Studio AKA and The Future of Animation

Philip Hunt, Marcus Armitage and Kevin Richards

On Tuesday 12 May animator and director Philip Hunt, the creative director and founder of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Studio AKA, and Marcus Armitage, animation director at Studio AKA, gave a talk to students at Escape Studios in London. 

Studio AKA is one of London's most innovative animation studios, and one of our long-standing industry partners.   Philip Hunt and Marcus Armitage talked about the work of Studio AKA, the current state of UK animation - and how animation graduates can flourish in a rapidly-changing industry. 

HaZ Dulull: How to Set Up Your Own Indie Studio

HaZ Dulull "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio"

At last week's EscapeVerse Live event, HaZ Dulull - founder and director at "Beyond The Pixels" - explained "How to Set Up and Run an Indie Studio with Your First Game".  

HaZ's journey into the games industry has been one of an independent entrepreneur, setting up his own company, his first game "AstroBurn" and figuring out the nuts and bolts of running a business. 

Comics Industry Panel - How to Break Into Comics

Last night Escape Studios in London hosted a "Comics Industry Panel" part of the 2026 "EscapeVerse Live" event.

Comic Book UK's Mark Fuller chaired the panel discussion, which was titled "Comic Industry Careers". 

Mark Fuller was joined by comic artist Lyndon White, comics publisher Andrew Mark Sewell, head of B7 Media Ltd, and manga artist Elena Vitagliano.  The panel explored the challenges and opportunities around working in the comics industry, focusing on how to earn a living in a highly competitive landscape.

Finding Work in an Animation Downturn

It is no secret that the animation and visual effects industry is in a downturn.  After many years of boom, business has recently turned to bust. 

What has caused this? The reasons are many - over expansion during the streaming boom years, the fallout from Covid, the rise of AI, strikes by writers and actors, and the steady decline of the theatrical movie business. 

So, how do recent graduates find work in an industry which isn't expanding, or might even be shrinking? The answer is have a great demo reel - and apply widely. 

Why Animators Need to Apply Widely

Landing that first job in the animation industry isn't easy.  But what many graduates forget is just how many opportunities are out there. 

Alongside the world-beating UK animation companies like Aardman Animation, Blue Zoo, Framestore and DNEG are hundreds of small companies that are much less well known. 

There are almost 500 animation companies in the UK with at least one employee (ie not just a one-man-band) and this creates a huge opportunity for an animator with the patience to look beyond the famous names.

Animation is Still Box Office Gold

There is a lot of doom and gloom in our industry these days, following strikes by both writers and actors, and the looming threat of AI.  

Despite the pessimism, the animation industry continues to thrive, with 25% of box office success coming from animation productions in 2024 (see infographic left). 

Jobs and opportunities remain - for those with the right skills. 

Finding Work in the Animation Industry in 2024

The creative industries have hit some headwinds of late, with a "perfect storm" of writers' strikes, actors' strikes, studio cutbacks - and anxiety over the threat from AI. 

But there are jobs and opportunities out there for graduates with strong portfolios and software skills. Below is a list of things to do to maximise your chances of breaking into the industry. Start by making sure that your demo reel is as good as it can possibly be.

How Much Animation Do Studios Expect?

How many seconds?

How much animation does a studio expect an animator to deliver each week? The answer depends on the studio, and what kind of work is being expected. On a high-end feature film such as the kind made by Disney and Pixar, an animator might be expected to complete around five seconds of animation each week - and sometimes even less.

On a TV series where budgets are tight and deadlines loom, an animator might be expected to complete as much as 30 seconds of completed animation each week.