Editor’s Note:
Motionographer®’s STUDIO STORIES series explores the journeys of creative studio founders, offering candid insights into building and sustaining a business in the ever-evolving world of Motion Design. Whether 3 or 20 years in, each story highlights the unique challenges, triumphs –also fails–, inspirations and creative processes that define their work.
From starting solo to leading a team, and navigating rapid technological shifts like AI and VR, these founders share how innovation shapes their craft. Their experiences inspire designers at all stages, reminding us that the tools, ideas, and collaborations we cultivate are what truly leave a lasting impact.
About Golden Wolf’s Studio Vibe & Team Hustle
A Golden Wolf in His Forrest.
Your studio’s called a “creative playground” -how do the workspace layout, daily rituals (spill the tea!), and that “organized chaos” energy keep the team buzzing, even under deadlines?
Our studio thrives on an open, collaborative atmosphere, fueled by a healthy mix of artistry, play, and a touch of irreverence. From creative to production, our teams share a strong bond that not only shapes our work but elevates it.
Whether it’s late nights raiding the studio mini bar, curating collaborative playlists, group outings to creative events, or sunny lunches on the studio balcony, we stay connected through a playful balance of professionalism and social energy… It’s the secret behind our thriving studio culture!
Our workspace is designed to make this possible, giving the crew a vibrant hub that keeps everyone engaged and inspired.
But more than the space itself, it’s our work family that truly fans the flames, bringing the energy, spirit, and spark to make it all come alive!
Stef Falconer: Leader of the Pack.
Cross-continental collabs: How do your London and New York crews stay in sync without killing the spontaneity? Share a time zone-hopping horror-to-success story.
Our transatlantic time difference is actually one of our greatest strengths. It might mean waiting a few hours for the occasional message, but more importantly, it allows us to stretch our creative output across time zones. As one team wraps up their day, the other picks up the baton, keeping momentum going and pushing projects across the finish line.
Junior power: Tell us about a project where a newbie’s wild idea flipped the script. How do you make sure *everyone’s* voice gets heard, not just the loudest?
We like to throw our newcomers in at the deep end. For us, the best ideas don’t come from the loudest voice, but from the most determined. Our hierarchy has flexibility, meaning everyone’s input is valid and valued. If the idea’s good, it’s worth listening to… that’s really the only criteria.
You’ll see this throughout our social content and more playful work. More often than not, it’s the handiwork of a fresh-faced ‘newbie’ eager to make their mark!
Spreadsheets or Storyboards? Why Not Both?
Creative clashes are inevitable. What’s your mediation playbook to keep debates productive, not petty?
We rarely have time for pettiness. We’d much rather focus on creating amazing work together than get caught up in creative differences. There’s always room for new and exciting ideas, so there’s no need for clashes. If something doesn’t work this time around, we’ll find another opportunity to make it shine.
Founders’ update: Do you still get your hands dirty with animation, or are you deep in spreadsheets now? How’s leadership changed since day one?
As someone who’s been at the studio since day one, I still find myself getting into the weeds from time to time. Sometimes the clearest (and most fun) way to direct is to dive right in and channel my younger self; the one pulling all-nighters to composite an animation, or churning out endless renders to hit a deadline…
That person never disappears entirely. Whether it’s a simple draw-over, a mood edit, or a quick storyboard, sometimes you just have to jump on the front line and get stuck in.
Creative Kitchen: Recipes & Ingredients
Your work mashes up 2D, 3D, and analog quirks like a smoothie. How do you avoid stylistic indigestion (aka pastiche) and keep it fresh?
The best way to innovate is to constantly collaborate with new creatives. This is how you reinvent work and gain fresh perspectives that are impossible to achieve alone.
Walk us through a project’s lifespan – where’s the room for “let’s try this weird thing” between client check-ins and delivery deadlines?
There’s always room for this on every project; it really just depends on the deadlines. If an idea is lucky enough to survive the ideation phase, there’s always space for the weird. It’s something we actively try to inject into all our creative endeavors!
Analog vs. digital: Why bother with hand-drawn sketches or physical props when everything’s going Al? Does tech ever *hurt* the vibe?
We truly believe both sides can live in harmony. There’s a time and place for handcrafted work, just as there is for AI. Tactile approaches offer originality and uniqueness, but they have limitations and aren’t very scalable. AI brings innovation and technical advances, but it lacks the human touch. It’s all about knowing when, where, and (most importantly) why to use these different approaches.
Nostalgia, pop culture, surrealism- your holy trinity. How do you mine these without feeling like a retro cover band?
We don’t… we love retro cover bands! I have no qualms with honoring pop culture, as long as it looks and feels awesome. Our goal is to entertain, and as long as we do that, we’ve done our job.
Burnout antidotes: What’s your team’s go-to move to recharge creatively? (Personally, we’re guessing *a lot of espresso.)
We’re gluttons for punishment. The best way for us to recharge is by diving into a fresh, new creative brief! Change is as good as a break.
Clients, Cash, & Creative Convincing
How do you pitch “let’s get weird” to clients who just want a safe, shiny ad? Give us your Jedi mind trick for reframing briefs
Being totally honest, ‘weird’ isn’t always the way to go (as much as we enjoy weird). But what is always the way to go is ‘new’ and ‘fresh.’ Rather than completely reframing a brief, we much prefer to add to it or show a perspective they may not have considered.
