DNEG Animation welcomes exciting new speakers for INSPIRE Series
Our DNEG Animation crews kicked off the new year feeling extra inspired, thanks to new INSPIRE Series sessions!
Ready to feel inspired?
Our DNEG Animation team kicked off 2025 feeling extra inspired, thanks to INSPIRE Series sessions with the creators of No Man is an Island, and the Oscar-winning writer, producer and director of Memoir of a Snail!
Learn more about these exciting talks below.
No Man Is An Island
To mark LGBTQ+ History Month in February, we were honoured to host the creators of No Man is an Island. Set in 1991-1992 on the Isle of Man, the documentary explores the lives of gay men and the impact of the decriminalization of homosexuality on the community.
Following a screening of the film, the creators John Craine (Director, Writer, Director of Photography), Diarmuid Hughes (Producer) and DNEG Animation's own Edward Crompton (Editor) joined us in person in both London and Montreal to share their experiences, challenges, and creative approach in developing and producing the documentary. The conversation touched on the importance of authenticity and humanizing the characters, and explored the film's reception, the ongoing relevance of its themes, and the emotional impact of the sensitive subject matter on the production team.
Director John Craine, who was born on the Isle of Man, is a drama and documentary cinematographer and screenwriter who has shot four features and over 40 short films. His first feature, Blackbird, was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA and The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature. With numerous operating and second unit DoP credits to his name, No Man is an Island marked his debut as director.
Producer Diarmuid Hughes leads the co-production side of Forty Foot Pictures. Prior to this, he worked as Head of Post Production at Searchlight UK, overseeing projects such as The Banshees of Inisherin, Empire of Light and Poor Things. Diarmuid previously worked across production and post with companies such as Working Title, Big Talk Pictures and Warner Bros.
Edward Crompton is a film and animation editor with dozens of short films to his name; among them the critically acclaimed documentary Wandering Rocks (which he also directed) that has enjoyed official selections at several prestigious festivals including Tampere Film Festival and Helsinki International Film Festival. His other work includes Moominvalley (season 1 and 2), Wes Andersson’s Isle of Dogs, Ron’s Gone Wrong and The Garfield Movie. Edward is currently working in story editorial as a First Assistant Editor on The Angry Birds Movie 3 for DNEG Animation.
Memoir of a Snail
Academy Award winner Adam Elliot joined us over Zoom for an inspiring conversation about his latest film Memoir of a Snail. As writer, director and producer of the Oscar-nominated stop motion animation film, Adam shared how he draws inspiration from his own experiences, friends and families to create his stories and characters!
Moderated by our very own Bridget Dash (Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, DNEG Animation), Adam also spoke about how inspiration can come from anywhere – including our crew! He said that he could make a movie based on anyone in the audiences' lives, because just like a fingerprint, we all have a unique story!
Adam is an Academy Award® winning independent animator and visual artist based in Melbourne Australia. His animated films and imagery, which he calls "Clayographies", are clay animated biographies based on the bittersweet lives of his family and friends. He has created seven animated films including, Memoir of a Snail, Mary and Max, Harvie Krumpet, Ernie Biscuit, Brother, Cousin and Uncle.
Huge thank you to John, Diarmuid, Edward and Adam for inspiring us!
DNEG Animation’s INSPIRE Series invites inspiring speakers to share their knowledge and experience with our global animation crews. Launched in 2021, the series was created to encourage our team’s passion for animation through exciting learning opportunities and celebrations of innovative new work within the industry. Learn more about INSPIRE from the creators here!