JOEL PILGER

Decorative
Who is behind this ecosystem.
Hi, I’m Joel Pilger.  For 20 years I helmed Impossible Pictures, navigating the challenges of running a top creative studio that was profitable, sustainable, and fun. It was both exhausting and thrilling. And I loved it.

Since exit, I’ve dedicated my life to helping creative founders like you likewise master the art of running a strong business.  What started as my own journey of figuring things out — without a roadmap — has turned into an obsession of creating the ecosystem that helps studios and their founders thrive.

Because I firmly believe that strong, healthy studios are essential to producing the creative content that the world so desperately needs.

This ecosystem I'm building is the culmination of my decades helming, advising, and building a global community. This community is comprised of hundreds of studios and production companies – based in more than 50 countries – spanning animation, motion, live action, sound, and experiential.

I can’t wait to share it with you. Together, let’s elevate your studio and redefine what’s possible.
20
years
Founder at Impossible Pictures.
10
years
Advisor to the world's leading studios.
500+
Studios advised. 50+ countries.
1
Mission: for founders, by founders.
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“What one thing...?”
People often ask, "What one thing made the biggest difference in Impossible's success?" My answer: mastering the business side.

After two decades running my studio followed by another decade advising studios worldwide, my mission is clear: helping founders like us run a strong business that unleashes our most brilliant creative work.

Why? Because I've been there—through the highs and lows of running a studio. Getting the job done. Winning new clients. Pitching huge campaigns. Making payroll. Unlike consultants, I know all those challenges, personally and intimately.

And now, I’m here to share the knowledge, wisdom, and methods that have elevated hundreds of studios around the globe.

YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES

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TRIBUTES

"Catalyst, Coach, Creator. Joel doesn't just talk about empowering creatives; he lives it."
Chris Do
Founder, CEO at TheFutur
"The Anthony Bourdain of motion design."
Ryan Summers
Creative Director at Spillt
"Joel, you stand for something that not a lot of people in our industry could recognize without you being the first."
Amanda Russell
Co-Founder & CD at Cream Studio
"Joel has that rare combination of experience, charisma, and a natural ability to explain complex ideas in a simple way. He’s kind of a unicorn."
Joey Korenman
Founder at School of Motion
"Joel is the person you need if you're looking for someone who can bridge the gap between creativity and business success."
Oscar Betancur
Chair of Advertising and Branding at SCAD
"You're the pied piper of independent studio ownership."
Robb Wagner
Founder x Experiential Artist at Stimulated-Inc.
"The Jumpstart accelerator was the compass we needed to find our own path and take Animagic to the next level."
David Calderon
Co-Founder and ECD at Animagic
"Guys and gals, listen to Joel Pilger. We repositioned ourselves under his guidance and thinking. It has changed our success rate dramatically for the better."
PJ Richardson
ECD & Co-Founder at Laundry
"Joel's passion and commitment to support global creative leaders in business is unrivaled."
Filippo Spiezia
"Bottom line, our industry is stronger and better because of Joel Pilger."
Ricardo Roberts
Co-Founder and EP at BIEN