As we head into the final full working week of the year, we’ve been reflecting on 2025. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, there were highs, lows and plenty of learning curves. Through it all, we’ve achieved a lot and grown stronger as a team, so we wanted to share some of the highlights with you.
We’ve continued working with our brilliant long-standing clients, and one of the things we love most about them is their willingness to embrace new technologies and fresh approaches. This year was no exception. One of the highlights this year was delivering five cutting-edge events in just one week for one client, including a whirlwind trip to Singapore. On top of that, we welcomed some fantastic new clients into the Giggle family and produced events, films and animations that have already earned award nominations.
Of course, the year wasn’t without its bittersweet moments. In October, we said goodbye to our incredible Operations and Accounts Director, Sabrina Bowman, after seven years of service. Sabrina was cool, calm, collected and an absolute powerhouse, and while we wish her all the best, we secretly hope for another comeback since she’s done it before! Balancing that loss, we celebrated two amazing hires: Lucy Payne, who joined as Project Manager in March, and Rebecca Dowds, our new Head of Events, who came on board in September. Both have hit the ground running and made an immediate impact. We’re excited to see what Lucy and Rebecca can teach us in 2026.
There were plenty of personal milestones too. One pretty impressive one was that Ed, one of our digital artists, got married! Ed and Hannah married in Scotland in April and honeymooned in Japan in July. And the celebrations don’t stop there because Ed hits ten years at Studio Giggle in 2026!
Innovation has been a big focus for us this year. We’ve expanded our e-learning offering to meet the growing demand for high-quality training in a hybrid working world. By working closely with brands to understand their needs, we’ve delivered campaigns with a 92 percent success rate and 100 percent completion rate. Some modules are even up for awards, so fingers crossed for 2026. Meanwhile, between projects some of the team has been diving into Gaussian splats and exploring how to integrate them into virtual production. As part of a funded research project with My World, we’ve been experimenting with 4D splats and LiDAR scanning using X Grids. Stay tuned because we’ll be sharing our findings early next year.
Our sister company, Distortion Studios, also had a big year, celebrating its first birthday in style by working on Apple TV’s Down Cemetery Road. The team created realistic driving scenes using virtual production, and the results are stunning. The show is streaming now, and we couldn’t be prouder of the Distortion crew. Go give it a watch!
Giving back to the creative community remains close to our hearts. Three years ago, we launched a scholarship at the University of the West of England for animation students, and this year we were thrilled to see Dominic, our scholarship recipient, graduate and start his MA in animation. We’ve also partnered with SGS College and Weston College, offering career talks, creative challenges and work experience opportunities. A special shout-out to Eva, who produced a brilliant animated Christmas advert in just three days during her placement.
What a year!
A massive thank you to our incredible team, amazing clients and the freelancers, suppliers and friends who’ve been part of our journey. We’re taking a well-earned festive break, but 2026 is already shaping up to be huge. We turn twenty, and we’ve got some exciting (and secret) projects in the pipeline. If you’d like to work with us in 2026, get in touch by giving us a call on 0117 972 0081 or email rob@studiogiggle.co.uk. We’d love to make your project one of next year’s highlights!
