an animated comedy about the ultimate battle for self-discovery

the film is about

A quiet kid named Aaron who is making a character for his gaming club contest when he gets bullied at school.

When his rage AND his bullies follow him home, Aaron’s angry voices come alive as multiple versions of the character he’s working on to defend him.

Throughout the story, Aaron has to grapple with the way his anger gets in the way or helps fuel his goal.

our take on anger

We live in an age where the fury of a boy feels dangerous and unpredictable.

An angry kid can walk into a school and execute everyone he associates with his pain. A moment of humiliation can lead to suicide. A digital bully can follow him home -- stoking isolation and rage well past the public stage and into his inner sanctum.

At the same time, ANGER can be a powerful force of transformation and forward movement. Rumination, rage, fury, and these nuanced emotions serve a purpose in our lives. They are protective instincts that we muster on our behalf. But stories that walk through an experience of anger and reveal how it moves within us are SERIOUSLY LACKING.

By telling a story focusing on boys' mental health struggles, Release the Beast helps break down the stigma surrounding anger and creates a space for boys to explore how their emotions play a part in their lives.

DONATE

If you are excited about expanding the conversation around boys’ mental health and the tip into extremism, please consider donating.

We are actively fundraising for the production of this film and activations. Make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, The Film Collaborative.
Or send a message to Erica or Todd here about other ways you’d like to support the projects.

this is aaron

Fifteen years old, Aaron’s not much of a talker.

He’s a CREATIVE kid who likes to draw and design gaming characters.

He sometimes gets overwhelmed by conflict.

When he’s angry, he’s not sure what to do about his feelings.

meet the stans

Stan is a fierce gaming character Aaron has is creating for a contest at his school’s gaming club.

A tough-guy hero designed for battle, Stan reflects Aaron's inner anger.

With countless sketches, a childhood statuette, sticky notes filled with expression tests, and even a felted SoftStan —
Stan has many facets, as do the angry voices in our head.

CGStan - Human Scale - Given to Rumination - MoCap Animation

For Aaron, the Stans are REAL.

Despite their wildly inappropriate methods, the Stans have good intentions as they share a primary directive — Protect their kid.

When faced with threats, these animated personifications of anger come alive, offering commentary, coaching, and attempting to influence Aaron's actions.

The Stans’ anger ranges from rage to fury to rumination.

They come to life through multiple animation styles — stop motion, limited 2D, AI-generated weirdness, and gaming-style mo-cap.

All reflects a teenage boy's raw emotions on a quest to confront his bully and move through his pain.

The Stans’ unhinged fury results in a fun and chaotic story that delves into the visceral experience of a teen coming to terms with his emotions.

Activate

Our films move you and move you to act.

We do this by creating activations for each film that offer a character-driven opportunity to explore themes and practical ways to get involved.

For Release The Beast, our activations and education campaign will focus on self-awareness and anger management.

Like an immersive experience on Fortnight that personalizes the exploration of anger that Aaron goes through in the film, allowing audiences to expand their own relationship to this powerful emotion. Transforming it from a solely destructive force into a source of growth and empowerment.

Or a chance to meet the Stans on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Discord, where they will star in ‘creator’ style videos that take a humorous and character-driven approach to unpacking self-talk, anger management, and navigating relationships — IRL and digital.

DONATE

Are you committed to expanding the conversation around boys’ mental health?

Are you curious about how an animated film can change our relationship to anger?

We are actively fundraising for the production of this film and activations.

Please make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, The Film Collaborative.
Or message Erica or Todd here about other ways you’d like to support the projects.

the team

Written and directed by Erica Milsom, and produced by Todd Shaiman, both former Pixar Leaders, this story results from a collaboration between gamers, animation nerds, artists, technical adventurers, and a clinical psychiatrist.

It’s our way of exploring anger -- what it feels like, how to move through it, and how it manifests in the modern-day landscape of teenagers' lives, where multiple planes of existence are the norm.