Joyce Miller (pictured left) has joined Scottish indie Wild Child Animation (Toad & Friends) as a consultant advisor.

In her new role, Miller will help refine Wild Child’s production process and work closely with the executive team to develop its North American business. Her remit also includes building the studio’s relationships with worldwide co-pro partners and broadcasters. 

Wild Child has worked with consultants in the UK before, but Miller will be the company’s first US-based consultant. She reports to co-founders Sueann Rochester and Ken Anderson.

Miller is well-versed in the animation industry, with nearly three decades of experience under her belt, going back to her six-year tenure as the VP of production for Disneytoon Studios in the ’90s. She served as senior director of production at Toronto’s Spin Master Entertainment from 2009 to 2016, working on the Angry Birds franchise. Recently, she spent four years at Netflix as an LA-based senior manager for animated series production, with credits like Maya and the Three. She became a full-time animation consultant after departing the streaming giant last year.

The new hire coincides with Wild Child ramping up its pipeline—buoyed by development funding received this year from Screen Scotland, BBC Small Indies, the BFI’s Global Screen Fund and the Scottish Development International. Miller, alongside head of development Martha MacDiarmid, will oversee the company’s growing slate, which includes four new series.

Two of these series in development are preschool shows: One Button Benny (26 x 11 minutes, pictured below), based on Alan Windram’s same-name books about a robot, and Dazzle Island (26 x seven minutes), inspired by UK-based doll company The World of Bobby Dazzler. 

The studio is also developing two shows with working titles aimed at six to 12s. Skye Ranger is a mystery series (22-minute eps) about a 13-year-old girl who finds out that her family is part of a secret society that battles the paranormal. James Walsh created this original concept. Also in the works is Agents of Egg, created by Simon Jowett (Shane the Chef), about chickens running a secret law enforcement agency.