Nick Dorra
Nick Dorra
I built and ran the Angry Birds animation studio, scaling it from 10 to 110 artists. I was service studio producer on Merry Little Batman for Warner Bros. Animation. Since 2023 I've been figuring out what AI tools can actually do for an animated project: What actually works when you have a deadline, a budget, and a client who expects things to look right.
Six months ago I went all-in: I pivoted to running a one-person AI animation studio out of Helsinki. Since then I've delivered 3 short films, 2 sales trailers, and a music video, all commissioned work, using AI tools at varying degrees across everything except the edit and audio.
What I've learned is that the interesting problems live at the handover points where AI output goes into traditional tools and back into the pipeline. You need a human eye at those stages, but the tools genuinely save you weeks of work.
I've also been building my own tools. Earlier this year I built an OpenClaw agent: a Technical Director that manages ComfyUI pipelines and also keeps track of the latest updates across all kinds of AI tools so I don't have to. Building with these tools, and not just reading about them, is how I stay useful.
The AI work sits on top of my 25 years of traditional production experience. I've consulted for major European broadcasters on generative AI workflows and legal frameworks, done R&D for series and feature film pipelines, and helped indie producers figure out development and financing strategy. The common thread is the same: figuring out how to get good work made within real constraints.
My August 2025 AI showreel (I know, I need to update this...):
Nick Dorra is an animation producer and practitioner working at the intersection of traditional production and AI tools. He spent 25 years in animation, rising from production assistant to studio head. He built and ran the Angry Birds animation studio at Rovio, scaling it from 10 to 110 artists, and was service studio producer on Merry Little Batman for Warner Bros. Animation. His credits also include work with ILM/Star Wars and Hasbro/Transformers.
Since 2023, Nick has focused on what AI tools can practically deliver for animated productions. He now runs a one-person AI animation studio out of Helsinki, delivering commissioned shorts, sales trailers, and music videos. He writes about the realities of AI in production in his weekly newsletter, File under..., and speaks regularly at industry events like MIPCOM and MIPTV, Cartoon Springboard, and Kilkenny Animated. He is based in Helsinki, Finland.