Best Animation Studios in Portland (2026)

Introduction

Portland is one of the world’s main centres for stop-motion animation, and the six studios below cover that tradition alongside CG, 2D and creature work for brands, streamers and feature films. They were chosen for recent work, a verified Portland-area studio in 2026, and the range of what they make.

The scene traces back to Will Vinton Studios, founded in Portland in 1975, which Phil Knight acquired in 2003 and which became LAIKA. Its former commercial arm now runs independently as HouseSpecial, and ShadowMachine’s Portland studio animated Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, winner of the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2023. In October 2026 LAIKA’s Wildwood had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival and its US premiere on the opening night of AFI Fest. Portland Community College has also planned an animation degree with funding from LAIKA, and the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology filled its August 2026 programme at OMSI with stop-motion.

Every studio here has a working studio in Portland or Hillsboro in 2026. The market is small, so the list is shorter than in larger cities. It runs in no fixed order of merit, since the right studio depends on your format, schedule and budget.

The best animation studios in Portland

1. LAIKA

Privately owned (Phil Knight) · Hillsboro · laika.com

LAIKA is the stop-motion feature studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link, led by president and CEO Travis Knight. It grew out of Will Vinton Studios and has won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, with several Oscar nominations. Its newest feature, Wildwood, premiered in London and at AFI Fest in October 2026.

LAIKA works on its own films and is also developing live-action projects, and much of the city’s animation workforce has passed through it. It backs local training through Portland Community College and a workforce partnership with Portland State University, and a 2026 exhibition of its films opens at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles in December.

2. HouseSpecial

Independent · Northeast Portland · housespecial.com

HouseSpecial is a commercial animation studio working in stop-motion, CG and 2D. It began as LAIKA/house, LAIKA’s advertising arm, and became independent in 2014 with LAIKA’s blessing. Kirk Kelley is chief creative officer.

Its client list includes M&M’S (a Super Bowl spot in 2019, a Minis campaign in Europe in 2024 and the CG “RickTok Salt & Pepper Search Party”), Planters’ Mr. Peanut, Cole Haan, Uncrustables and a Marvel, Mars and Disney campaign in January 2026. It also makes short films such as the stop-motion Brim Broome Boulevard. Agencies it has worked with include Omnicom and Publicis shops and Barton F. Graf.

3. ShadowMachine

Independent, founder-led · Northwest Portland · shadowmachine.com

ShadowMachine was founded in Los Angeles in 1999 by Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico and opened its Portland studio in 2015. It is known for Robot Chicken, BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie, and the Portland team produced the stop-motion animation for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio with Netflix and The Jim Henson Company.

More recent Portland work includes the stop-motion comedy series In the Know for Peacock in 2024. The studio suits long-form series and features more than quick-turn spots, and it runs studios in both Los Angeles and Portland, so ask which city your production will be crewed from.

4. Deep Sky

Independent, founder-led · Pearl District · deepsky.tv

Deep Sky is an Emmy-winning production studio founded by Jared Hobbs, with nearly 20 years of work for brands, agencies and entertainment companies. It covers 3D product visualisation and animation, 3D character work with motion capture, motion design, and live action with an in-house VFX team.

Featured projects include work for Daimler Truck, Brooks, Thermo Fisher Scientific, SHINE Technologies and Superplastic. Its range makes it a fit for product launches and technical explainers where accuracy matters as much as look. 2D character work goes through its sister studio, Imaginary Planet.

5. Imaginary Planet

Sister studio of Deep Sky · Pearl District · imaginaryplanet.tv

Imaginary Planet is a 2D animation and narrative design studio making original films and series, commercials and branded entertainment. It shares Deep Sky’s Pearl District address and focuses on character-led storytelling.

Its best-known recent project is My Dog: The Paradox, made with Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal, which had its Pacific Northwest festival premiere at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology in 2026. Other work includes series for Superplastic’s virtual stars, the anti-vaping series The Disposables, the short Yokaitopia and a music video for The Smashing Pumpkins.

6. Refuge

Independent · Northeast Portland · refugevfx.com

Refuge is a visual effects studio specialising in characters and creatures, with sculptors and animators on staff. Portland is one of five listed locations, alongside Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York and New Jersey.

Its episodic credits include Shōgun, for which it won an Emmy for blood and gore work, Fallout, The Righteous Gemstones (a locust sequence of close to five minutes) and The Peripheral. It is a good fit when an animated character or creature has to sit inside live-action footage.

What to look for in a Portland animation studio

Start with technique. Portland’s reputation rests on stop-motion, and building puppets, sets and rigs takes far longer than a CG or 2D schedule, so a studio’s craft should match the timeline you have. Several studios here work across stop-motion, CG and 2D, and can advise on which suits the brief.

Check who will crew the job. Feature and series production pulls on the same pool of Portland animators, fabricators and riggers, and big projects such as a LAIKA feature can tie up talent for long stretches. Studios with sites in more than one city should say which team will do the work.

Ask how a commercial job is structured. Most studios quote on a bid against approved boards or an animatic, with set rounds of changes at each stage. Changes late in stop-motion often mean reshooting, so agree what counts as a revision before production starts.

Finally, look at how the studio shares work in progress. Animatics, style frames, turntables and render passes pile up quickly across a schedule, and feedback scattered over email and chat slows approvals. A single place for current versions and comments makes review rounds easier for both sides.

How Fabric helps animation teams

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best animation studio in Portland?

It depends on the format. LAIKA is the best-known name, but it makes its own features rather than taking client work. For commercials, HouseSpecial works in stop-motion, CG and 2D, while ShadowMachine’s Portland studio suits series and features.

Why is Portland known for stop-motion?

Will Vinton Studios, founded in Portland in 1975, built a local base of stop-motion talent with Claymation work such as The California Raisins. That studio became LAIKA, and ShadowMachine later opened a Portland studio to produce Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio there.

Is LAIKA in Portland?

LAIKA’s studio is in Hillsboro, just west of Portland. Its 2026 feature Wildwood is set in Portland.

Do Portland animation studios work on ads for agencies?

Yes. HouseSpecial grew out of LAIKA’s commercial arm and has made campaigns for M&M’S, Planters and Marvel with agencies from Omnicom and Publicis. Brands looking for a wider creative partner can start with the best creative agencies in Portland.

How long does a stop-motion commercial take?

Expect longer than CG or 2D, since puppets, sets and rigs have to be designed and built before the shoot. Each studio will set the timeline once boards and the number of characters are agreed.

Related lists

Animation in other cities: New York · London · Los Angeles · Chicago · Toronto

More in Portland: Creative agencies · Content studios · Design agencies · Advertising agencies · Photography studios · Social media agencies

Run your studio on Fabric: Fabric for creative teams · Fabric for motion design teams · Best creative proofing tools