#43 - New Experiments in Studio leadership ~ Steamroller Studios CEO Aaron Gilman ~ D.A. Livecast

Originally Streamed on YouTube Live April 7, 2023. Audio Edited by Kiara Horowitz. In building the best animation studio Scott's worked for, Aaron Gilman has gathered philosophies from Brene Brown, Simon Sinek, etc, and in an experimental way has been navigating toward something remarkeable. Let's discuss how he does it and also the future of Steamroller Animation! With 23 years in the VFX industry, Aaron has worked at all levels of animation in film, games, and TV. Beginning with his early film work, Aaron was an animator on Matrix Revolutions, Hellboy, and Constantine with the acclaimed Tippett Studio. Eventually making his way to Weta Digital as a Senior Animator on Avatar, Aaron would remain with the award-winning New Zealand-based company for 8 years. During that time he worked on 14 feature films as Animation Supervisor on The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Alvin, and the Chipmunks: Road Chip, and Godzilla. In 2016 Aaron made his way to Vancouver Canada as Animation Director at DNEG where he oversaw numerous projects before taking on the Head of Animation role. In 2021, Aaron assumed the Chief Creative Officer role at Steamroller Animation and most recently took on the Chief Executive Officer role where he oversees the studio’s vision and core operations. Aaron brings a wealth of animation and leadership experience to the Steamroller team. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been nominated for a VES and Annie award. Found out about more of his incredible leadership at: https://www.steamrollerstudios.com/ Interviewer Scott Wiser has Directed Animation at Spacestation Animation and is currently supervising animation at Steamroller Animation Studios. He continues to develop more than 10 deeply meaningful feature film pitches, including the recently self-published illustrated novel, Masked Magic. Any producers or executives interested in collaborating or funding Scott Wiser's projects can peruse these pitches through the application at https://scottwiser.com/collaborate