Gilly Fogg has been with Irish animation studio Lighthouse Studios since its inception in 2017, first joining as Series Director before taking on the position of Showrunner in February of 2021. A few short months later, Gilly was appointed to a newly created position within the Kilkenny-based studio - that of Head Creative. Today, Gilly is the ‘creative guardian’ of every project and is responsible for creatively overseeing the studio’s original IP development and service project slates.

Throughout her time at Lighthouse Studios, Gilly has directed El Deafo for Apple TV+ (released in January to critical acclaim) and Bug Diaries for Amazon Prime. She has also provided creative oversight on the animation tests that won the projects currently in production, including The Cuphead Show! for Netflix, which premieres on February 18. She is currently serving as showrunner on another series in development with a major SVOD, which Gilly successfully pitched in 2019 alongside Lighthouse Managing Director, Claire Finn. Gilly is also working closely with the showrunner of the studio’s first adult targeted owned-IP, a gritty animated crime drama loosely based on real events at the turn of the millennium in Ireland. Additionally, she has been overseeing the studio’s short film programme, an initiative that offers Lighthouse employees the opportunity to flex their creative muscle and submit an original concept, with the top pick to be developed and produced by the studio. A creator herself, Gilly is also currently writing an original work, which explores inter-generational relationships in a changing world.

What Gilly enjoys most in the creative process is working closely with people and building long-lasting creative relationships. She values the time spent mentoring up and coming directors at Lighthouse Studios and collaborating with Claire Finn, whose vision inspires the entire team to bring to life projects that entertain audiences across the globe. 

Prior to joining Lighthouse, Gilly worked as Series Director for DHX Media on productions such as Wishenpoof for Amazon Prime with Angela Santemero and Wendy Harris; Space Ranger Roger; and three seasons of Animal Mechanicals for Canada’s CBC. Previously, she worked for HIT Entertainment for eight years, starting as a stop-motion animator and then serving for four years as an episodic director for the hit series, Bob the Builder. 

Gilly began her entertainment career during university as a puppeteer, touring Scotland with the Perfect Chaos theatre company. Following university, she received an internship at Studio Jiri Trnka in Prague, studying all aspects of traditional animation under Vlasta Pospislova. Gilly received a degree in Film & Theatre Studies and English Literature at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and studied film at Queen’s University in Canada.