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Since 1994, Brown Bag Films have produced cutting edge animation for the international market, bagging numerous awards along the way.
This timeline tells our story.

    1994…

    Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O’Connell drop out of college; borrow £2,000 and found Brown Bag Films. We produce our first series for RTÉ, a satire on Ireland’s notorious author Peig. This is produced with hand-painted cels and shot on 35mm film.

    1995…

    We move to the first floor of an old Georgian house off Gardiner Street. Still using an electric typewriter and awaiting the advent of the internet, we produce a few commercials and illustrations.

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    1996…

    Trying our hand at everything from short films to CD Rom games and commercials, Brown Bag Films produce service animation for ITV series Wolves, Witches & Giants and scramble around trying to develop shows. Darragh ends up in Russia producing animation on a CD Rom Game.

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    1997…

    We move to a dodgy building at the back of a fast food restaurant.  An investment in computers is finally made and Ireland’s first digital ink-and-paint work station, Animo, finds its way to Brown Bag Films. We work on the Warner Bros feature film The King & I, coordinating European animation with LA via the internet (a 56K modem!). Barstool and Taxi (RTÉ) are produced and the commercial business is beginning to grow.

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    1998…

    We produce Why? For RTÉ which goes on to sell in over 100 countries worldwide.

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    1999…

    Our short film The Last Elk, directed by Alan Shannon, is released and goes on to win  numerous international awards. We start to dip our toes into some very crude computer animation.

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    2000…

    Having avoided being annihilated by the Millennium Bug we continue to produce high-quality commercials for a growing number of clients.

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    2001…

    We begin work on Give Up Yer Aul Sins, which is a short film based on rediscovered tapes from the 1960’s of Dublin schoolchildren retelling bible stories to their teacher.

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    2002…

    We receive our first Oscar® nomination for Give Up Yer Aul Sins. The subsequent series becomes the highest-selling Irish DVD ever.

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    2003…

    We invest in our own post production facilities and move to a nicer premises at the back of a hotel. We produce the short film, The Boy Who Had No Story and the Tales Wot I Know series for ITV.

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    2004…

    Our commercials business is thriving and we do work for Coca Cola, The National Lottery, Aer Lingus and other clients as far away as Dubai and Beirut, where Darragh meets his future wife. We continue to invest in technology and in-house post production yet we firmly remain a hand-drawn animation company.

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    2005…

    We produce short film, Ding Dong Denny’s History of Ireland.  We begin work on a music video for rock giants Oasis. Five-minute-long The Masterplan is voted best Oasis video of all time by fans.

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    2006…

    We produce 52 episodes of I’m an Animal for RTÉ and the Irish Film Board. It has since been sold to 160 countries worldwide. We also have our first major international breakthrough with Wobblyland (HIT Entertainment/ Nickelodeon UK); a pre-school animation series based on director Cat Little’s student film.  We produce the first season of Nicky Phelan’s Crap Rap for RTÉ.

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    2007…

    We start work on our first 3D animation series Olivia for Chorion & Nickelodeon US. Halfway through production we also commence work on Noddy in Toyland. We move into a state-of-the-art new studio in Smithfield. We produce another season of Crap Rap as well as Bronagh O’Hanlon’s teen show Teenology and David McCamley's preschool series Grabby Bag for RTÉ.

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    2008…

    We begin work on Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, directed by Nicky Phelan. Olivia premieres on Nickelodeon US. This is followed by the premiere of Enid Blyton’s gazillion-selling classic, Noddy in Toyland on FIVE UK and France Televisions (where it is known as Oui-Oui).

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    2009…

    Brown Bag Films are named European Producer of the Year at the Cartoon Forum in Norway.  We begin production on a second series of Olivia and new series The Octonauts for Chorion/BBC. To put total focus on our growing TV business we close down our commercials division.

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    2010…

    Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty nets us our second Oscar® nomination for Best Animated Short. We open offices in LA to explore feature and transmedia production. Our second series of Olivia airs on Nickelodeon US. The Octonauts premieres on CBeebies and within three months is the top-rated pre-school show on the channel. Shortly afterwards it premieres on ABC Australia where it is also a huge hit.

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    2011…

    We premiere Darragh’s latest short film, 23 Degrees, 5 Minutes, voiced by John Hurt. We begin production on Doc McStuffins – the first show commissioned by newly-rebranded Disney Junior US. The Octonauts is nominated for a Bafta. We begin production on our own original series, The Happy Hugglemonsters, based on a book by Niamh Sharkey, for Disney Junior US.

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    2012…

    In March, Doc McStuffins premieres on Disney Junior and breaks rating records for the most watched pre-school premiere ever. It immediately becomes the No 1 pre-school show in the U.S.A. We continue production on The Happy Hugglemonsters and a second season of The Octonauts, and are joined by a very special new staff member - Toby the Studio Dog!