Nexus Studios

Nexus Studios
Name	Nexus Studios
Type	Private
Industry	Animation; Film; Advertising; Interactive Media
Founded	2000
Headquarters	London; Los Angeles
Key people	Graham Clutterbuck; Charlotte Bavasso; Jono Gilmour
Products	Animated films; Commercials; Virtual reality; Music videos; Short films

Nexus Studios Nexus Studios is an independent creative studio specializing in animation, film production, commercials, virtual reality, and interactive media. Founded by industry veterans with backgrounds across advertising, television, and cinema, the company has produced award-winning work for clients in entertainment, technology, and consumer goods. Nexus has collaborated with leading creators from the worlds of music, art, and design while operating studios in major creative centers.

History

The company was established in 2000 by a group of founders who previously worked with agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty), and production houses linked to Channel 4. Early collaborations involved directors from the British animation scene and emerged alongside festivals like Annecy International Animation Film Festival and institutions such as BAFTA and Sundance Film Festival. Across the 2000s and 2010s Nexus expanded into immersive work while engaging talent with pedigrees from Aardman Animations, Studio Ghibli alumni networks, and Pixar-connected artists. Strategic partnerships with production companies and agencies including RSA Films, 16th Street, and Partizan helped the studio enter the global advertising market and align with clients like Nike, Google, and Coca-Cola.

Services and Specialties

Nexus provides integrated services spanning animated commercials, short films, music videos, and immersive experiences for clients such as Apple, Samsung, Facebook, and Sony Music. Its specialties include stop-motion and CG animation practiced by alumni of The Mill and Framestore, experiential VR pieces that have premiered at Venice Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival, and interactive web projects built with developers familiar with frameworks used by Mozilla and Unity Technologies. The studio offers concept development, storyboarding with directors from Ridley Scott Associates (RSA), production management influenced by workflows from Industrial Light & Magic, and post-production using pipelines akin to those at Weta Digital.

Notable Projects and Collaborations

Nexus's portfolio includes animated commercials for brands such as Google's campaigns and films collaborating with musicians signed to Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. The studio produced short films that screened at Cannes Film Festival and received nominations from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars). Collaborations have paired directors and illustrators with credits at The New York Times, The Guardian, and Pitchfork, and involved creative partners from Pentagram, DesignStudio, and Sagmeister & Walsh. Noteworthy immersive projects premiered alongside technology launches by Oculus (Meta Platforms), while music video work referenced collaborations with artists who have worked with MTV, BBC Music, and NME.

Awards and Recognition

The studio's work has been recognized by institutions including BAFTA, The Academy Awards, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and D&AD. Individual projects have received honors from Annecy International Animated Film Festival, SXSW, and the British Animation Awards. Industry press from outlets like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Creative Review has profiled the studio for its innovation in animation and immersive storytelling. Juried accolades also include awards presented by One Club for Creativity and ADC (Art Directors Club).

Company Structure and Leadership

Leadership has featured executives and creative directors with careers spanning advertising agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy and McCann Erickson, production companies including RSA Films and Partizan, and post houses like Framestore and The Mill. The executive team manages cross-disciplinary departments—animation, production, design, and immersive—collaborating with external directors from companies such as Blink Productions and Goodby Silverstein & Partners. Board-level advisory includes figures connected to Film4 and national funding bodies like British Film Institute.

Studios and Locations

Nexus operates studios in major creative hubs including London and Los Angeles, and has worked remotely with teams based in cities such as New York City, Berlin, Paris, and Melbourne. Facilities combine editorial suites influenced by setups at Pinewood Studios and color grading rooms comparable to those at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, while production infrastructure leverages render farms and sound stages used by companies like Skywalker Sound.

Impact and Industry Influence

The studio has influenced contemporary animation and immersive media by bridging commercial storytelling with festival-caliber short filmmaking, impacting talent pipelines feeding studios such as Aardman Animations, Framestore, and Weta Digital. Its work has informed creative standards cited at conferences hosted by SXSW, SIGGRAPH, and ThoughtWorks Arts panels. Collaborations with brands and technology platforms have helped shape best practices adopted by agencies including Ogilvy and Publicis Groupe, while its adaptive workflows have been discussed in case studies at institutions like the British Film Institute and universities linked to Royal College of Art.

Category:Animation studios Category:Film production companies of the United Kingdom