Young Creatives: Louise Bagnall (Animator)

Dublin-born animator Louise Bagnall has been riding a wave of success this year that shows no signs of slowing down. Indeed, this is firmly in keeping with the massive growth Ireland has seen in the animation industry in recent years. After graduating from Alexandra College, Louise went on to study animation at IADT and was awarded her degree in 2007.

Breaking her teeth on two short films shortly after college – Colour Contamination (2008) and Donkey (2009) – she went on to become the creative director at Cartoon Saloon, one of Ireland’s top animation studios. Her credits include working as character designer on the popular kid’s series Puffin Rock (narrated by Chris O’Dowd) and working on the widely acclaimed The Breadwinner with director Nora Twomey. A huge boost to the Irish filmmaking scene, her short animation Late Afternoon earned a nomination for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars, in addition to winning an IFTA. Produced by Cartoon Saloon, the film explores an elderly woman’s relationship with dementia as she relives her memories of the past. Louise is currently working on a new animated film for Netflix, My Father’s Dragon, which is due out in 2020 and sees her team up with Twomey once again.