All Lit Up! A Podcast for the Creative Industries

Lighthouse Studios
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ALL LIT UP is an entertaining new podcast from Lighthouse Studios for the creative industries and screen sectors. Hosted by Head Creative, Gilly Fogg. Each episode features a special guest who shares the secrets of their creative success, plus one short film they think everyone needs to see. Season One features directors, producers, writers and artists from right across the creative industries.

Episodes

  1. Maggie Kang & Chris Applehans | Making 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'

    3D AGO

    Maggie Kang & Chris Applehans | Making 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'

    Join Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans for a no-holds barred telling of what it took to make the smash hit of 2025, the glorious KPop Demon Hunters, which has just this week been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards! Maggie and Chris share the steps they took to push their film forward, when they had to push back instead, and how an idea pitched over brunch became a multi-million-dollar production. Hosted by interviewer extraordinaire, Gilly Fogg. Recorded in October 2025 MAGGIE KANG - DIRECTOR Maggie Kang is a director of Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters, which originated from her idea and is now streaming on Netflix. Kang began her career at DreamWorks Animation as a story artist on various projects including the Puss In Boots franchise and The Croods: A New Age, as well as Rise of the Guardians, Kung-Fu Panda 3, Trolls, Shrek Forever After, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Over the Hedge. Prior to joining Sony Animation, Kang contributed her talents as a story artist at Illumination Entertainment on Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Warner Animation Group, where she was Head of Story on The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Born in Seoul, Korea, Kang grew up in Toronto, Canada and attended Sheridan College where she studied classical animation. CHRIS APPELHANS - DIRECTOR Chris Appelhans is a director of Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters, now streaming on Netflix, with fellow director Maggie Kang. Appelhans wrote and directed Sony Pictures Animation’s 2021 animated feature film Wish Dragon, also streaming on Netflix. Prior to joining Sony Pictures Animation, Appelhans wrote and developed several original projects with major studios including Disney, Laika and Paramount. Appelhans began his career as a concept artist on animated hits such as The Princess and the Frog, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Monster House, before moving into production design on the stop-motion feature Coraline, which earned him an Annie Award nomination for his work on the film. Appelhans’ other credits include story artist and illustrator on The Little Prince and character designer on Rise of the Guardians. Appelhans studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design. He resides in Eagle Rock with his wife Maurene and their cat. _______________ All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    43 min
  2. Candy Guard | Creating Iconic Characters

    JAN 20

    Candy Guard | Creating Iconic Characters

    In Episode 7 of All Lit Up! we're talking with Candy Guard, creator of the iconic Pond Life. Find out what inspired Candy to move from fine art into animation, why she's inspired by female friendships, and how the transition to digital is really going for her. Plus - a hint at a menopausal Dolly? We can't wait for that! In each episode of All Lit Up! we ask our guests to recommend a short film to our listeners. Candy's choice was.... Hen His Wife / His Wife is a Chicken This 1990 Palme d'Or nominee for Best Short Film is from Igor Kovalyov and is about the relationship between a married couple, which shatters when a visitor reveals to the husband that his wife is secretly a hen. Watch Hen His Wife here! Candy Guard Writer, author, animator and director Candy Guard began her career with short animated films for Channel 4, the BBC and MTV - 'Alternative Fringe' (1988) 'Fatty Issues' (1988) 'Fantastic Person' (1990) and many others. Candy then created, wrote and directed 20 episodes of the cult animated series for Channel 4, 'Pond Life', overseeing 20 animators. She had a long running strip cartoon in the Observer magazine called P.T.O and her first novel 'Just A Little Disco on an Open-Top Bus.' was published by Penguin in 2006. Between 2012 and 20015 Macmillan published her series of books for 8 - 12-year olds, 'Turning to Jelly', 'Jelly Has a Wobble' and 'Jelly Breaks the Mould.' Candy was given a grant by the BFI in 2022 as part of their Short Form Animation Fund to make her film, 'She's My Best Friend (And I Hate Her)'. She was dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century and managed to learn the animation programme, TV Paint, in order to make her film (with the help of a wonderful little crew). Learning TV Paint, and the sound recording programme, Audacity, allowed Candy to get back to what she did at the start of her career - making short animations in a simple style doing all the production herself, including the voices, except now on a Wacom Cintiq instead of paper! Candy has a YouTube Channel, 'Dolly Pond - Fantastic Lifestyle Channel', where you can watch all her work including her new mini films. Candy is currently writing her 4th Novel, 'The Butchers and The Bakers.' She lives in South East London with her husband the animation director and illustrator Robin Shaw and their rescue dog, Bernie. Find Dolly Pond's Fantastic Lifestyle YouTube Channel here! Find Candy on Instagram here! All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    21 min
  3. Michael Rose | 'The Gruffalo' and Adapting with Integrity

