about us

Max Reynal and Doug Morrione are the co-producers and co-creators of Jack, the Cuddly Dog. In addition to being filmmakers, they are respectively a father and an uncle who decided there was a need for a new generation of baby videos. Inspired by classic baby books such as Goodnight Moon and Winnie the Pooh, they decided to focus the videos on a cuddly animal who would give the videos a warm and "organic" feel by being hand-drawn. Another artistic differentiator was having music recorded on real instruments rather than on synthesizers.

Max and Doug created the character of a puppy named Jack who is starting to learn about the world, scampering about and saying "hello" to the viewers. The filmmakers spent over a year studying early-childhood development, consulting a pedagogical expert and reading classic texts by Piaget and Vygotsky, as well as more contemporary theorists such as those of Daniel Goleman (Harvard professor and author of the influential theory of Emotional Intelligence), Howard Gardner (Harvard Professor, author of the influential educational multiple intelligence theories), Scientist in the Crib by Gopnik et al., and John Gottman’s Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, as well as other personality development specialists. They found that no studies have yet ascertained whether educational videos for children under three help with cognitive development, so no claims are made by the filmmakers to this effect. Instead, with common sense and sensitivity, they have strived to make a gentle video that would delight young children and parents alike.

There were several false starts as they began production before Doug and Max found Paul Beard, a former animator for the popular Blues Clues series on Nickelodeon. Paul had the right qualities to express the wide-eyed wonder and sweetness of the Jack character. Jack became a reflection of who Paul was... curious, friendly and sweet. Sadly, Paul passed away in April 2005 in a tragic car accident while traveling in the Midwest. We remember him with deep affection and sorrow. We can’t help but feel that he is still watching, helping, and smiling down on us from a better place.

After attending Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Doug received his BA in History and Anthropology from Colby College in Waterville, Maine and a degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Maine, and Masters Degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, in New York. Doug recently worked on the Emmy-awarded film, A Yiddish World Remembered, as well as for the award winning production company, StickFigure Productions and HBO.

Max has a Masters in Fine Arts in Film and Television from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a BA from Columbia University. He is the proud father of Lucy Rose Reynal, age 6, who along with Kristine Louis, is one of the voices of Jack, the Cuddly Dog. Max’s awards include: Gold Award for Best Short Drama from Houston Worldfest, Recipient of Warner Bros Post-production cash award, Tisch School of the Arts Dean's Award for excellent acting performance, Official selection at the Denver International Film Festival, selected to be a graduate assistant at NYU, and the Seymour Brick Award from Columbia University for Best Play.

Doug and Max are the principal partners of Hello Baby Productions whose offices are in New York City. They would love to hear from you if you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions about Jack, the Cuddly Dog.