Characters are the air we breathe into our ideas!
Character design is an essential determinant whether designing an animation series, a video game, or a marketing campaign commercial.
Characters’ art style spectrum gives identity to the piece and creates memorable and impactful experiences.
As one of the critical aspects of 2D and 3D animations, proper character designing enhances your branding and resonates with various audiences.
2D and 3D character animation agencies include various teams, each specialized in a particular field, such as 3D object design or 2D character sketching; these teams are to be hired to bring life to ideas and concepts.
In this article, we will look deeper into 10 of the best 2D and 3D character animation studios in the USA to comprehend their specialty and notable works.
The Best Character Animation Houses in the USA - Shortlist
- Pixune Studios
- BluBlu Studios
- AAA Game Art Studio
- Titmouse, Inc.
- Laika Studios
- Bento Box Entertainment
- ShadowMachine
- Reel FX Animation
- Oddfellows
- HouseSpecial
10 of the Top Character Animation Agencies in the USA
The United States is the hub for many creative concept artists and art companies, and character animation studios are no exception, either!
In the following, we will discuss our 10 picks of the best character animation houses in the USA, their merits, and how their portfolio looks!
Pixune: You Think It, We Deliver It!
As a leading 2D and 3D animation character agency at the forefront, Pixune has a long-running reputation for creating stunning visuals and creative characters.
With a specialty in 2D and 3D character design, Pixune offers a wide range of services, from concept art initiation to final animation and post-publish services.
Pixune’s character animation studio captures expressions, posing, facial gestures, color palettes, etc., and creates the most detailed model packs to design memorable and relatable characters that resonate with audiences.
Their intuitive team of character designers is ready to tackle any challenges in their way; whether you need game characters, villains, heroes, 2D or 3D animation characters, brand characters, or even NFT characters for your next project, Pixune is prepared to take you up on that!
Their portfolio spans from 2D animation designs to game trailers, feature films, and character designing, demonstrating this company’s main strength: blending creativity with technical expertise to achieve the most innovative results!
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Crazy Clowns (A game art project)
Happy Kids (A game art project)
Monsters Cop (3D animated movie)
Tak Steak (3D animated commercial)
BluBlu Studios:
A Chicago-based animation studio, BluBlu Studios is known for its widespread character design work across industries.
BluBlu has worked with several popular brands in various industries, building an excellent reputation in both the commercial and entertainment sectors.
Their characters often appear lively and vibrant, expressing an engaging presence to the audience, which resonates with many personalities.
Considering their ability to create stunning visuals with fabulous storylines and engaging characters, BluBlu Studios has also worked in children’s programming for networks like Nickelodeon.
BluBlu has combined the right amount of artistic innovation with strategic thinking, making it a go-to studio for 2D and 3D character animatios.
Every character design company has a process behind the brush for creating unique character art styles, and BluBlu has made their process a gold standard!
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Critically acclaimed character designs for brands such as Google and McDonald’s.
AAA Game Art Studio:
AAA Game Art Studio is a top-notch character animation studio specializing in the game industry.
AAA’s portfolio and its collaborations with high-profile video games demonstrate its excellence in creating detailed and expressive characters to enhance the gaming experience.
Their characters are renowned for having elaborate details, realistic textures, and dynamic animations, all practical features for the gaming industry. AAA’s work not only deepens the character animation and persona but also expands the gaming environment into a more engaging experience.
AAA Game Art Studio delivers high-quality content by combining cutting-edge animation technology with creative thinking, ensuring that every desired character meets the exact needs of your request.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Character designs for “Assassin’s Creed,” “Call of Duty,” and “Elder Scrolls.”
Titmouse, Inc.:
As a powerhouse in the animation industry, Titmouse has a strong portfolio that includes hit shows with solid character designs.
Their 2D character animations are renowned for being bold, original, and somewhat unconventional, pushing the boundaries of visual art and storytelling.
Titmouse’s characters are expressive, dynamic, and visually stunning, contributing to the success of the shows they are on.
The studio’s work on Big Mouth featured distinctive and memorable characters to capture the awkwardness and humor of adolescence in a way that resonates with audiences. On the other hand, Metalocalypse demonstrates how Titmouse can develop grotesque and compelling characters that fit into a dark and surreal narrative.
This character animation company offers versatility and creativity to build each character as unique as your organization’s requirements.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Big Mouth
The Venture Bros
Metalocalypse
Laika Studios:
Laika Studios is known for their precise animation characters and stop-motion animation.
