Q&A: Animator and Director Nora Twomey

Originally from Cork, Nora Twomey attended Ballyfermot College here in Dublin and graduated with a degree in Animation. After graduation, Nora worked for Brown Bag Films and co-founded her own animation studio, Cartoon Saloon. Since then, Nora has achieved great successes in animation, directing, and screenwriting. In this interview, we discuss her career history and tips for budding filmmakers.

Q. Hey Nora, thanks so much for joining us today. We’re going start at the beginning. Can you talk a little about your time in school and what it was like to study animation in uni?

A. Thanks for having me! Wow, we’re going way back… so I actually never received my Leaving Cert. I worked in a factory near Cork until I realized that I wanted to attend uni. I applied on a whim to Ballyfermot College because I knew I wanted to be in Dublin. Studying animation was the best foundation for me. I have always been artistic, but at Ballyfermot I completely honed my skills and developed professionalism as well.

Q. Your first job after graduation was at Brown Bag Films, a Canadian-owned studio here in Dublin. Can you tell us about that? How did you get that role?

A. One of my animation professors had a connection to Brown Bag and referred me to their recruiter. This was in 1995, mind you, so animation capabilities and technology back then was nothing like it is today. However, from the beginning the studio had an incredibly high level of talent and work being produced, so I was surrounded by the best and brightest minds every day. My first big assignment there was working on The King and I, which was co-produced with Warner Brothers studios. I mean, talk about pressure! No, but it was great. I still have very fond memories of my time there. It was complete immersion in how the business side of film and animation works. I still maintain close relationships with friends I worked with at Brown Bag.

Q. In 1999, you left Dublin for Kilkenny, to create your own animation studio, Cartoon Saloon. Tell us about that process.

A. I had known for a while that I wanted go off on my own. A lot of people thought I was crazy, especially because I was so young and had barely been out of school for 5 years. But I was talking with my close friends (and co-founders!) Tomm Moore and Paul Young, and the three of us realized that we all had a similar vision in terms of creative direction. We had been classmates at Ballyfermot, so we had received the same training. We initially wanted to rent a space in Dublin and create the studio here, but rent was too expensive! Even in 1999, ha ha.

Everyone tells you that entrepreneurship is difficult, but you never really know until you do it. We got very lucky very early, fortunately. The same year we founded the studio, we started working on our first feature film, The Secret of Kells. Animation takes a very long time, so it was released 10 years later, in 2009. We received our first Academy Award nomination for it! Unfortunately we lost, but the entire process was such a great learning experience. I am very proud of all the work that my studio has produced in the last 20 years.

Q. After such a long and illustrious career, do you have any advice for budding filmmakers or anyone looking to work in the industry?

A. I don’t want to sound cliché, but network, network, network. Your network is everything! Go to local premieres and events with film industry professionals. I think today, not everyone necessarily needs to go to school. With the internet, you can learn everything and anything. Be social, demonstrate your interest, and be willing to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work.