    JAN 13

    Michael Rose | 'The Gruffalo' and Adapting with Integrity

    In episode 6 of All Lit Up! we're talking to MICHAEL ROSE, cofounder of Magic Light Pictures. the studio behind THE GRUFFALO and CHICO AND RITA. Join Michael and Gilly as they discuss finding the perfect IP to adapt and how to go about securing the rights. Plus, hear Michael and Gilly discuss the Nick Park Oscar winning short, Creature Comforts. Creature Comforts Nick Park's 1989 Academy Award® winning short film, Creature Comforts features a series of interviews with the animals in an English zoo. Used to open spaces and sunnier climates, they comment on accommodation, diet and of course – the English weather! The short film premiered in 1989 on Channel Four as part of a series called Lip Synch. The series was ground-breaking, using real recorded voices with animated characters. Later Creature Comforts also went across the pond to the USA where the unique format was used once again to tell real-life stories from people in America. Watch Creature Comforts here! MICHAEL ROSE Michael Rose is joint CEO and co-founder of Magic Light Pictures. Michael began his career programming and running independent cinemas in Plymouth and Bristol before moving into television, where he spent four years at Channel Four as a buyer of international programming. In the mid-1990s, Michael joined the renowned Aardman Animations as Head of Development. There, he played a key role in growing the studio, launching its feature film division and serving as Executive Producer on hit films Chicken Run and the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, both produced with DreamWorks. Earlier in his Aardman career, he produced Nick Park’s Oscar-winning A Close Shave, as well as two other Oscar-nominated shorts, Humdrum and Wat’s Pig. His television credits there include Rex the Runt and the pioneering web series Angry Kid. He has won two individual BAFTA awards for his producing work. In 2003, Michael founded Magic Light Pictures with fellow producer Martin Pope. Since then, the company has built a worldwide reputation for creating distinctive, high-quality entertainment for children and families. Michael has produced a string of successful productions including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Zog, Revolting Rhymes, The Snail and the Whale, Chico and Rita, Pip and Posy, and most recently Tabby McTat. The company oversees not only production, but licensing, global distribution and marketing. Its work has been nominated for four Oscars, and won five Baftas, five International Emmys and two Children’s and Family Emmys. Beyond animation, Michael’s producing credits include feature films Wild Target, starring Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt; Sparkle starring Stockard Channing, Bob Hoskins and Shaun Evans; and wildlife documentary One Life, narrated by Daniel Craig. In 2024 Michael was awarded the OBE for services to animation. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    21 min
  4. Kevin Lima | Seeing Through Different Lenses

    JAN 6

    Kevin Lima | Seeing Through Different Lenses

    In episode 5 of All Lit Up! we're chatting with Kevin Lima, director of the Disney classics Tarzan and A Goofy Movie. Find out what advice Glenn Close gave Kevin and how it changed his life; how he asks for what he wants (and knows he can handle); and why he fought for Amy Adams. Plus, Kevin and Gilly have a conversation on the short clip from Enchanted, 'Happy Little Working Song'. Please note: This episode was recorded during the Kilkenny Animated festival in October 2025, before the tragic passing of director and producer, Rob Reiner, whose film The Princess Bride is referenced in this interview. Happy Little Working Song - Enchanted Find the clip here! About Kevin Lima KEVIN LIMA traces his fascination with animation to seeing Disney’s Jungle Book in 1967, when at the film’s end, he told his mother, “I’m going to make that when I grow up.” Lima was true to his word and after graduating from the California Institute of the Arts worked on many of the films of the Disney’s renaissance including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin before taking the director’s chair on A Goofy Movie and Tarzan. In 2000, Kevin made his live-action feature film debut with 102 Dalmatians, then the TV movies Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime for which he won the Director’s Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs. His film, Enchanted was the joyous culmination of all of Lima’s filmmaking experiences in live-action and animation. Currently, Kevin and his wife, Brenda Chapman, the Academy Award winning director of The Prince of Egypt and Brave, have combined their talents, developing and writing a slate of diverse projects across all media and platforms. Lima is represented by David Saunders at IAG and Farhad Amid at McKuin Frankel Whitehead LLP. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    22 min
  5. Sarah Wallendjack | How To Pitch to PBS

