman Stag.[1][2][3] In 2014 Please co-founded East London-based Parabella Animation Studio alongside fellow RCA graduate Dan Ojari.[4]

He also worked as episode director for Cartoon Network's Elliott from Earth and co-writer and director of Aardman Animations stop motion special Robin Robin for Netflix. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[5][6]

Books

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The Cafe at The Edge of the Woods (2024) - Harper Collins

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Mikey's debut author/illustrated picture book. Rene, an aspiring chef, opens up her dream establishment on the border of a magical forest. Her desire to serve up the most delicious food is scuppered by her less-than-refined clientele, but with the help of newly recruited waiter, Glumfoot, a thriving business seems possible. Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book of the Year 2025.[7]

The Expanded Earth (2025) - Corsair

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The first in an adult Sci-fi trilogy. The Expanded Earth tells the story of a world where humanity is suddenly shrunk to the size of a handspan. It was published in April 2025 by Corsair in the UK. The book is described as a "dark, witty, and wildly ambitious" adventure. A Times Bestseller.[8]

The Cave Downwind of the Cafe (2025) - Harper Collins

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A prequel to The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods, The Cave... follows the exploits of Glumfoot as he tries to save the newly constructed Cafe.[9]

Short films

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The Eagleman Stag (2010)

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The Eagleman Stag, follows an entomologist as he contemplates the nature of time and possibility of eternal life. After premiering at The Sundance Film Festival[10] That same year it was showcased in McSweeney's's DVD quarterly, Wholphin. The Eagleman Stag went on to win the BAFTA for Best Animated Short in 2011.[11] During its festival run the film picked up a further 23 international awards,[12] was Film of the Year on Short of the Week[13] and eventually shortlisted for an Academy Award.[14]

Marilyn Myller (2014)

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His following film Marilyn Myller, followed a sculptor struggling with the expectation of making art and the disappointing reality.[15] The film was developed during a 3-month artist's residency at Japic (Japan), and co-produced by Blink Ink in London & Hornet Inc in New York.[16] Marilyn Myller premiered at Sundance in 2014[17] and won Best of Fest at Melbourne International Film Festival,[18] Best short film at the British Animation Awards,[19] Best of British Animation at Encounters Film Festival, Special Jury Prize at the Chicago international Film festival[20] and the McLaren Award for Best British Animation at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.[21]

An Elephant Never Forgets - Over the Garden Wall (2024)

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A short 10 year celebratory stopmotion mini-episode of the cult series, co-written with Patrick McHale, and co-directed with Dan Ojari. Produced at Aardman Animations.

Other shorts include The Jolly Dot, Goodness Newness Oldness Badness, Glens Gloves, Crone and Spectacular View.

Music videos

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Please has directed several music videos for music artists such as Jeffrey Lewis (2008),[22] M Ward, (2008)[23] and Ingrid Michaelson (2009)[24] as well as illustrating album art.

In 2010 he was approached by TV on the Radio to direct the video for Second Song,[25] a segment of their album length film - ‘9 Types of Light’, which was later nominated for a Grammy Award.[26] In 2018 he co-directed (with Dan Ojari) the opening and closing segment for Kamasi Washington's album length film ‘As told to G/D thyself’  which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and was nominated for an MVA.[27]

Long Form

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Zero Greg (2014)

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Please was commissioned by Film 4 to write and develop a family animated feature, produced by Mary Burke for Warp Films. The script, entitled ‘Zero Greg’, featured a young boy unaffected by Gravity.[28]

Alan the Infinite (2019)

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Please & Ojari produced, wrote and directed an 11-minute stopmotion TV pilot about an intern at a lamination company who discovers the 'infinity particle'. The project was a co-production between Parabella and Blink Industries.

Elliott from Earth (2020)

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Please joined Cartoon Network in 2019 as Episode Director on Elliot From Earth (16 x 11min episodes).

Robin Robin (2021)

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In 2019, Netflix commissioned a 30-minute stopmotion special, co-written and directed by Please and Ojari, and produced by Aardman Animations about a young bird raised by a family of burglar mice. The film, Robin Robin was released in 2021.[29] It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. A picture book written by Please and Ojari and illustrated by Briony May Smith, accompanied the release,[30] published by Macmillian.

References

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  1. ^ Agile Films website Archived 2011-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ BBC News coverage of Please: "Animator's graduation films gets BAFTA nod" Retrieved 13 February 2011
  3. ^ BAFTA website Archived 2011-01-10 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 13 February 2011
  4. ^ "ABOUT".
  5. ^ https://www.oscars.org/news/academy-invites-397-membership
  6. ^ "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences", Wikipedia, 24 June 2022, retrieved 29 June 2022
  7. ^ Creamer, Ella (27 March 2025). "The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods wins Waterstones children's book prize". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  8. ^ The Expanded Earth. 22 February 2025. ISBN 978-1-4721-5834-5.
  9. ^ "The Cave Downwind of the Café". HarperCollins Publishers UK. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  10. ^ "2011 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film Program". www.sundance.org. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Hackney filmmaker Michael Please bags BAFTA". Hackney Citizen. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  12. ^ "ABOUT THIS FILM - THE EAGLEMAN STAG". cargocollective.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  13. ^ "The Eagleman Stag by Mikey Please | Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  14. ^ "OSCARS: Animated Short Film List Narrowed To 10". Deadline. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Q&A with Mikey Please: Marilyn Myller". Motionographer. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Q&A with Mikey Please: Marilyn Myller". Motionographer. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  17. ^ Marilyn Myller - IMDb, retrieved 13 March 2021
  18. ^ Patten, Fred (22 September 2014). "REVIEW: "The 16th Animation Show of Shows"". IndieWire. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  19. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (7 March 2014). "'Gumball,' 'Room on the Broom' Take Top BAA Honors". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  20. ^ Patten, Fred (22 September 2014). "REVIEW: "The 16th Animation Show of Shows"". IndieWire. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  21. ^ Marilyn Myller - IMDb, retrieved 13 March 2021
  22. ^ Jeffrey Lewis - End Result, retrieved 13 March 2021
  23. ^ M. Ward - Rave On (featuring Zooey Deschanel), retrieved 13 March 2021
  24. ^ Ingrid Michaelson - Maybe (Official Music Video), retrieved 13 March 2021
  25. ^ "TV On the Radio selects Mikey Please". Dazed. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  26. ^ "TV On The Radio". GRAMMY.com. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  27. ^ "live and special project - ukmva 2021". www.ukmva.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  28. ^ "A coffee with Michael Please - Vogue.it". www.vogue.it (in Italian). 7 October 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Hold the plasticine: Aardman's new look for musical made with Netflix". the Guardian. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  30. ^ "MCB signs Aardman deal for Netflix film Robin Robin | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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