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Ryan Dunn launches new Dunnwell studio
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With offices in Chicago and New York, Dunnwell debuts with a global artist roster and a platform-agnostic approach to storytelling across mediums.
After more than 20 years leading creative at world-renowned studios including Charlex, Digital Kitchen, and Nike’s Brand Design, Creative Director Ryan Dunn has announced the launch of his new venture: Dunnwell, a multidisciplinary collective built to shape the future of storytelling through craft, collaboration, and global vision.
Headquartered in Chicago with an operational base in New York City, Dunnwell enters the market with an internationally recognised roster of directors and artists. The studio’s offerings span commercials, television, feature films, digital experiences, and branded storytelling. With expertise in CG animation, 2D/cel animation, motion graphics, stop-motion, VFX, creative live-action, and immersive media, Dunnwell’s creators work across disciplines and time zones to deliver platform-agnostic content with a storytelling-first mindset.
Dunn, whose career began in motion graphics and animation at Blind and Digital Kitchen, went on to serve as Art Director for Nike Brand Design and later helmed creative at Vitamin Pictures, Ladies & Gentlemen, and Charlex. His decision to launch Dunnwell comes from a desire to lead with artistic integrity and explore new formats for brand and character narratives.
“It became clear that building my own studio was the best way to take my work, vision, and ambition to the next level,” said Dunn. “The industry is changing rapidly, and I want to be part of this new frontier and all the potential it holds for new ways of telling stories.”
With a deep commitment to creative strategy and production innovation, Dunnwell prides itself on adaptability. “Every job is unique,” Dunn adds. “We’re like a team of ninjas, able to deploy a full CG pipeline for one client and a live-action-meets-cel-animation hybrid for the next. The tools don’t lead the idea; the story does.”
The global reach of the studio is reflected in its creative roster, which includes:
- Illustrator and character designer Bruno Mangyoku
- Visual effects artist Danil Krivoruchko (aka Myshli)
- Blockbuster character designer Max Kostenko
- Graphic designer Sebastian Onufszak
- CG director Paul McMahon (aka The Rusted Pixel)
- Animation director Anne Calandre
- Sculptor and stop-motion animator Taili Wu (aka Monster Shaper), who has worked with Dunn since his Charlex days.
“I was so lucky to have worked with Ryan at Charlex since 2011,” says Taili Wu. “Imagine a life where you are absorbing inspiration, warmth, and positivity all day. I can never get tired of that creativity and passion.”
For Dunnwell, storytelling isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the organising principle. “Advertising is a story business,” explains Dunn. “Whether you’re launching a new sneaker or a cereal flavour, you need a compelling narrative that sticks. That’s true across formats, whether it’s a product film, a title sequence, or a short series on social. We want to pursue storytelling in all its forms: short, long, whatever.”
With early projects already underway across advertising, branded content, and original IP, Dunnwell opens its doors with the ambition to reimagine what creative collaboration looks like—and to tell stories that connect.
