London Animation Studio Landscape is Different Now

The Changing London Animation Studio Landscape

London has always played an enormous role in the UK's animation industry. Then came the internet. Then came Covid.

For decades, the city has attracted directors, designers, animators, producers and creative agencies from around the world. Some of the UK's most recognisable animation studios have been built in London, and generations of creative talent have passed through them.

But the London animation landscape has changed and it’s still changing.

Studios evolve. Teams move. Companies merge. New studios appear. Some established names sadly disappear altogether.

It's part of the natural cycle of a creative industry, the highs and lows.

London's animation industry is changing again

The economics of running a creative studio have changed significantly. Budgets are smaller, there’s more competition, the middle is disappearing people say.

Office costs, salaries, production technology and the expectations of clients have all evolved. At the same time, remote working has made it possible for creative teams to collaborate without being based in the same building, or even the same city or country.

That doesn't mean London has become less important.

Far from it. We love London!

London remains a major centre for advertising, entertainment, technology, sport, publishing and culture - and beer and coffee! For animation studios, that concentration of potential clients is incredibly valuable.

But the relationship between London and the studios serving it is changing gain.

The London studio doesn't have to be in London

That's something we've experienced ourselves.

Cub Studio was originally based in London, we all lived in London. Today we're based in Brighton, but we’re still the same (just a bit older and saltier).

The move didn't mean leaving the London creative industry behind. Far from it.

We've continued working with agencies, brands and creative teams in London, as well as clients across the UK and internationally.

The reason is simple: modern animation production is increasingly location-independent.

A character can be designed in one place, animated somewhere else and reviewed by a client hundreds of miles away.

The creative process remains collaborative. The geography simply matters less.

A broader animation ecosystem

One of the more interesting consequences is that the UK now has a much broader animation ecosystem.

London remains an important hub, but it sits alongside strong creative communities in Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and elsewhere.

For clients searching for an animation studio, that is good news.

It means you're no longer limited to the studios within a particular postcode.

You can find a team based on its creative strengths, experience and approach to collaboration.

What happens next? Don’t mention ai

Nobody knows exactly how the London animation industry will look in another five or ten years.

But it's unlikely to become less connected, the opposite in fact.

If anything, the opposite is happening.

The best animation studios can increasingly work wherever the best ideas, people and projects happen to be.

London will remain a hugely important part of that ecosystem.

But it doesn't have to contain the whole ecosystem. This is the BBC’s ethos essentially too.

And perhaps that's a good thing.

More global studios.

More creative voices.

More ways of making great animation.

We're proud to have started in London, and equally proud to now be part of the wider creative community beyond it.