Paper Panther

What Paper Panther does

Paper Panther is an award-winning stopmotion animation studio founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2014 by director Carol Freeman. The studio produces bespoke animation content using classical techniques including paint-on-glass animation, stopmotion with mixed materials (felt, paper cut-outs, puppets, cottonball clouds), and digital 2D illustrated animation executed in Photoshop and After Effects, with Dragonframe used for stopmotion capture control. The studio serves enterprise clients across four primary verticals — film and broadcast, advertising and brands, education and online content, and entertainment — with a roster that includes BBC Ideas, TEDEd, Nesta, Dulux, Eason's, Texaco, Peppa Pig/HP Printables, and Irish local government bodies (Wexford and Waterford County Councils).

The studio's portfolio includes the debut paint-on-glass short film 'The Bird and the Whale' (comprising over 4,300 A1 oil paintings produced over 13 months by a five-person team, which has earned 50+ awards and screened at Santa Barbara, Anima Mundi, and Clermont-Ferrand festivals), TEDEd educational animations on mythology and history, BBC Ideas series including 'History of the Universe in 4 Minutes' and 'Life in 2039', and commercial campaigns for Dulux, Eason's, and Texaco. The studio is currently developing its first stopmotion feature film, 'The Lost Queen', based on Irish legend.

Paper Panther operates on a project-based professional services model with custom commissioning and no publicly disclosed standard pricing. Revenue is generated through bespoke animation deliverables rather than packaged products or recurring subscriptions. The studio is founder-owned and privately held, with no disclosed external investment, funding rounds, parent companies, or institutional ownership structures. The core team of approximately five people includes Carol Freeman (Founder and Director), Chris Hees (In-house Producer, BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee), Kristina Yee (Script Writer, with credits on Nickelodeon and Disney shows), Katie Sherlock (Lead Animator and Concept Artist), Ciara Nolan (Animator), and Chris McLoughlin (Award-winning Composer).

Name

Paper Panther

Legal name

Paper Panther

Website

https://paperpanther.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paper Panther is a Dublin-based stopmotion animation studio founded in 2014 that produces bespoke animation for BBC, TEDEd, Dulux, and other enterprise clients across film, advertising, television, and online content using classical techniques.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation (MPAHACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stop-Motion Animation Production (MPADACAC), Animation Production (2D/3D/Stop-Motion) (MPAAAMAD), 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA)

Keywords

• Stop motion animation
• Digital 2D animation
• Animation production services
• Commercial animation studio
• Short film animation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Animation Services: Animation studio creates bespoke stopmotion and 2D animation content for clients across film, advertising, television and online content sectors. Revenue generated through project-based commissions for specific client deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Paper Panther is an award-winning animation studio that produces stop motion and digital 2D animation for clients in advertising, television, film, and online content. Services include commissioned brand animations, festival-distributed short films, and development of original animated features such as "The Lost Queen," utilizing techniques including stop motion and paint-on-glass animation alongside digital tools such as After Effects and Dragonframe.

