New multidisciplinary production studio boasts a global collective of directors and artists using a story-first approach to deliver content across animation, live-action, VFX and immersive media for advertising, TV, and film.
Creative Leader Ryan Dunn has launched Dunwell, a multidisciplinary production studio delivering content across animation, live-action, VFX, and immersive media.
Headquarteed in Chicago with an operational hub in New York City, the studio has launched with a team of directors and artists with expertise spanning commercials, TV, feature films, digital experiences, and brand storytelling across various mediums. Dunnwell is built on a foundation of collaboration and artistic integrity, seeking to put storytelling first and style second.
Dunn honed his craft in design, motion graphics, and animation at studios like Blind and Digital Kitchen before moving to Nike as an Art Director in Brand Design. After years leading creatives at Vitamin Pictures, Ladies & Gentlemen, and Charlex, Dunn recognized the time was right to open his own operation.
“It became clear that building my own studio was the best way to take my work, vision, and ambition to the next level,” said Dunn. “The industry is changing rapidly, and I want to be part of this new frontier and all the potential it holds for new ways of telling brand and character stories.”
“Every job is unique in its needs,” continued Dunn. “We’re positioned like a team of ninjas who can deploy a full CG pipeline for one client and a live-action-meets-cel-animation production for the next. It takes strong direction and creative vision to move between mediums, but at Dunnwell, we put stories and ideas ahead of technique—so the further into any given collaboration we journey, the more confident we can be in delivering something great, regardless of the tools used.”
Dunnwell’s team includes illustrator and character designer Bruno Mangyoku; high-end VFX artist Danil Krivoruchko (AKA Myshli); character designer Max Kostenko; creative director and graphic designer Sebastian Onufszak; CG director Paul McMahon (AKA The Rusted Pixel); five-quadrant and animation director Anne Calandre; and sculptor, fabricator, and stop-motion animator Taili Wu (AKA Monster Shaper).
Explaining the studio’s approach, Dunn said, “When ‘storytelling’ is the word we pin to the wall as our organizing principle, it’s only natural to want to find as many ways to tell those stories as possible. Advertising is a story business; a product launch for a new laptop, basketball shoe, or cereal flavor seeks a memorable visual hook or metaphor that makes you want to buy it. Story is everywhere. Long-form storytelling—episodic television, films, short films, webisodes, title design, social media initiatives, video game promotion—all involve a narrative thread that pulls the audience in closer. We want to pursue storytelling in all its forms: short, long, whatever.”
New projects across advertising, branded content, and original storytelling are already in development.
Source: Dunnwell
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
