When Nora Twomey’s feature film The Breadwinner was nominated for an Academy Award, it was a celebration of her filmmaking efforts, but to make that film, she first had to spend many years building Cartoon Saloon, the animation studio that produced the film.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Kilkenny, Ireland-based comapny that Twomey founded with Tomm Moore and Paul Young. In this interview, Twomey speaks about the challenges of building a studio when all of the founders are creative people, and also why she was attracted to the idea of having her own company. (“I wanted to have an engagement and an involvement in the work that I did and the stories that I wanted to tell.”

Twomey also speaks about useful skill that an artist can develop to succeed at running their own studio, and offers other tips and advice for anyone thinking of launching a studio.