Yellow Mouse Studios
Based in Exeter, with clients around the world, Yellow Mouse Studios create 2D, 3D and stop motion animations for business, education, music, media and charity. We speak to co-founder Dan Willers about all things animation, opportunity, and working across a variety of sectors.
What do you do?
As a studio we create 2D, 3D and stop motion animations for business, education, music, media and charity. We try to offer a unique, memorable and quirky creative solutions which stand out, particularly from the normal explainer-type animations that are used in business advertising and training.
How did you get started?
Yellow Mouse Studios Ltd is an award-winning animation studio that we started in 2015 to promote creative animation in Devon and the South West, and champion young animator development outside of the major animation hubs in the UK. Since opening our doors, we have been able to mentor young people developing their careers in animation throughout Devon and Cornwall, and have had the opportunity to support many underrepresented minorities in the animation industry – women, LGBT+, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
We (co-Founders Dan Willers and Katie-Jane Stewart) both grew up in C2DE households, but through our creative voices have used the struggles and challenges to help form and develop our creative practices, highlighting the importance of education, in whatever form that takes. Dan, as the creative lead, offers experience that has been gained from working in TV, film and advertising for BAFTA and Emmy nominated/award winning documentary productions, whilst Katie brings a theatrical directorial eye, and a passion for storytelling, and has spent many years working in a training setting.
Since opening our doors, as well as creating our own animated content we have worked with organisations ranging from the BBC to the National Trust, brands such as Sony and researchers based at the universities of Exeter and Cambridge.
Still from a BBC-commissioned animation on the topic of copyright. Worked on by the YMS team in 2023. (C) BBC and Yellow Mouse Studios.
Who do you work with and why?
We work across all industries that are looking for a creative solution to get their message across. That may be an iconic music artist such as Joni Mitchell or a medical supplier to the NHS. When it comes to our experience of working on animations that have a science/social/ human rights voice, the following are some of the diverse projects we have been a part of:
pharmaceutical company Pfizer, on creating content that helps educate GPs and health professionals about drugs new to the market and how to administer them.
the Pakistani Government on a 2D animated project that introduced and championed Ehsaas, Pakistan’s biggest poverty alleviation program.
5-times New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris as he wanted to promote his wellbeing work and ‘Waking Up’ app
SafeToNet, a real time digital safeguarding tool for children that helps prevent sexting, bullying, abuse and aggression
Wildlife Trust’s ‘Feed the Birds’, which is a befriending scheme that seeks to work with pockets of society that feel lonely and isolated
‘Intercity Voices’ for Pan Intercultural Arts, an organisation that explores cultural diversity through the arts and how such work can inspire and implement social change
Name one thing that would make your life easier as an artist.
Working with local animators rather than those based further afield. It is for this reason we are strong advocates of developing local talent, particularly graduates from the Arts University Plymouth. We are also in early talks with providers around T Levels and we are setting up a Devon animation network to help form a community.
And what keeps you going when things get tough?
The privilege of being able to do something we love. Since childhood, we have both wanted to work in the creative industries, and being able to pursue that, and have successes, no matter how small, keeps us going when things get tough.
Talk us through a favourite project.
Our favourite project to date has been ‘1000 Years of History at Dunster Castle’. Although not our biggest, it was a great experience to work with the team at Dunster, visit and find out about the castle's history and employ a team of local animators, a voice artist and a writer that grew up in Devon. It really was the blueprint for the perfect project where personal interests and business goals came together.
A still from a Joni Mitchell Animation created for an online documentary article. Worked on by the YMS team 2021 (C) YMS
What does the next year look like for you?
We have recently been accepted onto the Creative UK Growth Programme for Devon. Through this we want to grow our own creative IP projects, allowing us to become a sustainable creative business in Devon, that can employ local animators and creative talent. As AI becomes more prevalent in the creative arts industry, it is important that we take charge of our own destiny. This we already started in 2022 when we launched our first in-house project, ‘Science Dunn’, a collaboration into educational animated content for young teens. Working directly with Mr (Ben) Dunn, we’ve created a series of animated and illustrated bite-sized science facts. The next step is to grow this and fill a gap in children's entertainment, where animation educates and entertains.
What’s been the best moment for you in the last year?
We were directly commissioned by BBC ‘Own it’ to create 3 animations. This was the first step on our journey into educational animations and developing our own IP. It showed us that what we were doing, albeit at a very early stage, was being recognised by one of the UKs best known organisations, and since that moment has fuelled our desire to push further.
In what ways are you helping to put Exeter on the cultural map, nationally or internationally?
Collaborations with the local educational settings, creating an animation community as well as working with various organisations around the world. Our animations are soon to be a part of a TED talk that will be shown to people around the world.
Still from the 1000 years of history in 5 minutes animation for the National Trust at Dunster Castle. Worked on by the YMS team in 2023. (C) YMS
What if ….?
…we achieve our goals in developing an animation community and workforce that is recognised for the animated content it produces. Whether that is a charity project, research, short film etc… but something that helps put Exeter on the map as a hub of animation creativity.
How do we find out more?
Our Website | Yellow Mouse Studios Ltd | Exeter, Devon, UK
Yellow Mouse Studios Ltd - YouTube
@yellowmousestudios) - Instagram
Yellow Mouse Studios Ltd - LinkedIn
Coming soon: We have some music video animations coming out soon as well as some more National Trust and charity animations. So keep an eye out on our social media to see what Yellow Mouse Studios has been up to.