Meridian Gray Culpepper is a storyboard artist, animation filmmaker, and studio founder based in Carmel, Indiana. She began her career in 2021 training in the Story department at Pixar Animation Studios and joined Skydance Animation the following year, where she worked on Apple TV+’s “WondLa”, contributing to the writing and storyboarding of its Annie-nominated Season 1 finale, recognized for Best TV/Media.

Following the industry downturn in Los Angeles in 2023, Meridian moved back to her roots in Indiana and founded Herringbone Animation Studios, directing the animated credit sequence for "Did You Remember the Cat" on ALTER. Since then, she has continued to develop and oversee multiple projects at the growing studio, including Herringbone’s flagship series "Fables", an anthology of contemporary animated fairytales, as well as an unannounced feature in development.

Outside of production, Meridian has continued to invest in the education and development of animation talent from all walks of life. She has spoken at numerous conferences and contributed to publications on the ethics of filmmaking, championing creator first production environments that prioritize the representation of complex characters and quality storytelling.

Inspired by folklore, horror, and the animation renaissance of the 1990s and 2000s, Meridian’s work balances comedy and broad appeal with a darker edge. She is passionate about expanding the narrative possibilities of animation for contemporary audiences, creating films that challenge and delight while embracing the imaginative and entertaining spirit of the medium. When she's not making films, you can usually find her running around the house barefoot, dancing to The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, and asking her two cats Paxton and Jonesy how their day was.