Joint MD and co-founder of Magic Light Pictures which makes imaginative entertainment for audiences, families and children worldwide. The company directly manages production, licensing, global distribution and marketing and runs an international merchandising programme with hundreds of licensees and products. Famous for creating award winning, Oscar nominated film The Gruffalo, based on the best-selling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Recent productions… Show more Joint MD and co-founder of Magic Light Pictures which makes imaginative entertainment for audiences, families and children worldwide. The company directly manages production, licensing, global distribution and marketing and runs an international merchandising programme with hundreds of licensees and products. Famous for creating award winning, Oscar nominated film The Gruffalo, based on the best-selling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Recent productions include BBC1 Christmas animated specials: The Smeds and the Smoos, Superworm, Zog and the Flying Doctors; Multiple BAFTA winning The Snail and the Whale; Emmy winning Zog; Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes; Stick Man; Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning Room on the Broom. Magic Light’s first animated preschool series, the BAFTA nominated, Pip and Posy (104 x 7’) first aired in 2021 to great acclaim and with No 1 ratings on Channel Five/Milkshake! and Sky Kids. The second series premiered in 2023. A full licensing programme launches in Spring 2024. Magic Light has also produced an educational spin-off series Pip and Posy Let's Learn, (26 x 5') for Sky Kids.Recently completed is animated special Tabby McTat that will premiere this Christmas on BBC One. A slate of other titles are in development.Earlier Magic Light productions include Chico and Rita, an animated feature which was nominated for an Oscar and won the 2011 European Film Award. Show less

Prior to forming Magic Light, Michael headed up the feature film division of UK studio Aardman Animations. He was executive producer of their animated features Chicken Run and the Oscar and BAFTA winning Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit. He also produced Nick Park's 1995 Oscar winning Wallace and Gromit film, A Close Shave.Before joining Aardman in 1994, Michael was a programme buyer at Channel Four Television. He started his career programming art house cinemas in Plymouth… Show more Prior to forming Magic Light, Michael headed up the feature film division of UK studio Aardman Animations. He was executive producer of their animated features Chicken Run and the Oscar and BAFTA winning Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit. He also produced Nick Park's 1995 Oscar winning Wallace and Gromit film, A Close Shave.Before joining Aardman in 1994, Michael was a programme buyer at Channel Four Television. He started his career programming art house cinemas in Plymouth and Bristol. Show less