FSTVS - The Executive Sessions

"I learned most of my leadership skills from Kermit the Frog." Emmet O'Neil, CEO of StoryToys, is living proof that the most chaotic CVs often hide the most deliberate and creative minds. Uprooted from Dublin to rural Cork at age six, he channelled that childhood trauma straight into creativity — a habit that's never left him. A career as an illustrator was derailed by a rare degenerative eye cond...

Today's guest, Olexa Hewryk, is Vice President and Head of Animation at Sesame Workshop. Starting his career as an animator, he has since directed, produced, and now oversees a broad portfolio of animated content — from Sesame Street itself to YouTube originals and Roblox activations. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, he's the recipient of four Daytime Emmy Awards and has shaped shows i...

“One minute you’re making cartoons in Kilkenny, the next you’re chatting with Quentin Tarantino over champagne.” This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon — producer, director, co-founder, accidental salesman, and possibly the only man in animation whose career began with Greek beach caricatures and illegal late-night sandwich sales. Paul chats to Julian about building...

"You've got to be a bit obsessed with it." This episode's guest is a dynast of the animation world; a man who started out at age 4 as the voice of Tiny Tim in an animated Christmas Carol but then threw it all away and ran off to Oxford University to become a lawyer! But the spell had been cast and in 1987 he found himself back in the industry and working on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He then went on...

“The death of Optimus Prime had a big impact” This week's guest is Alexi Wheeler. Maybe best known for his time as VP Production Development at Nickelodeon where he launched International Shorts Program which was, as Alexi states, “a strong avenue for incredible work and lasting relationships,” pairing, as it did, emerging creators with studios ready to bring fresh ideas to life, or perhaps his ro...

"A special BAFTA Award for a 25 year legacy in children's media and the social and cultural impact." Ladies and gentlemen, as a special early Christmas present for you all, I give you Tom Box, Adam Shaw, and Oli Hyatt MBE, of Blue Zoo Animation Studio. While I am sure Tom, Adam, and Oli would be the first to acknowledge that everyone who has passed through the doors of Blue Zoo over the first 25 y...

“Sometimes the detours are where you learn the most and that are the most exciting parts of your life.” A truer word was rarely spoken, especially when it comes to career journey's in the media industry. And the journey of today's guest, Denitsa Yordanova, is nothing if not filled with exiting detours. From studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economics and International Relations at Co...

"That truth shines through. That honesty shines through. And that's what animation is." In a special 'timely' edition this week Julian speaks to Dr Steve Henderson, CEO, Director and Co-Founder of The Manchester Animation Festival. We've dragged Steve away from his computer at the most crucial time of year for him, just a few days out from the start of this year's festival. And boy is it worth it!...

"Let animation excellence begin!" Today's guest is the wonderfully warm and generous, Luke Jurevicius, owner and CEO of Vishus Productions in South Australia and Pune, India. Luke is a multi-award winning creative garnering accolades for Figaro Pho, The New Adventures of Figaro Pho, Peleda and Junction to name a few. In this fascinating chat Julian discovers the inspiration behind some of Luke's b...

"Sometimes you just have to get out of your own way!" Today's guest is the delightful Karen Miller. Karen is currently the President at The Hidden Pigeon Company - a great name and you can find out the reason behind it later in the podcast - but her whole CV reads like a who's who of A-list broadcasters and studios - Disney, Cyber Group, Warner Brothers, NBC Universal... I could go on. Karen has a...

"From the mailroom to the boardroom!" This week's guest is Bob Higgins. Currently the President of Trustbridge Entertainment and for bringing the likes of Maisy back to our screens, Bob's career has encompassed roles at WildBrain, Fremantle Media, Cartoon Network and Boat Rocker Media to name just a few. He's worked on such well loved shows as Katie & Mim-Mim, Dino Ranch, Foster's Home For Imagina...

"People can shine wherever they are." And none shine more brightly than our guest in this episode, Sueann Rochester, CEO and co-founder of Wild Child Animation in Sterling, Scotland. Not only is Sueann an exceptional producer, working on BAFTA and EMMY nominated shows like "Dennis & Gnasher", and BAFTA award WINNING "The Brilliant World of Tom Gates", she is also a powerful voice for Women in Anim...