Product overview

Paper Panther is an award-winning animation studio offering stop motion and digital 2D animation production services for film, advertising, television, and online content. Their core offering is custom animation production, complemented by original short films including The Bird and the Whale and The Lost Queen feature film in development. They create educational content for BBC Ideas and TED-Ed, and produce commercial advertising for brands such as Dulux, Eason's, and Peppa Pig. The studio specializes in classical animation techniques including paint-on-glass, stop motion, and hand-crafted 2D animation with a unique visual style.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bird and the Whale Animated short film produced by Paper Panther exploring narrative themes through animation, receiving festival recognition and contributing to the studio's independent animation reputation.
• The Lost Queen Feature-length animated project currently in development by Paper Panther, expanding the studio's original IP pipeline beyond short film and commissioned work.
• Stop motion animation services Commissioned stop motion animation production for advertising, television, online, and film clients including the BBC, TEDEd, Dulux, Eason's, Texaco, and Peppa Pig.
• Digital 2D animation services Commissioned digital 2D animation production for brand, broadcast, and online content clients, delivered using digital tools and compositing pipelines.
• Paint-on-glass animation Specialist classical animation technique offered by Paper Panther as part of its creative service portfolio, distinguishing the studio from purely digital competitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 awards and nominations received for debut short film
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BBC IdeascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated multiple animated series for BBC Ideas including 'Life in 2039' with Nesta and 'History of the Universe in 4 minutes'. These educational content partnerships represent ongoing creative collaboration with BBC's digital education platform.
• NestacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created 'Life in 2039' series with BBC Ideas and Nesta (UK innovation foundation). The series explores future scenarios and has been highly successful with viewers.
• TEDEdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership creating educational animation content for TEDEd's 'Everything you Need to Know' series and Myths & Legends series. Created videos including 'Táin Bò Cuailnge', 'Ulysses', 'Oisín', and 'Celts'.
• Windmill LaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Windmill Lane (Irish creative studio) on Eason's Christmas campaign stopmotion advertisement.
• HP PrintablesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated stopmotion Peppa Pig content for HP Printables platform, working with Edelman US and Noble600.
• Edelman USminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency for Peppa Pig HP Printables project.
• Noble600minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency partner for Peppa Pig HP Printables project.
• Wexford and Waterford County CouncilsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommissioned anti-food waste educational video campaign released in Irish cinemas in January 2018, including information packs and colouring books for schools.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Framestore: Global VFX and animation studio with offices in London and beyond, producing commercials, film VFX, and immersive content. Comparable in commissioned advertising and film work, but operates at vastly larger scale across CGI and VFX.
• Laika: Oregon-based stop-motion feature film studio (Coraline, Kubo). Comparable in stop-motion specialization and award-winning craft, but operates at significantly larger scale and is focused exclusively on theatrical features.

Regional players

• Jam Media: Dublin-based animation and interactive content studio producing children's series (e.g., 'Pablo', 'Jessy & Nessy'). Comparable Irish animation peer serving broadcasters and educational platforms with bespoke animated commissions.
• Kavaleer Productions: Dublin-based animation studio producing 2D and children's animated series (e.g., 'Kiva Can Do' co-produced with Paper Panther's scriptwriter Kristina Yee). Comparable as an Irish-headquartered animation studio working with international broadcasters.
• Brown Bag Films: Dublin-based 2D/3D animation studio (acquired by 9 Story Media Group) producing children's animated series. Comparable as an Irish animation house working with global broadcasters, though larger and more CG-focused than Paper Panther.

Direct peers

• Lupus Films: UK stop-motion studio behind 'The Snowman and the Snowdog' and 'Ethel & Ernest'. Comparable as a boutique stop-motion studio producing both TV specials and branded commissions with classical techniques.
• Cartoon Saloon: Irish animation studio (Kilkenny) producing hand-drawn feature films (Wolfwalkers, The Secret of Kells) and commissioned work. Comparable in craft-led Irish animation roots, Oscar-nominated pedigree, and feature film pipeline — a clear direct peer in market positioning.
• Aardman Animations: Bristol-based stop-motion animation studio famous for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Creature Comforts. Closest comparable to Paper Panther in stop-motion specialty and commissioned-content work for brands and broadcasters.
• Studio AKA: London-based independent animation studio working across stop-motion, 2D, and mixed-media commissions for advertising and broadcast. Closely comparable in multi-technique bespoke service model and brand/advertising client roster.

Emerging players

• Moth Collective: Independent London-based animation collective producing award-winning short films and commissioned animations with distinctive mixed-media aesthetics. Comparable as a small craft-led studio blending stop-motion and digital techniques for premium brand clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PaperPanther
• Facebookfacebook.com/PaperPantherProductions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paper-panther-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paper Panther