Theteam

Javier is a director, communicator, and co-founder of Contanimation. For years, he directed more than 100 episodes across different preschool YouTube animated series, while also creating multiple personal animation projects on the side.

Alongside his day job, he teamed up with fellow industry professionals to build his own projects and took them to events like Cartoon Springboard, NextLab, and Bridging in the Gap, along with countless forums across the animation industry, chasing financing to bring them to life. During this time, he also founded El Gremio, the gathering that brings together animators and illustrators in the Canary Islands.

In 2019, he started digging into new, almost experimental ways to make animation, a search that led him to the first AI tool prototypes, where he set out to find better ways to produce his projects, always putting the story first. Along the way, he founded Birras Sintéticas, Spain's first meeting point for AI artists, and has given talks on using AI in animation at places like Instituto Cervantes, ECAM, and Reanimania.

In 2023, when Guillermo called him about Runway's second GEN:48 contest, he said yes without thinking twice. The technology was almost ready, and this was the shot they'd been chasing for years.

Three years, ten short films, and multiple international awards later, Contanimation is the studio where Javier directs and keeps chasing better ways to tell stories with AI.

Guillermo Miranda is a director and co-founder of Contanimation. For the past 8 years, he has directed animation for biotech and pharma, building his own business and training the next generation of medical animators through his online course.

After film school, he worked as a TV video editor before he switched to 3D animation, the perfect blend of two of his passions: cinema and fine arts. He met Javier at animation school, where they played music together and became close friends.

Guillermo decided the animation industry wasn't for him. Too many departments, too many specializations, and stories he didn't dream about. So he kept exploring new ways to tell stories and express himself, leading experimental VR projects and creating tons of abstract 3D work before finding Medical Animation, a niche he fell in love with. There, he learned to produce animations with small international teams, optimize workflows and systems, and run efficient productions built on generalist roles.

Back in 2023, he saw Runway's second GEN:48 contest and called Javi to ask him to participate together. Making the animated films they actually dreamed about on the side of a day job felt impossible for many years, but what about making one in 48h?

Three years, ten short films and multiple international awards later, Contanimation became the studio where Guillermo directs, edits, and builds the systems that let a small team work like a big one.