Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andres Rossi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andres, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I was an art director at MTV networks in Buenos Aires and decided to leave the city I grew up in order to live surrounded by nature in a town in the mountains of Argentina. I took the risk without having clients of my own or the security of a regular job. It was a life-changing risk that worked for the best, The quality of life, and constant contact with nature helped me to stay creative and succeed in my line of work with a great and healthy work/life balance philosophy. Today, I lead Wildthings, a boutique commercial animation studio where walks in nature, brainstorming sessions by the river, and meetings outdoors are a regular part of our day-to-day. Our clients have included Disney, Nickelodeon, and MTV, among others, and we love to work on projects that are aligned with our lifestyle.

Andres, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an Argentina-based animation leader and director with deep experience in animation, design, and illustration for animated storytelling. I am also the founder of Wildthings, a boutique commercial animation studio.

I graduated as a Graphic designer from the university and started working in branding, at the same time I was exploring street art. I wanted at that moment to continue my studies in film school because I’ve always been a fan of films, but after attending a few animation conferences I was hooked and realized it was a medium where I could explore both my passions. So I started to learn a lot on my own and then attended several courses and programs on animation, After Effects, Frame by frame, etc. then I worked in several animation studios where I learned a lot, starting as a designer animator and developing into an art and animation director. I was then contacted by MTV networks where I worked full-time as an Art Director and Creative Producer. It was at that time that I was longing for a change in lifestyle and wanted to live more in contact with nature. So I decided to take a leap of faith and leave the security of my job, in order to live surrounded by nature in the mountains and start at the same time my freelance career. It was a bold move that really paid off.

After several years of freelancing and directing for other studios, I decided to create a studio of my own, where people from all over the world come to work and live the experience of working in a creative field from the wild. Here we are passionate about our craft, we work surrounded and inspired by nature in the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina, constantly seeking the balance between quality of life, contact with nature, and work to stay creative. We love working on projects and themes that are aligned with our values.

I am also a passionate animation teacher and mentor. In addition to leading Wildthings, I’m the founder of Espacio el Molino, an animation and audiovisual training, and cultural events space nestled in the beautiful mountains of the Sierras de Córdoba.

I am also a proud advocate for Down syndrome awareness and equality.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

To enjoy what I do and push myself and others to improve at our craft, working surrounded and inspired by Nature, while I seek an effective work/life balance. From the wild but with a global mindset, I believe that teamwork and collaboration are the main basis for growth so I love collaborating candidly with other creatives and with my clients, getting involved in the entire creative process in subjects and projects that motivate me and that are aligned with our core values, such as wildlife, ecology, renewable energies, environment-friendly content, equality, and overall human behavior. My goal is also to fulfill these objectives and themes by crafting high-standard visuals, and I put my best into it.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

In terms of animation, I’d say study the basic principles first. In terms of running a studio, I wish I knew more about financial knowledge early in my career. I think as most artists do, we don’t pay much attention to financial resources and understanding nor is it taught to us.
But having a basic understanding of how money works can really make a difference and make your business thrive.
Not only for your studio finances but also to provide effective and creative solutions to your clients.
I believe it is another creative tool that you can and should use.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wildthings.site
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildthings.studio www.instagram.com/andresrossi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildthings.design.animation
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossiandres/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/wildthingsanimation https://www.behance.net/wildthings-studio