About

Hackett Films decided it was time to have a name that suits its multi-disciplinary approach, hence Studio Hackett. We still love motion graphics, animation and live-action but we also love design, digital education and illustration and our new name encompasses all that we do.

If you have a project, let’s work together!

Our Team

  • James Hackett

    Creative Director

    James has guided the studio creatively and as a business since the early 2000s. His eye for design is remarkable. His technical knowledge, second to none. James is internationally regarded for his work and his skills and experience have enabled Studio Hackett to work in sectors that range from broadcast TV to educational games. His expertise is the lynchpin between story and design. James loves getting to the heart of a character and is happy directing live-action talent or animated characters. In his spare time, he has written a young adult fiction novel set in 2041 (coming to a bookstore and your Kindle very soon!).

  • Sabina Pjetrovic

    Senior Producer & Business Development

    Sabina comes to us all the way from the great state of Texas y’all, with a university degree in Video/Film Production. She has a wealth of content agency and account management experience, working on content for clients such as Volkswagon, United Airlines (US), Cancer Council & Stockland. From TVCs to magazines, Sabina has worked with brands strategically to create meaningful content that does everything from entertain to educate. She has always been a world traveller, calling Argentina & the UK home for brief stints and finally settling in Sydney for the past 8 years. She recently spent two months traveling around Africa and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, where she claims she almost died. We are glad she didn’t, as she has been a bubbly and energetic addition to the Studio Hackett team.

  • Zoe Jones-McLeod

    Producer & Production Manager

    Zoe grew up in a family full of artists. With a natural eye for artistic composition and a forced progression into organising and managing creatives, Production was the perfect fit. After studying Theatre/Media at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Zoe saved up her pennies by managing a DVD store in Sydney then jetted off to the US, travelling from LA to NYC in an RV. She then began her Production career while living in Toronto, Ontario and progressed here in Sydney working with various production companies in both live-action and post-production. Zoe has an incredible eye for detail and a love for all things film.

  • Bryn Desmond-Jones

    Lead Animator / Designer

    Bryn specialises in beautiful design and elegant animation. He can traverse the dimensions; having the rare ability to work in 3D or 2D. Bryn is passionate about his work and when he’s not here with us he is hanging with his zine mates from Beef Knuckles. He has worked at Resolution and many other fine establishments in Sydney and Melbourne. BDJ has a BA and MA, he studied all things interactive and animation at Sydney College of the Arts and later at RMIT.

  • Michael Mascarenas

    Animator / Designer

    Whether it’s animating, compositing, shooting stop-mo, or modelling 3D characters Michael’s inspired by all forms of animation. He’s comfortable working in 2D and 3D and if there’s a technical challenge out there that he hasn’t yet got his head around, then he’ll be on it while listening to 80’s disco bangers! After six months freelancing with us and six months at the ABC, Michael joined Studio Hackett full-time. His love for finding a creative and/or technical solution was a major influence on his time tutoring and demonstrating a 3D course over at UTS, from which he also graduated with honours. Got a problem? Not a problem! Like a cuppa? He’s got mad tea skillz too!

  • Darcy Green

    Director's Assistant

    Darcy graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and holds a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). As a director, Darcy is interested in Australian stories and, in particular, new Australian work. Darcy is always up for a quick game of ping pong if you’re game.

     

What our clients say

  • "Hackett Films are fantastic at turning raw concepts in to reality. They worked really closely with us at BLOKE to turn a character idea we had for the Maritime Museum in to a fully realised TVC and they added so much to the process along the way. Nothing is ever too much for James, Sarah and the team and they always go the extra mile."

    Bloke — Mike O’Rourke

  • "The combination of talents they bring to the table - highly original thinking, a deep sense of commitment to making ideas work within sometimes limited resources, and an unblemished record of delivering on time and at the highest possible standard - makes them, in my view, the gold standard of creative companies in Australian television."

    Zapruder’s Other Films – Andrew Denton

  • "We have been particularly delighted with the collaborative and iterative approach the team at Hackett have taken to working with us, and we have loved the new ideas they have introduced that have challenged us to think about how we expand our brand."

    Orygen – Kerryn Pennell

  • "Bringing vision, expertise and a highly skilled, passionate team to the table. Studio Hackett are a professional and innovative studio. They were able to collaborate and successfully navigate the inherent challenges of co-production to create the unique design that is 'dirtgirlworld', a 52 x 11 minute, groundbreaking preschool series."

    Mememe Productions – Cate McQuillen & Hewey Eustace

Facilities

Studio Hackett is based at The Commons in Chippendale, only a 5 minute stroll from Central Station. In this beautifully refurbished brick warehouse we have access to a photography studio, a maker space, a podcast studio, and an outdoor basketball court, not to mention that the entire building is powered by 100% renewable energy. Come around for a meeting, we’ll make you a great cup of tea.

Contact us