Daley Pearson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 or 1985 (age 40–41) |
| Education | Griffith Film School |
| Occupations |
|
| Employer | Ludo Studio |
| Notable work | |
Daley Pearson (b. 1984 or 1985) is an Australian writer, director, producer, and actor. He is the co-founder ofLudo Studio, the creator of the seriesThe Strange Calls (2012),The Strange Chores (2019–present),#7DaysLater (2013), and an executive producer onBluey (2018–present),Content (2019), andThou Shalt Not Steal (2024). He also plays Darryl Jacobson onTeam Thor (2016-2018) and the filmThor: Love and Thunder (2022) and created the concept for the Australian horror filmTalk to Me (2022).
Pearson (b. 1984 or 1985)[1][2][3] grew up inCoolum Beach,Queensland.[4] He graduated fromMarist College Ashgrove in 2001.[1]
Using his father's digital camera, Pearson began filmmaking at an early age.[3] Of his early short films, Pearson said the most notable was "a 15-minute adventure" he made when he was 11 years old, "using my vast collection ofNinja Turtle toys, a techno-drome play set and a turtle van."
Pearson studied film atGriffith Film School.[3] By the age of 22, he had several critically acclaimed short films.[3]
In 2010, Pearson directed his first feature film,$quid, about a New Year's Eve party cruise that comes under attack by a giant squid.[5][6] The film was an adaptation of Pearson & Luke Tierney'sTropfest short of the same name. Pearson would later recall "Nothing happened with it. It wasn’t Australian and it didn’t really feel even me, to be honest." [sic][7]
In 2012, Pearson's first television series,The Strange Calls, was released by theABC.[5] The comedy series, based on Pearson's short film of the same name, was filmed in his hometown ofCoolum.[8][9] It follows a cop who has been demoted to the night watch and must investigate an increasingly absurd array of supernatural disturbances.
Pearson foundedLudo Studio with Charlie Aspinwall in 2012.[10][11] The production company was voted one of theTime 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024.[12]
Exploring the possibilities for digital storytelling, Pearson created the 2013 web series#7DaysLater.[13][7] Each episode was based on pitches from an online audience and produced by comedians in 7 days. It was the first interactive series commissioned by theABC. The series won anInternational Emmy Award forBest Digital Program: Fiction.[14]
In 2016, Pearson appeared alongsideChris Hemsworth in the viralTeam Thor mockumentary, directed byTaika Waititi forMarvel Studios.[15][16] The video, used to explainThor's absence inCaptain America: Civil War, acted as a teaser for the ongoing production ofThor: Ragnarok inQueensland. Pearson later would reprise his character,Darryl, in further digital shorts andThor: Love and Thunder.[17][18]
Pearson and Aspinwall began developingBluey after they were approached by the series creator,Joe Brumm, in 2016.[19] The pair took Brumm's one-minutepilot episode to theMIPCOM television conference, where they began looking for investors. In 2017, the ABC in partnership with theBBC picked up the series for an initial, 52-episode run.[20] The series was produced entirely byLudo Studio inSouth Brisbane. The series, which launched in 2018, quickly found global critical[21] and commercial success as it expanded to air in 60 different countries.[22] In 2024, the series was awarded a special recognition award from theAustralian High Commissioner in London, in acknowledgement of its significant cultural impact in the UK and around the world.[23]
Bluey was not Pearson's first foray into animated television. Pearson and Aspinwall had previously attempted to pitch an animated supernatural comedy,The Strange Chores, in 2013.[24] The series however did not come to fruition until 2019, when it began to air onABC ME forHalloween.[25]
In 2018, Pearson sent a short horror film script to Australian comediansDanny and Michael Philippou.[26] As Michael Philippou began to do his draft, the script quickly began to expand into a feature film.[27]Talk to Me follows the story of a group of teenagers who allow themselves to become possessed by a cursed hand for recreational thrills. The low budget horror became a breakout success when it was released globally in 2023.[28][29]
| Year | Title | Award | Title | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | International Digital Emmy Awards | Digital Program - Fiction | #7DaysLater | Won | [14] |
| 2016 | Kids: Digital | Doodles | Won | [30] | |
| 2017 | AACTA Awards | Best Online Video or Series | Doodles | Nominated | [31] |
| 2019 | Best Children's Program | Bluey | Won | [32] | |
| Best Online Drama or Comedy | Content | Nominated | [33] | ||
| 2020 | Best Children's Program | Bluey | Won | [34] | |
| 2021 | Won | [35] | |||
| 2022 | Won | [36] | |||
| 2024 | Won | [37] |
Pearson, 27, put his warped sense of humour