OLIVER SMYTH
is a multi Bafta and RTS award winning director and animator whose skills encompass traditional hand drawn animation, live action and visual effects. Oli got his career break working as an animation and story assistant on Tim Burton’s stop motion feature The Corpse Bride. In more recent years Oli has directed multiple children’s learning series and drama. Notably in collaboration with the late BBC Exec Katy Jones, he directed two cinema films which spearheaded the award winning Ten Pieces project. These unique films sought to capture children’s imaginations and inspire creativity through classical music. Oli has worked with a co-operative group of animation artists called Flock for the past few years as Creative director. He lives in Brighton with his wife Jen and their two daughters. He likes long dog walks, meditation, weightlifting and jigsaws.
Ceri Barnes
is an award winning, multiple Bafta and international Emmy nominated producer who has worked with most of the major broadcasters across her career. She came to animation from natural history and vfx having made films featuring high end creature animation and falling in love with being able to tell animated stories. Her preoccupation with connection to our planet and the creatures of our world is barely disguised in her animation work. Her series ‘Floogals’ saw her adding owls, stick insects, spiders, snails, beetles…her last series for Disney featured a little African girl with an elephant for a best friend…..
She lives in Brighton with her husband Martin, two sons and their little cheeky dog. She tries to swim most days believing the water to have magical creative powers.