Phil Brough

Phil Brough began his career playing semi-useful South Island mechanic Spanners Watson on Back of The Y Masterpiece Television, a mock-live stunt show featuring longtime collaborator Matt Heath. Brough later studied animation and visual effects at Auckland's Media Design School, then set up Vinewood Animation Studios with Health. His animated short Fire in Cardboard City won multiple awards, and was developed into spin-off series Welcome to Cardboard City for TVNZ. Brough's other projects include creating children's series Goodbye A.I., and animation and visual effects for clients NZME, Maori Television, and the BBC.

Matthew [Heath] and I were sitting around one day thinking about what the hardest job in the world would be. We came up with a firefighter in a city made of cardboard. We wrote the script for Fire In Cardboard City that night. The next day I sat down to animate it. A mere five years later, I finished. Phil Brough on the birth of award-winning short film Fire in Cardboard City, Variety, 25 March 2021