Fonic proudly celebrates Arturs Voblikovs, one of the recipients of the 2023 Phil Davies Award from Middlesex University, who won three honours at the 2025 Royal Television Society (RTS) Student Television Awards.

The Phil Davies Award—named after the producer of Peppa Pig—supports final-year animation undergraduates with equipment and professional mentorship towards their final film. As part of the award, winners collaborate with Fonic, gaining hands-on experience in the art of sound design.
Voblikovs’ film Anomaly earned RTS awards for Undergraduate Animation, Craft Skills – Production Design, and Writing. The stop-motion short uses clay animation and sharp comic timing in a mockumentary format to explore alcohol abuse in Arturs’s home country of Latvia. Set in a meticulously crafted village made from wood, wire, and metal, the film features voiceovers from his family, friends, and a former animation teacher in Riga. The soundtrack, composed by Eric Davis and performed by accordionist Alise Silina, adds emotional depth to the piece.

All sound design and mixing took place at Fonic’s Hackney studio. Arturs shared: “I visited them several times at their cozy studio to work on sound for Anomaly with the amazing team. They were keen on experimenting and perfecting every sound. The scholarship allowed me to purchase various materials that helped me build a realistic and detailed set, and the collaboration with Fonic added life to this world through sound”.

The experience had a lasting impact on his creative process: “This experience taught me how much sound really matters in world-building, especially for animation, where the world must be built from scratch. After the collaboration with Fonic, I always think about what sound will be needed in each scene before I start shooting, as opposed to afterwards like I used to.”

This approach reflects the philosophy of Barnaby Templer, Head of Fonic, who believes sound should be considered from the script stage: “Sound defines tone, mood, timing, perspective, and narrative structure—it’s core to storytelling.”

Templer continues: “Working with the Phil Davies Award winners is always rewarding. It’s often their first time in a professional studio, and they leave with a deeper understanding of how sound can elevate a film.”

Arturs is now pursuing an MA in Animation at the Royal College of Art, with lessons from Fonic continuing to shape his work.

Fonic remains proud to support the next generation of animators through its ongoing collaboration with Middlesex University and the Phil Davies Award—now in its third year. This year, Fonic worked closely with three talented students and looks forward to mentoring many more in the years ahead.
https://artursvoblikovs.wixsite.com/portfolio/work