"Films have the power [...] to make us realize the yearnings within our hearts." - Hayao Miyazaki (Turning Point).
Who We Are: Murrell Imagination produces character and narrative-driven, rig-based (and hand-drawn) animation for Christian and family-friendly markets. Located near Rochester, MN, M.I. believes in creating appealing stories through meaningful works of art.
Mission: To preserve and enchant timeless truths for the next generation.
Vision for faith-based markets: Murrell Imagination aims to creatively and faithfully interpret the stories and histories of the Christian Church with beautiful artwork and nuanced, relatable characters who inhabit immersive and interesting worlds.
Vision for family-friendly markets: Murrell Imagination aims to tell beautiful stories with warmth, wonder, charm, and fun.
History
Established in 2020, Murrell Imagination came from industry veteran Wes Murrell, a Regional EMMY® Award winning storyteller who’d spent seven years in TV and digital entertainment, working with brands and networks like Discovery, Syfy, TLC, BET, Build-A-Bear, and others. Wes had started in 2011 as an intern working on Nicktoons’ Voltron Force and later worked as a character designer, story artist, animator, and creative developer for a Dreamworks TV miniseries created and produced by Coolfire Studios in St. Louis, MO, (where he later pitched the feature-length Walt Disney/Winter Olympics documentary Magic in the Mountains, 2021). Wes set out to establish an animation brand whose mission meant warmth and wonder. His experience in children’s programming includes work in both live-action and EMMY® Award winning animated entertainment.
Meet studio founder Wes. From Nicktoons to Dreamworks, hear the story of how Wes got started in animation (without ever leaving the American Midwest). (02:30)
In the summer of 2020, a small team of us came together (virtually) to fully produce a four-minute short film within the span of just four days. It was a grind, but here’s how we did it! (04:00)
