Animating 'Tales from Outer Suburbia'

Tales from Outer Suburbia is a bold new animated series from Highly Spirited and Flying Bark Productions that reimagines storytelling through striking visual design and layered, imaginative narratives.

The production process behind this series offers valuable insights for emerging creatives, providing inspiration for students of animation, filmmaking, design and visual arts. Explore how story development, illustration and adaptation converge to create compelling screen stories.

Join the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) and ACMI for a special panel discussion with:

• Shaun Tan, Creative Producer
• Noel Cleary, Series Director
• Sophie Byrne, Producer
• Moderated by Paul Gartside, ACTF Development Manager

Important information

This event is suitable for:

• University students studying animation, filmmaking, design and visual arts
• Years 10 - 12 Media Arts and Visual Arts students
• Early-career industry professionals

Can’t join us in person? Register on the ACTF website to watch the panel live online or to receive a link so you can enjoy the recording whenever it suits you .

Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan is an internationally acclaimed artist, author and filmmaker whose works include The Arrival, The Rabbits and Tales from Outer Suburbia. His Academy Award-winning short film The Lost Thing and numerous literary honours cement his reputation as one of the most influential voices in visual narrative.

Noel Cleary

Noel Cleary is an accomplished director and animator from Flying Bark Productions with a career in feature films and television. Renowned for directing Maya the Bee films and co-directing Blinky Bill: The Movie, Noel now helms the ambitious animated series Tales from Outer Suburbia.

Sophie Byrne

Sophie Byrne is a multi-award-winning producer and creative leader with over three decades of experience in global screen production. Best known for producing the Oscar-winning short The Lost Thing, Sophie spearheads innovative projects through her company Highly Spirited, including Tales from Outer Suburbia and the forthcoming feature adaptation of The Arrival.

Paul Gartside

Paul Gartside is an AWGIE-nominated writer, script editor, script producer and development manager for television, feature film, and narrative podcasts. As a development manager at the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Paul has contributed to projects such as animated series Tales from Outer Suburbia (ABC), family features Windcatcher and the upcoming Whale Shark Jack (Stan) and series, Little J and Big Cuz Series 4 (NITV/ABC), Kangaroo Beach Series 2 (ABC).