The studio that brought to life your childhood cartoon favorites, and likely your children’s favorites too, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Top Draw Animation is an internationally acclaimed and proudly Filipino 2D animation studio. Just last year, Top Draw placed Silver in the 2018 Sydney Design Awards, an award that recognizes artistic brand redesign and development. The company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this November 2019.
Top Draw has partnered with the world’s leading broadcasters and producers on more than 2,000 half hours of television animation under their banner of familiar titles such as The Tom and Jerry Show, My Little Pony, Little Astro Boy, George of the Jungle, and Monster High. And last year we all got to enjoy My Little Pony in theatres, again at the hand of Top Draw. With an expansive portfolio of shows broadcasted around the world, it may surprise you to learn that their studio is here in Ortigas, Metro Manila.
Founded in 1999 by Wayne and Stella Dearing, Top Draw was started from just one computer in their living room. Since then, Top Draw has grown into a full-service production studio with expertise in multiple digital platforms.
Top Draw credits its success to its magicians–their teams of highly-trained, talented, and passionate people ranging from directors, animators and artists to producers, and editors who together create magic by bringing stories to life. They employ over 500 hundred talents all under one roof in their modern Ortigas Center studios, complete with a theatre, artists’ café, recreation facilities and wellness center that, when combined with top of the line technology, deliver the ultimate creative environment. Top Draw offers training programs for those who aspire to pursue a career in animation through Top Draw Academy, where they can undergo immersive courses and programs on their way to becoming the animation industry’s future leaders.
“We’re so proud of our Top Draw Family and what we have all achieved over the past 20 years. We’re truly lucky to be working with such talented artists who exude such passion in everything they do.” says Wayne Dearing, Top Draw’s Managing Director. “And we look forward to working with them all as we entertain the generations of kids to come.”
“Working at Top Draw is a dream come true,” says Animation Director, Sabrina. “This is where I grew up as an artist. I started in their training program, graduated and entered the team as an Entry Level animator. Now and only 5 years later, I’m an Animation Director…I actually got to Direct Tom and Jerry! There’s always something to learn here and I am surrounded by people who are amazing at what they do.”
In 2016, American Public company Grom Social bought Top Draw Animation. Grom Social is a fully COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliant Social Network that connects more than 7 million kids globally, all under the watchful eyes of their parents. They enable kids under the age of 13 to safely create, engage and interact with their peers, while teaching them good digital citizenship.
