By
Larry Mutenda
Which animation studio in Canada should you hire? For business videos, marketing, and explainer content, a studio like Creamy Animation that specializes in video marketing and storytelling is the better fit. Canada’s larger production houses (Guru Studio, Bardel Entertainment, Atomic Cartoons, WildBrain) are built for episodic TV and feature film pipelines, not brand or B2B video. Budgets for a short business animation are typically scoped by runtime, style, and revisions rather than a fixed rate card, and most 60-90 second projects take several weeks to a few months from an approved script to delivery.
Canada is one of the strongest countries in the world for animation. Studios across Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa produce everything from kids TV series and CG feature films to explainer videos, motion design, and VFX, supported by deep talent pools and federal and provincial production incentives.
The best animation studios in Canada include Creamy Animation, Guru Studio, Atomic Cartoons, Bardel Entertainment, Mercury Filmworks, Jam Filled Entertainment, Nelvana, WildBrain, Brown Bag Films, 9 Story Media Group, Mainframe Studios, Animal Logic, Icon Creative Studio, Sphere Animation, and House of Cool.
Here is a quick overview of the Canadian animation studios list, based on the type of animation each one specializes in. Keep reading for details about every studio.
You will see a mix of 2D animation studios in Canada, 3D/CG animation studios, and motion design teams, plus companies that handle VFX for film and TV.
Most of the industry clusters around four hubs. We cover the biggest ones in our city guides: animation studios in Vancouver, animation studios in Toronto, Montreal animation studios, with Ottawa rounding out the big four.
| # | Studio | Specialty | Best for | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creamy Animation | Video marketing for business | Explainer videos, video marketing, and storytelling for business | Vancouver, BC |
| 2 | Guru Studio | 2D & 3D kids series | Original and service animation for children’s TV | Toronto, ON |
| 3 | Atomic Cartoons | Kids series (2D/CG) | Episodic animation production at scale | Vancouver, BC |
| 4 | Bardel Entertainment | Kids & adult series (2D/3D/hybrid) | Episodic series pipelines with large-team capacity | Vancouver, BC |
| 5 | Mercury Filmworks | 2D animation | Hand-crafted 2D series for major studios and streamers | Ottawa, ON |
| 6 | Jam Filled Entertainment | Animated series & features | Large-scale TV production for global networks | Toronto & Ottawa, ON |
| 7 | Nelvana | Children’s TV series | Iconic kids IP and long-running series | Toronto, ON |
| 8 | WildBrain | Kids series (2D + CG) | Script-to-screen episodic production for kids and family titles | Vancouver, BC |
| 9 | Brown Bag Films | 3D kids series | Preschool and children’s series production | Toronto, ON |
| 10 | 9 Story Media Group | Production & distribution | Creating, producing, and distributing kids content | Toronto, ON |
| 11 | Mainframe Studios | CG series | High-volume CG series production | Vancouver, BC |
| 12 | Animal Logic | 3D/CG feature animation | Feature-scale CG animation and high-end production | Vancouver, BC |
| 13 | Icon Creative Studio | 3D/CG (series + films) | Large-scale independent CG production | Vancouver, BC |
| 14 | Sphere Animation | TV series & features | Animated series and feature films | Montreal, QC |
| 15 | House of Cool | Pre-production | Storyboards and development for features and series | Toronto, ON |
Creamy Animation is a Canadian animation studio based in Metro Vancouver with 15+ years of experience producing animated videos for business, explainer videos, corporate videos, training and educational videos.
We have worked with global brands, governments, and nonprofits, including Responsible Gambling, YWCA Canada, Government of Canada, Fujitsu, Logitech, Canonical, Blockdaemon, and Small Business BC, serving organizations across Canada.
Guru Studio is one of Toronto’s most renowned animation companies, best known for award-winning children’s series such as True and the Rainbow Kingdom and for producing the animation behind PAW Patrol. The studio combines original IP development with service production for global partners.
Guru works in both 2D and 3D, with a strong track record on preschool and family series for Netflix, Nickelodeon, and other major networks and streamers.
Atomic Cartoons, part of Thunderbird Entertainment, is a Vancouver-headquartered animation studio with additional teams in Ottawa and Los Angeles. Credits include The Last Kids on Earth for Netflix and its own original series Atomic Betty.
The studio produces both 2D and CG television for children and families, delivering episodic animation at scale for Netflix, Disney, Nickelodeon, and other partners.
Founded in Vancouver in 1987, Bardel Entertainment is one of Canada’s largest animation service studios, producing 2D, 3D, and hybrid animation for global networks and streamers. Credits include work on Rick and Morty and The Dragon Prince.
Bardel runs large episodic pipelines and has delivered series for Adult Swim, Netflix, DreamWorks, and Nickelodeon.
Located in Ottawa, Mercury Filmworks is celebrated for its 2D animation craftsmanship. The studio is known for Hilda on Netflix and for long-running collaborations with Disney Television Animation on acclaimed series and shorts.
Mercury’s hand-crafted approach has made it a go-to partner for broadcasters and streamers that want premium 2D animation produced in Canada.
