In today’s entertainment landscape, audiences don’t just watch, they participate.
For Vancouver-based Wind Sun Sky Entertainment CEO and founder Catherine Winder, this is more than a trend; it’s the foundation of a new storytelling model. Her company collaborates with world-class creators, platforms, and partners to produce original IPs, animation, gaming adaptations, and real-world activations that inspire and engage audiences globally.
At Mipcom 2025, Winder spoke to AnimationXpress about how her studio, which has been attending the market for three years, continues to evolve at the intersection of storytelling and technology, creating multi-platform brands that reach audiences wherever they are.
“We work at the intersection of storytelling and technology to create multi-platform brands for audiences,” shared Winder. “Every property we bring already has some level of audience awareness and fandom. Our goal is to meet audiences where they already are.”
Creators at the core of brand ecosystem
Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s DNA is deeply intertwined with the creator economy. Winder and her team work with established creators across platforms like YouTube and Roblox, transforming organic fandoms into scalable entertainment brands.
Among the company’s flagship collaborations is Like Nastya, one of the world’s largest family-friendly YouTubers, for whom they manage a global brand strategy that extends far beyond digital videos.
Another notable project, Camp McCarty, showcases how the company merges live-action and animation to build immersive “digital universes.” The project integrates directly into The McCarty’s family’s YouTube presence, using audience feedback to evolve its storytelling.
“We’re using audience engagement and YouTube to build this brand,” Winder explained. “It’s a way to test ideas with fans in real time before scaling up.”
Ecotainment: inspiring environmental action through joyful storytelling
Among Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s most innovative in-house IPs is Future Chicken, a short-form digital series that turns environmental education into fun, empowering storytelling or as Winder calls it, “ecotainment”.
The series, which has gained particular popularity in India, delivers climate literacy and eco-conscious messaging through humour and heart. Winder’s company has even partnered with Warrior Moms, a powerful Indian community of mothers advocating for clean air, to amplify its impact.
“Children today need to know that it’s going to be okay,” reflected Winder. “They want to help the planet, and we want to show them how, through positive, joyful storytelling.”
Available on YouTube and social media, Future Chicken also features real-world activations that bring its themes to life- a hallmark of Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s philosophy of blending digital engagement with tangible experiences.
From Roblox to the screen: expanding game worlds
Wind Sun Sky Entertainment has also been making strides in adapting popular gaming IPs into animation. The studio recently partnered with the creators of Creatures of Sonaria, a top Roblox game, to develop an animated series that captures the game’s vast and imaginative universe.
“It’s an incredibly rich world,” Winder noted. “We’re collaborating directly with the game’s creators to bring that universe to animation, while keeping the spirit that made the game so beloved.”
This partnership highlights Winder’s belief that future entertainment brands will emerge from interactive ecosystems where player-driven worlds become the next generation of storytelling IPs.
Early to the creator’s economy and ahead of the curve
Founded in 2016, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment was born digital-first. Long before ‘creator’s economy’ became an industry buzzword, Winder, who is a former Lucasfilm Animation executive producer, identified the growing power of online creators and community-based IP development. She attended Mipcom as the founder of Wind Sun Sky Entertainment three years ago.
“Three years ago, the industry still believed the traditional model would remain sustainable,” Winder reflected. “Now, everyone’s waking up to the fact that creators drive today’s content economy. The challenge for big companies is how to pivot, how to take a culture built on legacy systems and become nimble and innovative.”
By working directly with creators and embracing digital-first distribution, Winder positioned Wind Sun Sky to thrive in an era of disruption, one where adaptability and audience connection are key. She also feels that traditional studios must evolve rapidly embracing collaboration, interactivity, and a culture of creative agility.
“This is just the beginning of the disruption. We haven’t yet seen how significant the change is going to be,” she mentioned.
According to her, the shift toward creator-led content has also redefined the producer’s role.
“Producers used to create content and hand it off to distributors,” Winder said. “Today, they have to do everything- from funding and development to marketing and long-term engagement. That’s the new reality.”
It’s a holistic model that demands creativity, business acumen, and deep audience insight- qualities that have become synonymous with Wind Sun Sky’s approach.
Looking Ahead: scaling global collaborations
For the veteran producer, Mipcom remains a space to forge the partnerships that fuel Wind Sun Sky’s mission.
“We’re here to find like-minded, innovative partners who can help us scale these properties- brands that already have strong audiences and cultural relevance,” Winder concluded. “The response has been incredibly exciting.”
With titles like Future Chicken, Creatures of Sonaria, and Camp McCarty, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment continues to build bridges between digital creators, technology, and traditional entertainment, defining what the future of storytelling looks like.
