The Official Wingfeather Podcast

In this Season 2 finale episode, Chris welcomes A.S. “Pete” Peterson, Story Editor for The Wingfeather Saga Season 3 and a longtime storyteller, playwright, and author. As Story Editor, Pete helps shape the narrative spine of the season—working closely with writers and the creative team to refine character arcs, strengthen themes, and ensure each episode fits into the larger story being Beyond animation, Pete is deeply involved in the creative community at The Rabbit Room, a Nashville-based arts collective founded to cultivate story, music, and art within a Christ-centered creative community. There he serves as Publisher of Rabbit Room Press and Artistic Director of Rabbit Room Theatre, helping develop books, stage productions, and gatherings like Hutchmoot that encourage artists to pursue meaningful storytelling. Pete is also the author of the historical adventure novels The Fiddler’s Gun and Fiddler’s Green, and a playwright whose works include The Battle of Franklin, an adaptation of Frankenstein, and The Hiding Place.

Learn more about The Rabbit Room by visiting rabbitroom.com

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Bill Breneisen, Supervising Director for Season 3 of The Wingfeather Saga, whose leadership helps shape the creative vision and storytelling across the series. Working closely with directors, storyboard artists, and the animation team, Bill helps guide each episode from early development through final animation, ensuring the tone, pacing, and performances stay true to the heart of the story. In this episode, he shares his approach to overseeing a season of animation, how collaboration across departments strengthens the storytelling, and what it takes to bring the world of Aerwiar to life on screen.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Marynia Gottfred, Post-Production Coordinator for Season 3 of The Wingfeather Saga, whose work helps keep the many moving pieces of post-production running smoothly behind the scenes. From managing schedules and coordinating across editorial, sound, and animation teams to ensuring deliveries stay on track, Marynia plays a key role in bringing each episode together. In this episode, she shares what it takes to guide a series through post, how collaboration shapes the final product, and why strong organization and communication are essential to finishing the story well.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

TIMECODES:

0:00:32 - Intro

0:01:51 - What is your current position/role on The Wingfeather Saga?

0:04:52 - How do you track everything?

0:06:18 - How do you manage projects?

0:08:10 - Organization!!!

0:10:29 - How do you contribute artistically?

0:12:48 - What made you want to work in animation?

0:15:32 - Where did you study?

0:16:58 - Highlight from Season 3!

0:20:39 - Animatics for Season 4 and 5 and Post-Production Discussion

0:27:50 - Leadership!!!

This week, Chris welcomes Benjamin Botkin, Composer for Season 3 of The Wingfeather Saga, whose musical vision helps bring the world of Aerwiar to life through rich themes, emotional motifs, and dynamic scoring. Beyond composing the season’s unforgettable soundtrack, Benjamin collaborates closely with directors, editors, and sound designers to ensure the music enhances every moment of the story. In this episode he shares his approach to crafting memorable themes, how he balances tone and character through music, and why building emotional connection through score is essential to the series’ impact.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Stephen Mitchell, CG Coordinator on the Wingfeather Saga Animated Series, who in addition to managing the artists in the CG department also contributes his own voice and art to the series through modeling, animation and other disciplines. Stephen plays the role of Coordinator as someone who champions his team to not only create the assets that are needed in Season 4, but also makes sure that they stay encouraged and motivated as the season progresses. In this episode he shares his mindset on why it's important to support artists during production, the different approaches to making an asset, and what it's like to work simultaneously in production and art.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Chris Vlaha, Unreal Engine Technical Artist on The Wingfeather Saga Animated Series and a key creative force behind bringing Ban Rona to life in Season 4. Working at the intersection of artistry and technology, Chris plays a vital role in shaping character performance, movement, and emotion inside Unreal Engine, collaborating closely with artists and animators to turn creative intent into real-time execution. In this episode, he shares behind-the-scenes insights into developing Ban Rona, problem-solving within a cutting-edge animation pipeline, and what excites him most about the future of The Wingfeather Saga.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Keith Lango — Co-Founder of Shining Isle Productions, as well as Head of Production, and Executive Producer of The Wingfeather Saga Animated Series. Keith brings decades of experience in animation and visual storytelling, with a career spanning feature animation, television, and independent projects. Widely respected for his understanding of performance, character, and craft, he has built a reputation as both a creative leader and an innovator in animation production. With a passion for pushing the medium forward, Keith played a pivotal role in developing the Unreal Engine animation pipeline for The Wingfeather Saga, helping shape not only how the series looks, but how it is made. His leadership bridges artistry and technology, creating a production model that supports both creative excellence and sustainable workflows.

As Co-Founder of Shining Isle Productions and a driving force behind the series, Keith has helped guide the vision and execution of The Wingfeather Saga from the ground up. In this episode, he talks about building a studio, scaling a creative team, the challenges and breakthroughs of developing a real-time animation pipeline, and what it means to steward a story like Wingfeather. You’ll also hear behind-the-scenes insights, lessons learned along the way, and what excites him most about the future of the series. All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Grace Wall — Script and Casting Coordinator for The Wingfeather Saga. Grace plays a vital role in shaping the storytelling and supporting the casting process, helping ensure that performances and scripts stay true to the heart of the original novels. She works closely with the creative team to navigate adaptation challenges, preserve character integrity, and translate the beloved world of Aerwiar from page to screen.

In this episode, Grace shares what it’s like bridging the gap between book and script, how casting choices influence story development, and the behind-the-scenes collaboration that helps each episode feel authentic to longtime fans and new audiences alike. You’ll also hear about her approach to adaptation, memorable moments from the creative process, and a few production surprises.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This week, Chris welcomes Neal Harmon — Co-Founder and CEO of Angel. Neal has helped pioneer a new model for film and television distribution, empowering audiences to directly support and champion the stories they want to see in the world. Under his leadership, Angel has become one of the most disruptive platforms in entertainment, backing breakout projects like The Chosen, Sound of Freedom, and The Wingfeather Saga.

With a passion for mission-driven storytelling and innovative business models, Neal has built Angel into a creator-friendly ecosystem that blends technology, community, and faith-forward values. In this episode, he talks about the vision behind Angel’s growth, what it takes to scale a values-based media company, and how audience participation is reshaping the future of entertainment. You’ll also hear his perspective on creative risk, cultural impact, and why projects like The Wingfeather Saga represent a new standard for independent family storytelling.

All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.

MERRY CHRISTMAS: This week, Chris welcomes Brock Starnes — COO and Executive Producer of The Wingfeather Saga. Brock brings decades of experience in animation, branding, and family entertainment, beginning his career at Big Idea (VeggieTales) before earning his Master’s degree from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.

With a passion for building memorable brands and stories, Brock has produced episodic television, campaigns, branded products, and immersive experiences. He spent a decade as Partner at Brentwood Studios, developing and managing media properties across animation, publishing, and new media.

In 2021, Brock joined Shining Isle Productions, where he now serves as COO and Executive Producer of The Wingfeather Saga—the largest crowdfunded animated family series of all time. In this episode, he talks about guiding a creative team at scale, the business and vision behind launching Season 3, and how Shining Isle is shaping new standards for high-quality family storytelling. You’ll also hear about his approach to brand-building, what makes Wingfeather a special kind of franchise, and a few surprises from behind the scenes. All episodes of Season 3 are now streaming on Angel!

To watch The Wingfeather Saga, visit: wingfeathersaga.com

Follow The Wingfeather Saga on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: @wingfeathersaga

A Shining Isle Production

Theme Music: “Lively Tavern” by Alexander Nakarada — licensed under CC BY 4.0.