"Don't hesitate to enter the thing you're drawn to." As you will hear in this latest episode, those are words that Mary Coleman has certainly lived by and benefited from. Early beginnings in theatre led Mary to spend 8 years at The Magic Theatre in San Francisco before joining PIXAR Animation in 1999 as a Creative Executive. Almost 23 years later and having worked on almost too many PIXAR movies t...

"I'll get excited... when the money's in the bank account." Wise words, from a wise dad. But did today's guest take heed? Find out when Andrew Kavanagh, owner of Kavaleer Productions joins Julian for a very rambling and wonderful chat about everything from using art as a defence in school, to drawing caricatures on an almost daily basis, to Irish animation's origins, to karaoke (recurring theme?),...

"Don't work with people you wouldn't have dinner with." I genuinely don't know where to start with introducing this episode's guest - Eryk Casemiro. Eryk's resumé reads like a Hollywood script... a young hopeful kid packs up his stuff and heads to LA in search of his dream, and finds himself serving soda's to Hollywood's stars when a chance encounter on a gameshow is the unexpected break he needs,...

"ALL OR NOTHING!" Now a multi-award winning VFX Supervisor at Industrial Light and Magic in London, having worked on projects like Lost Ollie for Netflix, Black Mirror, The Mandalorian, Mission Impossible 2 and Ultraman: Rising, to name but a few, Hayden Jone's film career didn't start in a conventional place - a degree in Automotive and Industrial Design at Coventry University. So, what path did...

"Any day you can make a kid laugh, that's a pretty good day." And if anyone knows that it's Terry Kalagian! Terry's resumé reads like a who's who of big names - Cartoon Network, Mattel, Atomic Cartoons, Rainmaker, Marvel and now Gaumont, where Terry is President of Global Animation for Kids and Family. Terry takes Julian on a journey through her early days in research and how that helped shape and...

"Slow down and take people on the journey with you." Great advice for everyone at various times in our lives and careers. Even more poignant when it's quoted by Crosby Clyse, MD of DNeg in London, and you've listened to his journey. A journey that takes him from playing piano in the hills of Appalachia to Pixar in California and thence to London and DNeg! Quite the journey. Crosby is eloquent, ins...

“People like me don’t end up with the career that I have.” With a lead in line like that, you know you're in for an interesting career chat! Ryan Delaney is Production Executive at Warner Brothers Pictures Animation and worked on the LEGO films, Men In Black, Tom and Jerry and Acme v Coyote but it's his career path from East End boy to West End darling (citation needed) that is most fascinating. A...

Learning from the best! From Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to PBS, and now as the Head of Character Development and Scripted Content at Duolingo, Linda Simensky’s career is a true masterclass in seizing opportunities and knowing when to take a step back in order to move forward and continue doing what she loves. With a passion for animation that started at a young age, Linda has carried that ent...

"Stay curious." The man in the white suit has spoken! Lionel Marty is one of the most recognisable faces in kids distribution. From his time at Tele Images in the 90's to launching the distribution arm of France Animation through Moonscoop, to setting up his own, super successful, Paris based distribution company, APC Kids. But there's another side to Lionel and the Marty family that might not be...

"To talk about kids' content is a joy" Louise Bucknole’s career journey has taken her to almost all the major broadcasters – BBC, ITV, Disney and Sky – but it’s her current role, as Senior Vice President of Kids & Family, Paramount UK & Ireland (Milkshake! Channel 5 & Nickelodeon), that sees her playing a hugely influential role in entertaining and educating another generation of kids – a role she...

"The value of listening" Given the chosen medium, I couldn't agree more with our guest in this episode, Neil Court. And, given Neil's career trajectory, there is no-one we should be listening more closely to! Early in his journalistic career Neil took an opportunity offered and didn't look back. That calculated and opportunistic risk taking has marked his career ever since, taking him from Managin...

A lotl to get through in this episode! Julian’s guest this week is the always inspiring, technology pushing, groundbreaking, cliché defying, Dan Fill of Dark Slope Studios in Toronto. Dan and his team have been rewriting how we conceive, produce and engage with entertainment for 7 years now but it’s also Dan’s career prior to Dark Slope that Julian digs into a little more, as well as exploring his...

With Cartoon Business taking place this week in Brussels, what better time to talk to one of European animations best known (and loved) faces but least known human, Vanessa Chapman. With a career that started at The Mirror newspaper and BBC Radio, Vanessa then moved into kids tv while at ITV. Sidelines in fire eating, rally driving and bob sledding notwithstanding, Vanessa has gone on to be come o...