Hopefully this list of great companies will help you to choose who you want to partner with.
We make the list (which is not surprising). But we equally appreciate that we're not going to be perfect for every job. Running the Motion North event means we are pretty clued up on our peers, so we've listed some here that you may find useful. A list of companies that inspire us.
Formed in 2010, we're an Animation and Motion Design Studio that prides itself on being versatile, and not wedded to a house-style. We work direct with Brands, especially those in engineering, manufacturing, tech and product. We also partner with Creative Agencies to help bring big campaigns to life.
Services
The Cub Studio style is so distinctive that it's almost become a verb for 'playful, funny and character driven'. They are the experts in their style.
Cub has made its home in Brighton on the south coast of England and over more than a decade has built a diverse team of animators, designers and storytellers, working with clients including the Premier League, ESPN, Fox Sports, FIA, World Rugby, Team Canada, MasterClass, HelloFresh and Bremont.
Stop Motion is the original animation surely? So you've got to have some stop motion on the list. A+C, based in Margate, are a full-service stop-motion studio, built for speed, creativity and seamless production. They have world-class artists, production experts, and post teams under one roof, handling every stage from script to screen.
Quite uniquely in this field they work in both short-form and long-form animation across all platforms.
Found works with brands that define the future. They "translate complex ideas into elegantly refined stories." They are masters of exprimentation, using tools like Houdini to develop really complex and detailed animations. Definitely your company to go to if you're a high end brand.
Proud owners of the 'most appearances at Motion North' title, and rightly so. They've grown from a great studio, into is an expert team of design and motion specialists working with global brands. Just like our motto at MightyGiant, they are style agnostic, preferring to pick the right approach to tell the story.
Art&Graft have recently produced work for Google Deemind and a fantastic film to help explain Dyslexia.
Having started life as ani animation studio, they now work across a variety of brand touchpoints.
One of our Manchester neighours, Kilogramme are a fantastic animation studio. They make beautiful adverts, title sequences, museum pieces, explainers and public information films.
They are primarily a 2D animation company, but definitely a go to if you want illustrations brought to life with love and care.
A global powerhouse. Despite being a huge company, Buck still manage to look and feel like a craft lead boutique. One of the reasons we love them is their ability to retain character in their projects, regardless of the style or tools used.
They've worked with all the big brands, and more! Worth spending some time pouring through their archive.
Dada Projects is a female-led studio building an alternative future for 3D design. They use new technologies to produce unique animations that challenge convention and imagine speculative realities. Collaboration, experimentation and inclusivity are at the heart of their international work spanning commercial, cultural, fashion, tech and lifestyle.
As you'll see from their portfolio, they really push the high end of design, and world renowned for complex Houdini sequences.
FAQs
How to choose, who do you choose? What should we look for? Here's a few things to consider.
How do I choose the right animation studio for my brand?
Start with the work, not the pitch. Look at studios whose past projects solve a similar problem to yours — a story that needs telling, a product that needs explaining, or a brand that needs a distinct visual identity. A studio's showreel will tell you more about fit than a sales call will.
How long does a typical animation project take?
For a single explainer or product film, four to eight weeks is typical from brief to final delivery, covering scripting, storyboarding, build and revisions. Larger campaigns with multiple assets, or a full product range, take longer. The biggest schedule risk is usually internal sign-off, not the animation itself — worth building that time in upfront.
How do I choose the right animation studio for my brand?
Start with the work, not the pitch. Look at studios whose past projects solve a similar problem to yours — a story that needs telling, a product that needs explaining, or a brand that needs a distinct visual identity. A studio's showreel will tell you more about fit than a sales call will.
How much does a 3D animation project cost?
Cost depends on complexity, length, and how much design work is needed before animation starts — a 30-second product explainer using an existing 3D model costs far less than a two-minute piece built from scratch with full texturing and lighting. Most studios will scope a quote once they understand the brief, rather than working from a fixed rate card.