Laika’s character design is distinguished by its meticulous attention to detail and materials.
Their designs have consistently pushed the boundaries of stop-motion animation to create characters who are not only artistically stunning but also profoundly impactful.
The studio’s work on Coraline shows a perfect blend of eerie yet whimsical characters that capture both horror and fantasy. Kubo and the Two Strings, on the other hand, show Laika’s ability to visualize precise details along with richly dynamic animations.
Laika’s devotion to character design as an innovative approach to storytelling has made this studio a go-to for dedicated character designers and those who need a solid protagonist.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Coraline
Kubo and the Two Strings
ParaNorman
Bento Box Entertainment:
Known for its quirky and endearing character designs, Bento Box Entertainment is a prominent animation studio headquartered in North Hollywood.
Bento Box’s most famous work is “Bob’s Burger,” which captures a family with profoundly designed personalities and wit. This show’s character design is a testimony to Bento Box’s capability to create expressive and beloved characters that resonate with the audience.
Their character animation company’s works guarantee a well-designed character design that demonstrates your needs and fully embraces your project.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
Bob’s Burgers
The Awesomes
Central Park
ShadowMachine:
A versatile animation studio with notable unique designs, ShadowMachine is an LA-based company that has created impactful characters over the past few years.
ShadowMachine’s characters are often considered bold and risky, altering the art of visual storytelling in both aesthetics and meaning.
The studio’s work on the BoJack Horseman series shows complex and subtle character designs, reflecting the show’s dark humor and emotional depth.
The anthropomorphic characters are a blend of realism and surrealism that highlights solid persona development and the show’s satirical take on Hollywood culture.
The characters’ animation design made expressions and body language convey the show’s detailed emotional aspects.
This character animation agency has developed multi-dimensional and complex characters that often reflect the personality of their narratives.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
BoJack Horseman
Robot Chicken
Reel FX Animation:
Even though Reel FX Animation is primarily famous for its contributions to feature films and commercials, its character design makes its work applaudable!
Reel FX is renowned for developing rich and vibrant characters that are emotionally engaging and visually captivating to various audiences.
In “The Book of Life,” Reel FX celebrates Mexican culture and folklore and features visually stunning and intricately detailed characters. The colorful and dynamic designs bring the Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) world to life, making the characters memorable and culturally rich.
The studio’s projects showcase their ability to create deep personalities to meet your idea’s requirements in various situations and styles.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
The Book of Life
Free Birds
Scoob!
Oddfellows:
Oddfellows is a creative studio based in Portland, known for its unique and innovative approach to character animation.
The character animation agency is renowned for developing brand characters by seamlessly blending artistic creativity with strategic thinking to create memorable and engaging characters.
One of the studio’s outstanding works is their Apple project: Oddfellows developed immersive and modern characters with a hint of aesthetics to convey Apple’s emphasis on innovation and user-friendly technology.
Their works for Facebook and Airbnb have also been successful projects in which Oddfellows gave life to imaginative and vibrant characters that are also worthwhile commercially.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
- Developing character-driven stories for Apple, Facebook, and Airbnb.
HouseSpecial:
Specializing in the realm of commercial animations, HouseSpecial is a Portland-based company that has given life to many memorable advertising faces.
HouseSpecial has developed a unique approach with which it blends creativity with marketing prowess seamlessly.
Their work on the M&M’s characters highlights their innovation and free-thinking. Giving unique, anthropomorphic personalities to each color of M&M is proof of HouseSpecial’s commitment and devotion to the animation industry.
- Notable Projects in Character Animation:
M&M’s characters
Kellogg’s Cereal Heroes
Planters Peanuts
To Sum Up
Characters will give life to your animated stories. How do you want to develop your narratives?
The 2D and 3D character animations landscape in the USA is rich and diverse, making it difficult to choose only 10 of the top agencies.
In this article, we discussed 10 of the best 2D and 3D character animation agencies in the USA to compare their key features, their special services, and how they have managed to keep their unique touch!
Each 2D/3D character animation house brings a unique touch of identity to the table, which is not similar to others. You can read our Complete Guide for Character Design Process to learn more about this role.
From comprehensive and leading studios such as Pixune to more distinctive styles such as Titmouse, each character animation studio has contributed to developing 2D and 3D character animations for various purposes.
Whether you’re looking for a new character animation for your next clip, advertisement, or even a video game, the characters designed by these 10 companies will ensure your lasting impact on audiences around the world.
