All Lit Up! A Podcast for the Creative Industries

This week on All Lit Up, Managing Director Claire Finn steps in as host to welcome writer, comedian, TV host and activist, Martin 'Beanz' Warde to the Lighthouse Library.
Martin unpacks what it meant to grow up a gay Traveller in a small Irish town, how creative storytelling is in both his blood and his name, and how he considers which projects to work on next. He shares how his play (soon-to-be short film) The Dead House, was inspired by the sight of men laughing at a funeral and why he thinks comedy is the best way into hard subjects.
Plus, hear an exclusive scoop on a new project Martin is working on with Lighthouse Studios...
In a conversation that ranges from the nomadic history of Irish Travellers through how the nickname 'Beanz' came about to the sound of rain on a tin roof, Martin closes with a reading of an original piece written to a 1963 photograph of his grandparents' wagon, Home.
____
Martin Beanz Warde is a multi-disciplinary artist and a prominent voice in today’s Irish media. As Ireland's first gay Traveller comedian, he uses his platform to advocate for human rights, most recently as the TV presenter of RTÉ’s sustainability docuseries The End of the World with Beanz (2024-).
As a comedian, he’s worked with Des Bishop on Joy in the Hood (2005) and toured Ireland with his stand-up show Gomey Feen (2019). As an award-winning journalist and photojournalist, he writes for The Irish Times and the Examiner and has opened two exhibitions on Traveller identity and experiences - Through Our Eyes at Photo Museum Ireland and The Mincéirí Archives with the National Museum. As a writer and performer, he sold out his one-man show The Dead House (2023) at its opening run in Dublin Theatre Festival, and has just wrapped production on the short film adaptation.
With a BA in Sociology and Politics from NUI and an MA in Journalism from University of Limerick, Martin is also highly-sought-after TV and radio guest.
____
All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production.
Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes.
Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

Emmy winning Foley artist Ellen Heuer talks performance, animation, and the emotional cost of a career spent making movies sound real.
Ever wondered who makes the sound of a kiss, a footstep, or a spaceship snack floating in zero gravity?
On this episode of All Lit Up, host Gilly Fogg is joined by Ellen Heuer, an award-winning Foley artist with over 45 years of experience bringing Hollywood's biggest films to life through sound.
From her home in LA, Ellen takes you from her surprise start as a dancer-turned-Foley-artist to unforgettable stories from working with David Lynch, Pixar, and the team behind Apollo 13.
You'll hear how she built sounds for Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Cars, and get an honest look at the physical and emotional toll of decades spent performing for the screen.
Ellen also shares two short film recommendations; including the sound-driven animated short (and 2026 Oscar Nominee) Butterfly. Settle in and press play.

WATCH BUTTERFLY on YouTube

Read more about Ellen's upcoming book on her life in the industry, If These Shoes Could Talk, over on her website.
____
Ellen Heuer is a celebrated foley artist and storyteller whose career spans over four decades in film and television. Her work has been heard in countless acclaimed productions, though rarely seen — until now.
Now, her currency is the joy to share with you this exclusive and unique world of sound with all the old-fashioned, analogue charm one could imagine.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Ellen resides in the Hollywood Hills where she teaches at USC, Motion Pictures Sound Editors, Crossroads Elementary, and various international panels on sound design.

Selected Credits
12 Years A Slave —Foley Artist / 2013
The Fifth Element —Foley Artist / 1997
Shawshank Redemption —Foley Artist / 1994
Schindler’s List —Foley Artist / 1993
Who Framed Roger Rabbit —Foley Artist / 1988
Back To The Future —Foley Artist / 1985
____
All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production.
Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes.
Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

In S2 E01 of the All Lit Up! podcast, we're chatting to animation legend, Tom Bancroft, about how challenges can lead to opportunities; the importance of self assessment; and his drive to make sure "young Tommy" gets his hopes and dreams met.
Tom lays out how frustrations can drive growth and fuel passion projects - though not always without a cost. Gilly and Tom also discuss how breaking into the animation industry differs now vs then and how to balance nostalgia with modern advances.
In this not-to-be-missed launch of season 2, we also welcome the return of the Short Film segment as Gilly and Tom discuss his recommended watch "The Cat Came Back" by Cordell Barker (1988).
Watch The Cat Came Back

****************

All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production.
Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes.
Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

In Episode 12 of the All Lit Up! podcast, we're chatting to Georgina Hayns about the world of stop-motion and the types of people who are drawn to work in the sector.
Plus we hear why Georina chose the 1930s classic, The Mascot, for her short film selection.
Watch The Mascot here!

Georgina Hayns. Director of Character Fabrication
Georgina Hayns has served as a puppet creator and creative director for over 30 years. Her career began in the UK, working for Cosgrove Hall Films with puppet-makers Mackinnon & Saunders. She worked on projects including BBC Television’s Noddy, HIT Entertainment’s Bob the Builder, Lipton® Brisk® Tea and Puffs Tissues. She also worked on the animated feature films Mars Attacks! and Corpse Bride and shorts including the Academy Award®-nominated Periwig Maker.
She was the Creative Puppet Fabrication Supervisor at Laika for over 10 years, supervising the puppet builds on the Oscar-nominated films: Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and The Missing Link.
Georgina is currently at Shadowmachine and served as Creative and Technical Director of Character Fabrication for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. She then moved on to the TV show In The Know, currently streaming on Peacock and Season 2 of The Tiny Chef Show, which airs on Nickelodeon.
Georgina serves as a creative and technical consultant and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production.
Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes.
Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios

Designer, showrunner and cartoonist, Lisa Hanawalt, discusses the making of BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie, from designing a whole surreal animal universe to suddenly running a writers’ room for the first time, and learning how to deal with "joke-per-minute" notes.
If you haven't already seen Lisa's latest work, we recommend you head straight to Netflix for Long Story Short, the highly anticipated adult animation from the team behind Bojack. Season One is excellent - and Season Two is on the way!
This one’s for anyone obsessed with character-driven comedy, and the messy, collaborative craft that is adult animation.

All Lit Up! is a Lighthouse Studios production.
Visit lighthousestudios.ie or follow the studio on social media to stay up to date with all news and the latest episodes.
Instagram: @lighthousestudiosire
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousestudios