Passion and Robert Valley's "400 Boys" Episode in Netflix's Love, Death + Robots Earns Emmy Recognition for Outstanding Character Animation & Design
LONDON, UK - September 11th, 2025 - This past month, 400 Boys - the electrifying animated short directed by acclaimed artist Robert Valley and produced by Passion - won two Emmy Awards in the Television Academy's Juried Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. Honours went to Daryl Graham for Character Animation and Robert Valley for Character Design.
Produced as part of Love, Death + Robots Volume 4, 400 Boys marks the third episode directed by Robert Valley and created in collaboration with Passion for Netflix and Blur, following their earlier works Zima Blue and ICE. The win not only celebrates the achievement of the team but also recognises Valley's growth as a director with a clear, uncompromising creative vision.
Adapted from a short story by Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw, 400 Boys delivers a gang-fueled sci-fi epic rooted in cult influences like The Warriors, yet reimagined through Valley's unmistakable visual language. Known for his angular, elongated character designs and kinetic storytelling, Valley pushed his creative vision even further in this project, with the full support of the team at Passion.
In 400 Boys, Valley's signature aesthetic continues to evolve. While retaining the look audiences loved in ICE, the animation takes on greater complexity and fluidity. A major leap came from merging 2D character animation with 3D environments and camera movement, allowing the team to build immersive, cinematic sequences without sacrificing Valley's hand-drawn aesthetic.
"Rob always wants to put a new wrinkle in his work," says Christian Mills, Passion Creative Director. ""With 400 Boys, it was the cameras. To achieve the depth he desired in specific shots, we combined 2D animation with 3D camera movement. That gave him a whole new dimension to play with, and an opportunity for a more cinematic feel in his shots."
The result is a high-octane blend of hand-drawn 2D animation, bold character styling, and dynamic 3D camera moves, crafted using TVPaint, After Effects, and a suite of custom workflows built specifically around the needs of the director. This hybrid pipeline enabled sweeping camera shots and action choreography not previously seen at this scale in Valley's work. "The animation style had progressed massively from Zima Blue and ICE. It was all about supporting Rob's vision, giving him the tools to go bigger while staying true to his style," adds Ellen Collins, Producer.
The film's climactic battle sequence, an extended, high-stakes scene involving dozens of characters, environmental destruction, and layered chaos, was the most ambitious the team had ever attempted. The challenge wasn't just the scale, but making it feel grounded and hand-crafted, from the weight of chains hitting the ground to the atmosphere crackling with kinetic energy. Every department was pushed, from layout and CFX to compositing, as months of planning were brought to life with precision, intensity, and within a tightly managed production timeline. "We had the fortune to work with incredible artists and CFX specialists who worked closely with Rob for months. It all came together thanks to our compositing team, who brought the final look to life with care and precision, each department adding their creative voice to the mix," adds Collins.
That spirit of collaboration and creative ownership reflects a culture Passion has championed for years. On 400 Boys, creative collaboration wasn't a tagline, it was the foundation. The project brought together a highly skilled team of 2D and 3D artists, each aligned around a clear vision and committed to pushing into new creative and technical ground.
"We've built a studio that allows artists to explore ideas and bring their best work to the table," Mills notes. "Supporting Rob's creative vision meant giving our team the freedom to innovate, collaborate, and push boundaries."
About PASSION PICTURES
PASSION PICTURES is an internationally renowned production company uniquely specialising in animation and documentary filmmaking and is a three-time Academy Award winner. With teams in London, Paris, New York, LA and Barcelona, PASSION is a fully integrated studio that brings together multiple creative divisions, partner companies, and a wide array of talent. The studio recently won the BAFTA for Best Documentary with "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" and recent animation credits include the emmy winning 400 Boys, the standout episode of season 4 of Netflix's Love, Death + Robots and Not a Box, Season 1 now streaming on Apple TV+ .