Still from Nakamoto 1 — a striking CG tribute to the mythic aura of blockchain. Blending surrealism with tech symbolism, the piece reimagines digital origin stories with cinematic power.
The brief needs to be respected, and after all, no one knows the brand better than the client. What we like to offer is a way to enhance their vision, something they may not have thought of, and something only we can achieve.
Ever had a project where the client said “absolutely not”… until it blew up? How’d you win them over?
We won’t push an idea if the client isn’t feeling it. We’ll always aim to show two options (ours and theirs) in the hopes of swaying them. Sometimes, they just need to see more than one solution. It’s always a collaboration, and ultimately, any direction change makes us think a little harder about the creative, and 99.9% of the time it comes out even better than where we started.
Nike, BBC, etc. -what’s your “green light” checklist for taking on a collab? And when do you politely ghost?
We never ghost! We take on jobs of all shapes and sizes. While clients like Nike, BBC, and others with highly respectable IPs are always sought after, we truly enjoy the challenge of taking a low-key brand and making it as cool as humanly possible.
Success beyond stats: If a campaign makes zero viral memes but haunts someone’s dreams, is that a win?
Yeah we’ll take it…Not everyone will love what you do, that’s art and it’s all subjective.
Tech, Trends, & Tomorrow’s Playbook
Al’s eating the industry. How do you use it without your work looking like a robot’s homework?
We’re constantly exploring new technologies and looking at ways that these can be used to support our creatives and their process. We use plenty of AI forward techniques to help us behind the scenes with versioning, reference-based imagery, and fast-and-loose design mockups… but we actively avoid using them to completely replace an entire creative process or medium.
We are definitely keen to explore ways they can truly feel original and supportive of artistry.
“Faster, cheaper” vs. “slower, iconic”- how do you push back when clients demand speed over craft?
If the deadline is unreasonable, we’ll strongly consider this before even taking on the job. The team’s well-being is always our priority.
Sometimes deadlines can get tight, but we’ll always ensure we have enough resources on hand to get the job done. Our production and talent team is just as strong as our creative team and has a wealth of collective experience, aiming to ensure jobs are delivered on time, without anyone experiencing burnout.
Sample artwork from Golden Wolf’s Stickers Collection, a vibrant, kinetic showcase of the studio’s signature animation style.
AR, VR, TikTok… What tech or format are you itching to experiment with, even if it’s a money pit?
We would love to see what we could do more of in the feature-length format. We’re not only great at visualizing stories, but building them too. We premiered our first animated short, Dullsville and the Doodleverse, back in September at TIFF with major success. I’m sure with the right opportunity, we could create something even more cinematic.
New York vs. London: Does location sway your creative choices? Spill the cultural tea.
Our cultural roots seep into all the work we do. There’s overlap between both London and New York, and the influence of both cities gives us our raw, irreverent, and unapologetically unpolished persona. The team is made up of creatives from around the globe, each brings their own unique perspective on everything we touch.
Legacy, Lessons, & Leaps of Faith
If Golden Wolf vanished tomorrow, what’s the one project or ethos you’d want etched into animation’s history books?
We want our ethos to outlast us, rather than a single project. There are too many great pieces spread across different eras of Golden Wolf to truly sum up our legacy. But our approach to the work has never changed.
We’ve always been scrappy, unconventional, and uniquely original – tackling projects with eager playfulness and shameless naivety. It’s what gives us our edge. It’s something I never want to change, and I hope we’re always remembered for it.
No egos, never settle and have fun!
Dream collab: If budget and physics weren’t issues, what’s the ultimate project to flex everything you stand for?
From year to year, the answer is always different… but right now, I’m eager to get our work on the Vegas Sphere.
We do a lot in the immersive and experiential space, and those are some of the most engaging and innovative projects we get to work on. It’d be an amazing opportunity to showcase our creativity on an even bigger scale!
Regret-o-meter: What’s the one “hell yes” or “oh god no” decision from early days that still shapes how you roll?
Leave no room for interpretation or grey areas. A client won’t always understand your vision right away. I never assume they’re immediately on board with an idea. I always expect that it’ll take some convincing or guidance.
It might sound obvious, but it took me a while to learn that just because I think an idea is great, doesn’t mean the next person will. That’s why it’s important to develop ways of showing why your idea is cool, and influencing them through clarity and excitement.
Personal fuel: What’s your off-the-clock creative hobby that secretly feeds back into the studio’s work?
Outside of work, I love to cook… which doesn’t necessarily influence the work we do in the studio, but it’s a therapeutic outlet when I need a break from the day-to-day. It still gives me that feeling of making something, just in a different way.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, a beloved 1995 platformer developed and published by Nintendo. The game’s vibrant, hand-drawn art style and innovative gameplay made it a standout in the Super Mario franchise. © 1995 Nintendo.
Rapid-Fire*
- Underrated tool: Speechify
- Animation underdog: Yoshi’s Island (1995 snes) – the gameplay animations are what got me into animation!
- Trend you’d delete: ‘Top 5 creative trends’ posts…
- Future in one word: Collaboration
