The Robust Chicago Motion Graphics & Animation Scene
The Chicago motion graphics scene tends to get overlooked as Chicago’s tossed into a lump with all the other cities that are neither New York or Los Angeles. No matter how often articles or lists omit Chicago in favor of the more talked about creative communities on the coasts, the creatives here press on and continue to do outstanding work. Chicago is regularly left out of the discussion of cities with vibrant creative scenes. Accomplished artists of all mediums have a home here, whether it’s in music (where we have seen Chicago hip-hop artists on the top of the charts), actors, writers, designers as well as animators thrive in neighborhoods across our city.
I can’t help but be a cheerleader for the artists who are creating this impressive work in our town. I have seen first-hand the Chicago motion graphics community grow and evolve during my 10+ years working here.
I also run the Chicago Motion Artists Group, so I’ve had the opportunity to meet and connect with many talented people living in the city and the suburbs. CMAG gives a chance for motion artists, copywriters, editors, and producers to meet up, talk shop and grab a few beers. When first starting CMAG, we had meetups at the beginning where there were 10 of us who showed up, but now on average, there are a rotating 50 or 60 people that come by to chat with other professionals.
At every meetup, there are new faces, some of them are students or just getting into the scene, some are new to the city, and some are just finally able to get off work in time to come out for the first time.
Chicago has a motion graphics scene that includes freelancers and companies creating for an array of different mediums and styles. You have some studios like Filmworkers Club, Cutters/Flavor, and Optimus that have been around for decades and offer a full 360 creative; including design, animation, editing, and color. These are the studios that many agencies have used for years because they have the staff on hand to tackle whatever’s tossed their way.
There are also a few studios with big visual effects experience here, The Mill & Method Studios have offices around the world but have also found a home in Chicago.
Digital Kitchen was founded in 1995 and has been a staple of the Chicago scene for a long time, working on stellar motion graphics commercials that inspired me when I first started out as a young motion designer. In the past they have created main titles for True Blood, Dexter, Six Feet Under & many other television shows, some that have gained cult status.
Radar Studios is another one of those creative shops with a uniquely talented collection of directors and artists. Offering design, animation, and editing. Radar is a name that you’ve heard about since they opened in 1999 and they’ve kept churning out phenomenal work.
Daily Planet has been around for years and has a lot of the same capabilities as Filmworkers Club and Optimus but is operating with a mid-sized team. I worked at Daily Planet for several years, and I know everyone there is incredibly creative. There was always an emphasis put on creating interesting work and not just focusing on the bottom line. You’ll see Daily Planet knockout animatics, explainer videos, tv show openings, and commercials.
Since the rise of motion graphics in early 2000, Chicago has seen more independent or boutique studios pop up as some of the bigger studios have faded away.
Sarofsky has been in Chicago for some years, but even before they started working with Marvel on titles, they brought a new focus to the Chicago scene. Most months someone from Sarofsky makes it out to a CMAG meetup. Although they can never say what they are working on at that moment, compliments are always hurled their way by others at the meetup who loved their work on the recent titles for the latest Marvel blockbuster.
Leviathan is a studio that creates spectacular work, once you see what they can do, your jaw just sort of drops. Breaking out of traditional commercial or advertising projects, Leviathan has been able to use emerging technologies to create some exceptional experiences for brands and creative collaborators around the world.
Calabash Animation is an award-winning animation production studio, creating animations for the commercial and entertainment industries in a wide variety of styles. Working on everything from traditional 2D “cel” character animation to Flash and 3D computer generated (“CG”) animation. It’s always neat to see what Calabash has worked on; they often fly under the radar simply because it may not be Marvel titles but each project they do has a Calabash look that is top notch.
11 Dollar Bill is offering creative editorial, high-end visual effects, motion graphics and 3D animation. Lately, the team there has been diving into 360 videos and augmented reality content.
A lot of newer studios have popped up in the last few years. These studios are smaller, nimble and eager to get their hands dirty in the animation scene.
There is LooseKeys (my studio), where our focus is 2D animation and motion graphics. LooseKeys creates explainer videos, social media content, music videos, and commercials. While being versatile, we have a youthful and fresh style that helps our projects catch the eye. Our unique 2D character animations have helped companies and brands tell their stories in Chicago and all over the world.
On the Northside of Chicago and right down the hall from Calabash Animation is Run, Kick, Shout! This studio may not be the largest (yet), but it is knocking out some truly fantastic 3D animation that looks like a team of fifty produced it. Focused on 3D animation and motion graphics Run, Kick, Shout! is killing it.
If you keep heading north in Chicago, you’ll come across The Banditry Co. which is run by Justin Younger. This team of creatives specializes in motion graphics, copywriting, 3D animation, storytelling and general awesomeness.
Black Book Studio is headed up by Amador Valenzuela; they are another one of those smaller studios that are creating stellar work that looks like an extensive team is behind it. Currently, you see them doing a lot of large-scale animations for conferences and films.
No matter how long this list might be I’m going to miss someone doing creative work in Chicago. My goal with this post wasn’t to highlight every studio but to show that no matter the type of work you’re looking to have created, Chicago has a studio or even a freelancer that is going to make it happen. You’ll also likely see an insane amount of hard work and dedication put into every project because I don’t know of any Midwesterner who doesn’t over deliver in this field.
