Studio Gilay

Studio Gilay is a majority Indigenous-owned animation, design and visual storytelling production company based on Gadigal Country in Sydney, Australia. Established in 2021, the studio brings First Nations perspectives to screen productions, broadcast identities, cultural installations and public artworks. Its formation continued the business behind Hackett Films and Studio Hackett, with the existing legal entity renamed to support the new partnership.

The studio works across entertainment, education, cultural interpretation and commercial communication. Its production capabilities encompass traditional and digital 2D animation, 3D character animation, motion design, stop-motion and mixed media. Projects can extend from concept development, writing and storyboarding through rigging, animation, compositing and final delivery. Live-action production provides another strand of its practice, including documentary, drama and combinations of filmed footage with animation.

Screen storytelling and design

Studio Gilay develops original narratives alongside commissioned work for broadcasters, streaming platforms and production partners. Its screen projects include the five-part adult animated comedy Cooked, animated dream sequences for Back to the Outback, and the animated documentary Un-Locked. Broadcast design work includes opening titles for Play School, Black Snow and Top End Bub, alongside documentary graphics, explainers and character-based educational content.

Stories in public spaces

Beyond conventional screens, the studio creates architectural projections, interactive experiences and museum installations. Its work has appeared on the Sydney Opera House sails, the Australian National Maritime Museum rooftop and the National Portrait Gallery facade during Canberra’s Enlighten Festival. These projects translate visual storytelling into large-scale experiences shaped for buildings, exhibitions and public gatherings.

Cultural consultation and community engagement form part of the studio’s production offering. It works with Indigenous Elders, creative practitioners and knowledge holders to inform representation, cultural protocols and collaborative storytelling. Its clients and commissioning partners span film and television, cultural institutions, public agencies and commercial brands, reflecting a practice that connects narrative development with animation, design and place-based interpretation.