    12/23/2025

    Sarah Wallendjack | How To Pitch to PBS

    In Episode 4, Sarah Wallendjack shares PBS's open-door policy for creative pitches and what it is that the team looks for - other than a great story, of course! Plus, a departure from our usual short film discussion, as Sarah and Gilly take a look at the story-led gaming app, Florence. Florence At 25, Florence Yeoh feels a little stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world. Experience every beat of Florence and Krish’s relationship through a series of bespoke gameplay vignettes – from flirting to fighting, from helping each other grow... to growing apart. Drawing inspiration from ‘slice of life’ graphic novels and webcomics, Florence is intimate, raw and personal. Read more or download HERE! About Sarah Wallendjack Sarah Wallendjack is an Emmy award-winning Executive Producer with a 20+ year career developing and creating impactful children’s content. Prior to joining PBS KIDS as the Senior Director of Content Development, Sarah served as Vice President of Development and Production at 9 Story Media Group where she Co-Created Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures, having worked her way up to Executive Producer working across 103 episodes over three seasons of the original series. She also developed and Executive Produced Netflix’s Charlie’s Colorforms City, and served as the Supervising Producer on five seasons of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. A leader in the industry, Sarah was the President of the Children’s Media Association and is passionate about fostering the next generation of children’s media makers. In her free time, Sarah enjoys scuba diving, synchronized swimming, sewing a handmade wardrobe, the Muppets, and making things. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    22 min
  6. Mackinnon & Saunders | Crafting by Hand & Working with Tim Burton

    12/16/2025

    Mackinnon & Saunders | Crafting by Hand & Working with Tim Burton

    Ian Mackinnon & Peter Saunders discuss building their world-famous stop motion studio out of necessity, how a soup spoon transformed the Corpse Bride, and their long-established relationship with Tim Burton. Plus, not one but TWO short film choices - we are spoiled with this one! Harvey Krumpet Harvey Krumpet is the 2004 Academy Award winning short film by Adam Elliott and the biography of a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck. Watch HARVEY KRUMPET here! The Mask In a world where everyone has masks, a couple always wears smiles for each other. One day he loses his smile outside, and she is waiting for him. By Hyoung-Min Choi. Watch THE MASK here! About Mackinnon & Saunders Ian and Peter are co-founders of Mackinnon & Saunders, the world-renowned leaders in character development for animation and producers of stop motion and 2D digital animation. Over 3 decades the team at Mackinnon & Saunders have brought some of the best-known animated characters to life for movies and TV series. The team have crafted puppets for Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox, Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks!, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar winning Pinocchio for Netflix. The Mackinnon & Saunders studio produce the animation for countless projects, including The House, Postman Pat, Twirlywoos, Raa Raa the Noisy Lion, and most recently animated sequences for Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    20 min
  7. Brenda Chapman | Getting to the Heart of the Story on 'Brave'

    12/09/2025

    Brenda Chapman | Getting to the Heart of the Story on 'Brave'

    Brenda Chapman tells the incredible story of her life and career to date, from being roped into directing her first major studio feature to how becoming a mother led her to create the Academy Award winning feature, BRAVE. Featuring a Discussion on the Frédéric Back short, The Man Who Planted Trees. The Man who Planted Trees The Man who Planted Trees is the 1988 Academy Award winning story of a shepherd's single handed quest to re-forest a barren valley. Directed by Frédéric Back. Watch THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES here! About Brenda Chapman BRENDA CHAPMAN started her career as a story artist at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1987, where she worked on several animated films including The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Oscar nominated Beauty and the Beast. Brenda was the story supervisor on the original The Lion King, for which she won ASIFA’s Annie Award. Brenda then helped launch DreamWorks Animation Studios, and co-directed the 1998 release of the Oscar winning Prince of Egypt. She also developed several projects at DWA and consulted on Shrek, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron among others. Joining Pixar Animation Studios in September 2003, Brenda created, wrote and directed Brave – inspired by her relationship with her daughter – for which she won an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. Her live-action debut, Come Away, starring David Oyelowo and Angelina Jolie, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

    21 min
  8. Steve Levy | Pushing Boundaries & 'Rick and Morty' Fan Theories

    12/02/2025

    Steve Levy | Pushing Boundaries & 'Rick and Morty' Fan Theories

    Steve Levy talks gross cartoons, comfort television, fan theories and his favourite short film, 'Rejected', by Don Hertzfeldt. Rejected 'Rejected' is Don Hertzfeldt's 2001 Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short Film, featuring a collection of animated television commercials that were rejected because of their creator's failing grip on sanity. Watch REJECTED here! About Steve Levy Steve Levy is the Vice President and Executive Producer at Dan Harmon’s company, Harmonious Claptrap, where they are producing: multiple seasons of RICK AND MORTY; the Fox animated comedy KRAPOPOLIS, which has already been renewed for a fifth season; the soon to be released HAUNTED HOTEL for Netflix and; the highly anticipated COMMUNITY movie. All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production. Follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes. Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire LinkedIn:

    21 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

ALL LIT UP is an entertaining new podcast from Lighthouse Studios for the creative industries and screen sectors. Hosted by Head Creative, Gilly Fogg. Each episode features a special guest who shares the secrets of their creative success, plus one short film they think everyone needs to see. Season One features directors, producers, writers and artists from right across the creative industries.

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