FutureGaze: The Future of Animation
10th February 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM GMT
Join us for FutureGaze, a series of online lunchtime conversations that explore the future of our creative industries and practices.
Brought to you by Creative Edinburgh and in partnership with Edinburgh Futures Institute, FutureGaze has been designed for those eager to explore the future of our creative industries and practices.
Hosted by Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative for the Edinburgh Futures Institute, each session features inspiring conversations with creative leaders who’ve driven innovation and transformation in their work – whether in business, the arts, academia, or beyond.
Together, we’ll explore what the future holds for the creative and cultural sector through their experiences and insights.
February’s Discussion
Join us for the eleventh instalment of the FutureGaze series, which will focus on the future of animation and the technological advances happening in and around animation as well as the impact on the sector as a whole.
In this discussion we’ll ask:
What is involved in the craft of animation and how is this being developed now and into the future?
How will craft skills develop and what is the importance of storytelling in an AI world?
How will the industry itself change through technological advancements and what it will adopt?
What changes can we expect in commissioning by streaming platforms, and where animated content is being used in other industries?
And of course, how will AI and ML affect the work flow pipeline and the creative process through the development of GenAI and the industry response to that?
We will also look at the future of the MOVE Summit in gathering the community in Scotland and connecting the sector internationally and its role in talent and industry development moving forward.
In this FutureGaze session, we’ll explore what this all means for the future of animation in Scotland.
Speaker Biographies
Tom Bryant is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Cahoots Studios, an Edinburgh based animation and visual effects studio. Cahoots Studios creates blindingly awesome work for commercials, children’s television, games and film.
In 2008 Tom founded his first animation studio, Interference Pattern to co-create the animated short film, The Lost Thing and worked as the project’s lead 3D artist. The film went on to win the 2011 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, amongst its many festival successes.
In 2017 Tom co-founded MOVE Summit and has been Operations Director for the past 8 years. For 2026 he again takes the helm as event Director.
As Creative Director of Cahoots Studios, Tom’s focus is on maintaining the exacting creative standards that the studio is known for, bringing new creative ideas and workflows to the studios processes and work, and driving business growth.
Victoria Watson graduated as an animator in 2006 from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee. Since then Victoria has worked as Producer / Director in live action and all forms of animation. She has worked on a number of short films, commercials and television series, for clients such as Netflix, BBC, Disney, etc.
In 2017 Victoria joined Rhona Drummond in running Eyebolls. Eyebolls (Showreel) is an award-winning all singing, all dancing, full service studio based in Edinburgh. We create and produce content for TV shows, films, creative advertising and experiential agencies. We are passionate about collaboration and specialise and take pride in pulling together the right team for each individual project, whether it’s live-action, animation or merging the two worlds. We actively seek out new and fresh talent to compliment existing collaborators, and we morph workflows, push boundaries and adapt styles so that no two eyes are the same.
Caroline Parkinson is Director of Creative at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, focusing on supporting innovation in data and creative technologies for the creative industries. Previously, she has led her own consultancy business, served as Director of Film, TV, Music, Creative Industries, Skills & Innovation in the early years of Creative Scotland, and before that, she was Director, Scotland & Northern Ireland for Creative & Cultural Skills.
Her early creative life included ballet and rhythmic gymnastics, fashion, singing in bands for over 30 years, and photography, becoming a professional photographer in 1999. She serves on the Board of Architecture & Design Scotland, and for 8 years has served in a voluntary capacity as Strategic Director and Presenter of the MOVE Summit, Scotland’s Animation and VFX Gathering.
