Managing Creative Studios
Episodes
Making Magic Frame by Frame: Adam Rowland on a Building a Stop-Motion Studio from Scratch
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann sits down with award-winning stop-motion animator Adam Rowland, founder of Awkward Animations...
Meaningful Design That Actually Works: Islay Wharton on Brand, Business & Impact
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann is joined by Islay Wharton, founder of Christchurch-based design studio Forme, for a deeply p...
The Realities of Producing: TV, Comedy, and Screen Work in Aotearoa
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, we chat with Nigel McCulloch, producer, writer, and co-founder of The Downlow Concept. Nigel shares how ...
The Hidden Art of Audio: Music, Mixing, and Making Stories Come Alive with Andrew McDowall
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann talks with Andrew McDowall, musician, composer, and audio engineer, and the founder of Digica...
From Stress to Sawdust: How Toy Making Changed Brian’s Life
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, I talk with Bryan Millar, toymaker, cancer survivor and owner of Pioneer Wooden Toys, a beloved New Zeal...
Cartoons, Comedy & Creative Storytelling with Alex Leighton of Mukpuddy Animation
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann talks with Alex Leighton, co-founder and creative director of Mukpuddy Animation, one of New ...
Masters of Reality: The Kiwi Studio Behind Some Of Hollywood’s Darkest Scenes
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann chats with Caleb Thompson, award-winning visual effects artist and founder of Masters of Real...
Storyboarding A Minecraft Movie & LOTR: The Rings of Power With Dylan Coburn
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, Susan Mann talks with Dylan Coburn, a veteran storyboard artist, animator, and director whose career spa...
Why Mistakes Matter: Lessons in Creativity and Mentorship with Raymond McGrath
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Susan Mann speaks with Raymond McGrath — writer, illustrator, director, musician, and educator — about his diverse creative journ...
Building the Impossible with Carl Moody of Bootleg Design
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Managing Creative Studios, I sit down with Carl Moody, co-founder of Bootleg Design, the workshop behind some of New Zeal...
From Studio Life to Being Your Own Boss: Fraser Munro on Freelance Motion Design
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with animator Fraser Munro to trace his journey from a latchkey kid watching cartoons to becoming a seasoned animator and ...
Designing Outdoor Spaces for People… and Bats: Landscape Architecture with Lisa Jack
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you think “landscape architect,” you might picture someone planting a back lawn—but as Lisa reveals in this episode of Managing Creative St...
Making Advertising Fun Again: The Lean, Bold, All-Female Creative Agency, ANTI
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Amanda Chambers takes us on a rich journey through her remarkable career in advertising and production—from her early days at Flux A...
21 Years of Building Better Renders: The Story of Arch Viz Studio OTOH
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk with David and Jamie, the co-founders of One to One Hundred (OTOH), a leading architectural visualisation studio. From their ...
Disney vs Desk Job: Claire deZoete on Craft, Leadership & Creative Longevity
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we sit down with the incredibly talented Claire deZoete—animator, illustrator, and now studio manager at SkyCity Entertainment Group...