This post is primarily about identifying a location I’m very interested in outside of the UK – Ireland may just be a stones throw away but it feels as though the industry is blossoming there in an entirely different way to that of the industry in London.
The country is home to a plethora of studios with many different production methods, including Brown Bag Films, Lighthouse Studios, Cardel Entertaiment and Boulder Media, just to name a few (among others that will be mentioned later in this post). While Ireland may be a small country, the scope of the work these studios produce reaches across the globe, and many of them have contracted with big companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix and Cartoon Network.
It’s quite inspiring to see so many Irish studios working in a hand-drawn style, which is the field I’m most interested in working toward right now. Obviously one of the biggest studios in the country is Cartoon Saloon, known for their award winning features Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers. Their work over the last decade has arguably driven the industry in Ireland to new heights, and despite the consistently high standard of quality content being produced in the country, it’s hard to argue right now their talent isn’t at the forefront of it all.
Arguably one of the biggest driving forces for new talent in the country has been in the form of web animation (or webtoons). Anecdotally speaking, I didn’t quite realise just how many were from Ireland! The site Newgrounds in particular seems to have fostered a community of animators that have garnered high profiles online, including OneyNG and Speedoru, with millions of followers between them. Though they might not create as much content due to their status as independent freelancers (and other commitments), they have nonetheless made some of the most popular animated works on YouTube over the last decade.
One of my favourite Irish animators right now is Seán Cunningham (aka PaperBagAnimator). A few years ago he set up Studio Meala, an animation studio with a focus on hand-drawn shorts. The studio itself been creating content since around 2019, have gone on to work with video game developers and other web animators, as well as creating their own set of IPs. They’ve established themselves as one of Irelands most competent studios in only a few years, and their track record so far of making content accessible online has definitely increased their profile (and is just generally very consumer friendly!). Once I feel confident enough in my abilities, Meala is definitely a studio I will be looking to apply for even if it means having to relocate for the duration.
Ireland is certainly somewhere I’d like to work – and the fact that the industry has steadily been growing there is a great incentive. It’s great to see a vibrant array of styles flourishing, and that opportunities seem to be increasing year on year in the country. Going forward Ireland seems like it’ll be producing content that rivals some of the most popular