Maria Manton
Co-Founder, Creative Director & Producer
Co-Founder, Creative Director & Producer
Maria Manton has over twentytwo years experience producing animation, live action and special effects. Her love for filmmaking has led to her working with almost every type of animation style and film making technique there is. She’s produced literally hundreds of commercials and 13 short films so far.
Since Slinky began in 2000, Maria produced most of the company’s incredible output of multi award winning short films, commercials, TV and online series, branding and titles. She’s also produced many music videos as well as tour content, including the entire visual content for the U2 Elevation Tour and material for live screening at the World Cup 2010 Kick Off Party.
In addition to home-grown TV pilots and developing feature length projects, Maria has also found time to direct animation sequences for a feature, (Bunny and The Bull), and, most recently, a special short for The Chapman Brothers.
Maria is an occasional lecturer at The NFTS and The RCA, and often sits on juries for Film Festivals and BAFTA.
Maria has now chosen to concentrate her energies producing and directing as an independent and is relishing the freedom of freelancing while exploring new projects and opportunities.
Email: maria@miamanton.com
Chris Shepherd
Co-Founder & Director
Chris Shepherd was born in Liverpool. His work has been nominated twice for the film BAFTA. His credits include commercials, title sequences and the award winning Stareout sketches on BBC/Talkback’s Big Train.
He is co-founder of Slinky Pictures with producer Maria Manton. Their acclaimed short, Dad's Dead, was a winner of over 24 international awards including Best Short at the British Independent Film Awards. In 2006 their follow up short, the hit live action & animation ‘Silence is Golden’, won the TCM Best Film Award at the London Film Festival and picking up a number of other awards worldwide. More recently, his cult short ‘Who I Am and What I Want’ co directed with the artist David Shrigley, was commissioned by Channel 4 and sold out quickly it's Limited Edition DVD release.
Chris is currently in development on numerous feature length projects, but still finds the time to direct commercials, judge at festivals and always has a new short film he wants to bring to life.
Email: chris [at] chrisshepherdfilms [dot] com
Ryan Goodwin-Smith
Producer
A native Texan, Ryan joined Slinky as a runner all the way back in 2004. Since then has taken on a number of roles within the company including production managing, festival co-ordination and producing. He also built the Slinky website.
Most recently he has produced a number of commercial projects, including animation for the 6-part BBC series The Delicious Miss Dahl, and Slinky’s collaboration with Polydor and iPhone, with the animation for Snow Patrol’s album ‘One Hundred Million Suns’.
In 2011, Ryan is finally embracing his wordsmith roots and becoming a journalist. God help us all.
Website: www.ryan.gs
Email: rygoodwinsmith [at] gmail [dot] com
Twitter: @goodwinsmith
Andy Ward
Illustrator and Director
Website: www.andyward.com
Email: andy [at] andyward [dot] com
Bunny Schendler
Director
David Shrigley
Artist and Director
Website: www.davidshrigley.com
Email: main [at] davidshrigley [dot] com
Emily Skinner
Director
Joe King
Director
Joseph Mann
Director
Website: www.josephmann.co.uk
Email: joseph [at] josephmann [dot] co [dot] uk
Laura Heit
Director
Leigh Hodgkinson
Director
Luca Paulli
After Effects Artist and Director
Website: www.lucapaulli.com
Email: luca [at] lucapaulli [dot] com
Lucy Izzard
Illustrator and Director
Website: www.lucyizzard.co.uk
Email: lucy [at] lucyizzard [dot] co [dot] uk
Phil Bacon
Director
Rebecca Manley
Director
Website: www.rebeccamanley.com
Email: info [at] rebeccamanley [dot] com
Rob Ward
After Effects Artist and Director
Website: www.rob-ward.com
Email: rob [at] rob-ward [dot] com
Suzanne Deakin
Director
Email: suzanne [at] tutto [dot] co [dot] uk
Toby Jackman
Director
