If you’re an animator planning to head west, make sure to look at our list of the best animation studios Los Angeles and surrounding areas have to offer.
Certainly, in this article, we will examine several leading animation studios Los Angeles is home to, along with their newest projects and available job opportunities.
Prepared? Let’s get going!
20th Century Animation
Functioning under 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Animation is celebrated for its various forms of animation. As one of the top animation studios Los Angeles has to offer, the styles of the studio encompass classic animation and computer-generated imagery.
Its influence is evident in recent movies like Avatar: The Way of Water and The Bob’s Burgers Movie, in addition to cherished classics such as Ice Age. It continues to set benchmarks for animation studios in California and remains a leading name among animation companies in LA.
20th Television Animation
Formerly known as Fox Television Animation, the animators at 20th Television Animation created some of the most cherished animated series on television. Their works include Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Bob’s Burgers.
Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios handles everything, featuring excellent animation. As one of the prominent animation studios Los Angeles offers, the studio has just invested approximately $20 million in Superplastic, a studio focused on character design and animation.
Their goal is to create animated content suitable for every age group, ranging from kids (Costume Quest and Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny) to grown-ups (The Boys Presents: Diabolical and Terrahawks). This move further positions Amazon Studios among the biggest anime studios making waves in the industry today.
Read also: CGI Animation: Best Software, Techniques, and Trends Explained
Avatar Studios
As a member of the Nickelodeon family, Avatar Studios covers the Avatar: The Last Airbender realm and features series, short films, and full-length movies in a unique combination of 2D and computer-generated animation. Based in one of the top animation studios in Burbank, the studio continues to lead in creativity and innovation.
The studio plans to launch six new projects – three films and three series – by the year 2028, solidifying its place among the leading animation studios Los Angeles is known for. If you’re passionate about animated storytelling, exploring Avatar Studios careers could be your next big opportunity. You can expect the initial release from that slate in 2025.
Cartoon Network Studios
This one targets millennials: Founded in 1994, CN Studios is renowned for classic cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Johnny Bravo.
Currently, it concentrates on developing shows for Cartoon Network and Cartoonito. Its latest projects feature titles such as Cocomelon and The New Looney Tunes.
Digital Domain
Digital Domain is an animation studio known for its proficiency in visual effects, thanks to its work on feature films within the esteemed Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). You can see its effect in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avengers: Endgame.
DreamWorks Animations
DreamWorks Animation is known for iconic films like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, and Puss in Boots. It also oversees programs such as Go, Dog, Go!, The Croods: Family Tree, and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.
Hasbro Studios
Hasbro established its animation division in 2009. Since that time, its animators have created more than 1,500 half-hour episodes, with each segment inspired by some of the brand’s legendary properties, including Magic: The Gathering and Play-Doh. Upcoming additions feature Transformers 5, GI Joe 3, and Micronauts.
Industrial Light & Magic
Established by George Lucas in 1975, Industrial Light & Magic – commonly referred to as ILM – is a groundbreaking studio. They were the pioneers in developing a main character that combined computer generation, human-like skin, and lifelike hair.
The ILM team was the pioneer in producing a completely computer-generated character in a live-action movie utilizing motion capture technology. This took the shape of Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode 1.
Lucasfilm Animation
Founded in 2003, Lucasfilm Animation serves as the animation division of Lucasfilm, the company responsible for the Star Wars franchise. It is certainly one of the leading animation studios operating in California.
In just two decades, it has created some of the most famous animated franchises in Hollywood, along with associated films, series, and video games. Its impact is clear in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.
Luma Pictures
At Luma Pictures, there are no boundaries. Besides character animation, Luma animators can also design environments, complete CG, and creatures.
The studio manages numerous renowned projects across various formats. Nonetheless, in regard to animation, you can see its contributions in I Am Groot, Loki, Spider-Man, and Deadpool.
Mana Animation
Mana describes itself as an animation studio and collective of directors, ensuring a rich abundance of creativity. Its latest projects comprise Marvel Snap and Robot Chicken; clients include Hewlett Packard, Kiehl’s, and the Top Employer’s Institute.
If you’re starting your animation career, it’s crucial to recognize that they provide internships throughout the year as well.
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Marvel Animation
Functioning as a division of the famous Marvel Studios, Marvel Animation, Inc. has been producing internationally-admired superhero movies, shows, and mini-series since 2008.
Its projects, available on streaming services such as Hulu and Disney+, feature Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Spidey and his Amazing Friends.
Marvel Studios
Purchased by Walt Disney Company for $4 billion in 2009, Marvel Studios is the birthplace of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and everything it encompasses, including movies and series.
Since that acquisition, it has launched numerous television series and 31 films related to the MCU, with the most popular being Iron Man, The Avengers, Loki, and WandaVision.
Method Studios
Although primarily marketed as a worldwide VFX firm, Method Studios is also renowned for its animation, CGI, and additional services. You can see its contributions in Thor: Love and Thunder, Ms. Marvel, and Moon Knight.
Monkeyhead
Monkeyhead is capable of handling everything, including animation, VFX, live-action, web design, and branding. Although they aren’t involved in feature films or episodes, they collaborate with truly remarkable clients such as Walmart, Disney+, TBS, ESPN, Hasbro, and others.
MTV Animation
MTV initially established itself in the realm of animation in 1991, shortly thereafter introducing MTV Animation. Since that time, it has become recognized for creating cartoons rich in dark humor and relevant pop culture allusions.