Jam Filled Entertainment, part of Boat Rocker Media, operates studios in Toronto and Ottawa and is known for scaling up large TV productions. Credits include Nickelodeon’s The Loud House and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The studio handles full-service CG and 2D episodic production for major kids networks and streaming platforms.
Nelvana, a division of Corus Entertainment, is one of Canada’s most iconic animation studios. Founded in Toronto in 1971, it produced classics such as Franklin, Babar, Max & Ruby, and The Berenstain Bears.
Nelvana continues to develop, produce, and distribute children’s content worldwide, with a library spanning decades of Canadian animation history.
WildBrain is one of Canada’s largest kids and family entertainment companies, with a major animation studio in Vancouver. Its teams have produced series such as Sonic Prime and Carmen Sandiego for Netflix, and the company manages global franchises including Peanuts, Teletubbies, and Strawberry Shortcake.
WildBrain Studios delivers 2D and CG episodic production from script to screen for the world’s biggest platforms.
Brown Bag Films’ Toronto studio, part of 9 Story Media Group, is a leading producer of 3D and 2D children’s series. Toronto credits include preschool favourites such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood and Blue’s Clues & You.
The studio is known for reliable, high-quality series delivery for partners like Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, and Disney Junior.
9 Story Media Group is a Toronto-based creator, producer, and distributor of children’s content, with Brown Bag Films as its animation arm. Its catalogue includes Blue’s Clues & You and Karma’s World.
9 Story combines production capacity with global distribution, making it one of the most influential kids media companies in Canada.
Mainframe Studios in Vancouver was founded in 1993 and made history with ReBoot, the world’s first fully CG animated TV series. Today it is one of Canada’s largest CG series producers.
Mainframe is known for high-volume CG production, including long-running work on the Barbie franchise for global partners.
Animal Logic is a CG animation and VFX studio with operations in Sydney and Vancouver, known for feature-film scale work. Now part of Netflix (acquired in 2022), it supports animated features and high-end VFX pipelines.
Notable credits include major animated film work tied to LEGO and other studio features. It runs large multi-disciplinary teams across animation and effects for film and streaming productions.
Icon Creative Studio in Vancouver’s Gastown district describes itself as Canada’s largest independent CG animation studio, producing 3D animated series and features end to end in house.
Icon’s credits span children’s and family CG series for major broadcasters and streaming platforms.
Sphere Animation (formerly Oasis Animation) is a Montreal-based studio with a Toronto presence. The team develops and produces animated TV series and feature films, combining artistic storytelling with modern 2D pipelines.
As part of Sphere Media, the studio serves broadcasters and streamers in both English and French markets, a distinctly Canadian advantage.
House of Cool, based in Toronto, is a pre-production powerhouse that develops storyboards, character designs, and story reels for top animated features and series.
The studio has shaped the creative direction of projects for companies like DreamWorks Animation and Netflix, making it one of the most respected development and story studios in the industry.
Animation studios create movement from scratch (2D, 3D/CG, motion design) for series, films, ads, and business videos. VFX studios integrate computer-generated elements into live-action footage (compositing, CG, simulations).
Some Canadian teams do both, but most specialize based on pipeline and talent.
Budgets vary by style (2D vs 3D/CG), complexity, runtime, and approvals. A short business animation often prices by scope (script, design, animation, sound, deliverables), while series/VFX work is pipeline- and shot-driven.
The fastest way to get a realistic range is to share runtime, references, and delivery specs.
A typical timeline ranges from several weeks to a few months depending on script readiness, number of style options, and review speed.
Clear decision-making and defined revision rounds reduce delays. Series and VFX schedules are usually driven by delivery windows and shot volume rather than total runtime.
Send your goal, target audience, runtime range, reference links, preferred style (2D/3D/motion), deadline, and where the video will be used (website, social, paid ads, training).
Include required deliverables (aspect ratios, cutdowns, captions). This prevents mismatched proposals and keeps estimates comparable.
At minimum: final master file, audio mix, and your required formats (e.g., 16:9, 1:1, 9:16), plus captions (SRT) if needed.
Many projects also require cutdowns, thumbnail frames, and brand-safe alternates. Ask upfront if project files are included or available as an add-on.
Most studios lock the project in stages—script, storyboard, design/style frames, animation, then sound and final delivery—so changes happen early when they’re cheaper.
Ask how many review rounds are included per stage, how feedback should be consolidated, and who approves on your side.
Yes. Many Canadian studios support remote approvals and deliver broadcast/web-ready files to teams across Canada and internationally. Confirm meeting cadence, file handoff process, and how they handle time zones for reviews and final deliveries.
Start by defining what you’re producing and choose a studio model that fits: series pipelines for episodic TV, motion design for short-form brand assets, or business-focused animation for explainer, training, and internal communications.
Ask how they manage schedules and reviews, who runs the project day-to-day, how approvals work, and how they prevent rework and delays.
Canada is home to some of the best animation studios in the world, from global production houses in Vancouver and Toronto to acclaimed 2D teams in Ottawa and Montreal. If you are looking for live action videos see Mammothic Films, a Vancouver video production company.
The studios featured here are known for consistently delivering high-quality animation across a range of styles and industries. If you are looking for a creative partner to tell your story with animation, request a free consultation and we will be happy to discuss your project.
15+ years in video strategy and production — specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.Â
