Behind the Scenes of ‘Puffin Rock’
The animated children’s series Puffin Rock was streamed on Netflix for over 26.7 million hours in 2024. It is now available on CBeebies, and follows a young puffin named Oona and her baby brother Baba. Narrated by Chris O’Dowd, and set on a beautiful Irish island, the show explores nature, friendship and family through their adventures. At Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, we are joined by John McDaid, Creative Director at Dog Ears and Producer of the programme, for a masterclass in making animation for young viewers. We caught up with John to learn more about Puffin Rock’s lush visual style, gentle storytelling and roots in Kilkenny and Derry.
A: Let’s talk about animation for young viewers. What unique challenges and opportunities does this form of filmmaking offer?
JM: I think when you are producing content for young viewers, you have a huge responsibility, and this is both a challenge and an opportunity. We have to make things with integrity, that parents can trust. On the other hand, how can we leave our pre-school viewers enriched, happier and full of possibility when they watch our show? How much joy can we pack in there? Our mantra has been to create things that we would love in our own homes and for our own children.
A: Puffin Rock is popular as a low-stimulation show for children, what aspects of the animation contribute to this?
JM: A lot of research is being done into the developmental benefits of gentler content for kids, how early brain development can be hampered by fast, loud, flashy shows. We’re on the other end of the spectrum, and it is something that we have intuitively woven through the show from the start. The pacing of our scenes is calm, so children can follow the narrative. Our sound design is warm and cosy too, with many of our themes played by the Ulster Orchestra, and underscored with ambient nature sounds. Slow stories leave space for conversation, and so we find parents watch the show with their children, it becomes an evening ritual, shared quality time.
A: Talk us through a typical day as a producer on a show like Puffin Rock.
JM: Being part of this show is a constant joy, and no days are really typical! We’re working on new content at the moment so this week we are casting new kids for our characters, listening through super cute auditions – our actors grow up fast. We are looking at springs for new scripts, and how we can expand the emotional range of the show in new seasons. Our next voice records will be coming soon, and working in studio with our cast and their families has been my favourite part of being a producer. A lot of hopping races and Haribos before we get to press record. We also work on the wider brand, making plans for new songs and music, or what a Switch game might look like. More importantly a letter just arrived today from Arlo in New York inviting our puffins to his house, so I need to write back to him.
A: How important is the Irish landscape and wildlife to the look and atmosphere of the show?
JM: Nature is a huge part of our show, in style and in substance. We stay completely faithful to the flora and fauna of an Irish island. The various habitats you see reflect exactly the types of plants and creatures you might encounter, and in our stories our narrator Chris O’Dowd sprinkles nature facts as we go. That authentic island world is a perfect blueprint for our artists, rather than a constraint. It’s something which can inspire their work, a constant reference point. Our teams have headed out to various islands on research trips, so what you see in the show has proper Irish island DNA.
A: What can audiences expect from your masterclass at Aesthetica Film Festival 2026?
JM: I’d like to give a little background to our company, and a creation story for Puffin Rock, before talking through our experience in production. Creating meaningful stories for children is a two way process, and that has been our experience over the last 15 years of working with children on the show. I’d like to highlight that aspect as something fundamental to our work. Puffin Rock is our baby, so it’s very much a personal story of what the show means to us too.
Words: Emma Jacob & John McDaid
Making Puffin Rock: Crafting Animation for Young Audiences is at Yorkshire Museum on Wednesday 4 November. Find Out More.
Aesthetica Film Festival runs 4-8 November in York, UK. To purchase your pass, click here.