You can witness its impact firsthand in Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria, South Park, and others.
Netflix Animation
Netflix has been creating original animated content for roughly 10 years, but it’s clear that the streaming powerhouse is committed to it. Actually, it allocated nearly $5 billion for it just last year.
The studio ultimately relocated its operations internally in 2018. Since that time, it has developed cherished and instantly identifiable series and characters like Hilda, Love, Death & Robots, and BoJack Horseman.
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Anyone raised in the 90s knows that Nickelodeon Animation is responsible for many of the most legendary animated characters in kids’ TV. This encompasses (but isn’t restricted to) Spongebob Squarepants, CatDog, Doug, and Dora the Explorer. Its latest programs feature Paw Patrol, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Baby Shark’s Big Show, Blue’s Clues & You, Bubble Guppies, and The Adventures of Paddington.
It’s wonderful to mention that the studio provides residencies and writing programs as well.
Paramount Animation
For over a decade, Paramount Animation has established its reputation by producing animated and hybrid-animated films that showcase cherished characters such as Spongebob Squarepants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Among its latest and upcoming projects are Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Pixar
Since 1996, Pixar has produced numerous highly regarded and critically successful animated movies globally.
Now, it functions within Walt Disney Studios, which means Pixar has gained recognition as a household name due to its collection of projects. You can observe it in products such as the Toy Story series, Monsters, Inc., and Inside Out, with Inside Out 2 being the highest-grossing animated movie ever.
Powerhouse Animation Studios
As a comprehensive creative agency, Powerhouse truly embodies what its name suggests – a powerhouse.
Their team is in charge of the kind of work that appears on TV, in films and video games, as well as in corporate explanatory videos. Its showcase features Master of the Universe: Revelation, Sonic Frontiers: Divergence, and Castlevania.
Side note: If you seek less a full-time animation position and more a side hustle opportunity, they are consistently looking to grow their pool of freelancers.
Rough Draft Studios
Since the early nineties, Rough Draft Studios has been producing award-winning animations (in both traditional and computer-generated styles) for primetime television. Its work can be observed on platforms such as Netflix (Disenchantment), SYFY and Hulu (Futurama), YouTube (Clash-A-Rama), and TBS (Tarantula).
ShadowMachine
ShadowMachine is a versatile studio. It functions and produces projects in every animation style, encompassing stop-motion and traditional, and collaborates on works for film, television, and music videos.
Its projects, which feature Guillermo del Toro’s recent adaptation of Pinocchio, BoJack Horseman, and Final Space, are available on networks and platforms like TBS, HBO, and Netflix.
Six Point Harness
In the past two decades, Six Point Harness has evolved into an animation powerhouse. Today, the company has received multiple Emmys and Academy Awards, including for their works Hair Love, Waffles + Mochi, Black-ish, Dietland, and Cosmos: Possible Worlds.
Sony Pictures Animation
Set up as a unit within Sony Pictures in 2002. Sony Pictures Animation has grown its portfolio of award-winning feature-length animated films as well as franchises. Most noteworthy among them is Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, as well as the famous Hotel Transylvania, Open Season, and The Smurfs franchises.
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Even though Sony Pictures Imageworks is a different division of Sony Pictures, it is more focused on the effects of animation. It specializes in photorealistic live-action visual effects, character and creature animation, and CGI. The people who built this strong have worked on The Mitchells Vs. the Machines, Vivo, and Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse.
Titmouse Inc.
Titmouse’s tagline encapsulates it perfectly: We create cartoons. Titmouse boasts three studios and over 700 employees, allowing its services to extend beyond television to include film, commercial projects, branded materials, and digital content. Its projects have been showcased on AppleTV+ (Frog and Toad, Harriet the Spy), Netflix (Trivia Quest), and HBO (HBO Backstories: Barry), among others.
Vanguard Film & Animation
Known as Vanguard Animation, this studio emerged as the producer and creator of the Shrek franchise, which features Puss in Boots. Other timeless family favorites it’s known for are How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Valiant, and Gnome Alone.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Disney Animations is single handedly the most respected animation studio to ever exist, and so we made sure to place it on our top favorites. Some of the world’s most famous films, like The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, The Lion King, and many more, were produced under Disney. But these are not always in the same format; in case you are looking for something different, this is a place to consider the use of 2D animation, hand-drawn animations, and even 3D animations.
Walt Disney Television Animation
Disney TVA, another division of Walt Disney, is responsible for producing the worldwide famous TV animated series, feature films, and many more for Disney branded networks like Disney+. Some of their most famous works include the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Lilo and Stitch, and Duck Tales.
Warner Bros. Animation
As an animation studio for Warner Bros. Pictures, WAG has been working since 2013 and has worked on and brought to fruition some of the most anticipated animated movies as of late. They include The LEGO Movie Part 2, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and The LEGO Movie.
Zynga
Zynga may not serve in the same capacity as these studios, specifically in most TV shows and movies, but they have a great deal of popular social games under their name, such as Farmville, Words With Friends, and Toon Blast.
Final Words
There you have it. A list of one of the many animation studios based in Los Angeles. And if you ever require premium animation services, I would highly recommend Prolific Studio. It is one of the top-rated animation studios in LA and offers amazing prices for superb quality. Get in touch now.