A+C Studios
A+C Studios is a UK-based, full-service stop-motion animation studio founded in 2007, producing commercials, branded content, and IP projects for enterprise brands and major advertising agencies from its purpose-built Postgate Stage facility in Margate, with a London sales office and US expansion underway.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKent, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A+C Studios does
A+C Studios is a UK-based, full-service stop-motion animation studio founded in 2007 by Dan Richards, formerly of Aardman. The studio produces branded content, television commercials, social-first campaigns, product launches, and long-form IP projects using handcrafted techniques including claymation, papercraft, character animation, and tabletop/product animation. Its production infrastructure centers on Postgate Stage, a 5,000 sq ft purpose-built facility in Margate, Kent (the South East's only hybrid stop-motion studio), supporting up to 15 simultaneous animation units with motion-control rigs, chroma screen, and solar-powered lighting, plus in-house post-production (editing, grading, compositing, VFX, sound design) across two editing suites. The studio manages the full pipeline from creative development and fabrication through animation and post-production under one roof with no third-party dependencies.
The company operates as a private, founder-owned entity serving enterprise brand clients and major advertising agencies. Its revenue model is project-based, with engagements ranging from focused tabletop product animation starting at approximately £15-25k to multi-component hero film + content toolkit campaigns scaling into six or seven figures. Additional revenue streams include dry-hire of Postgate Stage (from £995/day) and wet-hire of specialist crew (motion-control operators, colourists, supervisors), plus monthly-retainer social video production packages. Customer concentration spans food and beverage (Peperami, PepsiCo/Tropicana, Yeo Valley, Costa, Ben & Jerry's), toys and entertainment (LEGO, BBC Studios, Universal Pictures), sportswear (Adidas, Nike Football, HyperX), financial services (AXA, LV=, American Express), retail (TK Maxx, Harrods), and government/regulated categories (NHS, Royal Mail). Agency partners include Ogilvy, Havas, Wieden+Kennedy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and TBWA.
As of 2026 the studio employs a small core team (1-10 base range, with documented expansion), runs a London sales office alongside its Margate production facility, and has begun geographic expansion into the US via a partnership with Jen Giles + Partners (May 2026). It is member of UK Screen Alliance, Animation UK, ADGREEN, and the APA, and has committed to net-zero by 2026. It was previously known as Jelly London.
A+C Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A+C Studios
- Legal name
- A+C Studios
- Website
- https://aplusc.tv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- A+C Studios is a UK-based, full-service stop-motion animation studio founded in 2007, producing commercials, branded content, and IP projects for enterprise brands and major advertising agencies from its purpose-built Postgate Stage facility in Margate, with a London sales office and US expansion underway.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A+C Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D/CGI Animation Production (MPADACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)
Keywords
Where A+C Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kent
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
A+C Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Animation Production Services: Full-service stop-motion animation production from concept through delivery, including creative development, fabrication, animation, and post-production. Revenue generated through project-based fees for TV commercials, social-first campaigns, branded content, product animation, and explainer videos. Typical engagements range from focused tabletop work (starting ~£15-20k) to full hero film + toolkit productions scaling into six or seven figures depending on complexity.
- Studio Hire (Dry and Wet): Postgate Stage available for external productions. Dry-hire rates start at £995/day with individual bay hire at £250/day. Wet-hire options include stop-motion supervisors, motion-control operators, colourists, live-stream TDs, and on-site editors at day or week rates. Long-form drama blocks and multi-week animation runs receive scaled pricing.
- Social Media Video Production: End-to-end social video production including strategy, shoot, edit, variations, and file delivery. Structured packages including Sprint (single shoot day, up to 12 cuts) and monthly retainer engagements for ongoing content needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Product Animation (Tabletop/Focused) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Studio Dry-Hire (Full Stage) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Studio Bay Hire |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Hero Film + Toolkit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
A+C Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A+C Studios is a full-service stop-motion animation production studio that handles creative development, fabrication, animation, and post-production entirely in-house. The studio produces TV commercials, brand films, social-first campaigns, product animation, character-led series, and explainer videos for global brands and creative agencies. Production is delivered at scale through Postgate Stage, a 5,000 sq ft purpose-built hybrid facility in Margate supporting up to 15 simultaneous stop-motion units, and through structured packages including Launch Sprint, Hero Film + Content Toolkit, and Always-On Stop-Motion retainers.
Product overview
A+C Studios is a full-service stop-motion animation studio offering a comprehensive suite of animation services. The core offering centers on stop-motion animation across multiple techniques including Claymation, Papercraft, Character Animation, Product Animation, and Table-Top Animation. Services are organized into Short Form/Advertising, Long Form/IP (series and features), and Social Media Video Production. The studio provides end-to-end production handling creative development, design, fabrication, animation, and post-production all in-house. Vertical-specific services address Stop-Motion for Brands, Financial Services & Insurance, Food & Drink Commercials, Toys/Kids & Entertainment Brands, and Retail & eCommerce. The company also operates Postgate Stage, a 5,000 sq ft purpose-built studio facility in Margate, Kent available for hire. Production packages include Launch Sprint (4-6 weeks), Hero Film + Content Toolkit (8-12 weeks), and Always-On Stop-Motion (monthly cadence) options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stop-Motion Animation Core stop-motion animation production service covering all stages from script to screen, including creative development, fabrication, animation, and post-production handled in-house for brands and agencies.
- Claymation Animation Services Handcrafted claymation animation where characters, props and sets are sculpted from clay and animated frame by frame; includes claymation for TV ads, social campaigns and music videos.
- Papercraft Animation Paper-based stop-motion animation using cut, folded and sculpted paper to build distinctive tactile animations with handcrafted charm for campaigns such as The Happy Egg Co. and Wimbledon 2025.
- Character Animation Service for creating memorable mascots and character animations using in-house designers, model makers and animators to craft expressive characters for brand campaigns.
- Product Animation Handcrafted stop-motion product animation delivering tactile realism, precision moves and macro detail for launches, how-to sequences and premium showcase films, engineered from the first frame for platform ratios with safe zones built in.
- Table-Top Animation Product-first storytelling animation focusing on precision moves, macro detail and elegant transitions for tabletop and product-focused commercial work.
- Post-Production Complete in-house post-production including editing, compositing, colour grading, VFX, sound design and final delivery across all platforms, supported by two editing suites, sound recording facilities, digital suites and a full Adobe setup.
- Social Media Video Production End-to-end social media video production for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn and paid social, including strategy, shoot, edit, variations and file delivery to platform spec, packaged as Sprint or monthly retainers.
- Short Form / Advertising High-impact short-form animation for TV, VOD and social media placements, with planning for cutdowns, aspect ratios and safe-area guidelines for platform-ready creative.
- Long Form / IP (Series & Features) Long-form animation content including co-productions, series development and feature films, with wet-hire and dry-hire options using in-house expertise, facilities and talent.
- Studio Hire (Postgate Stage) 5,000 sq ft hybrid stop-motion studio hire facility in Margate, Kent, with full blackout, 5.5m lighting grid, motion-control rigs, chroma screen and a set build workshop, available for stop-motion, live-action, photography and post-production. Dry-hire from £995/day; bay hire from £250/day. Named after Oliver Postgate.
- Bluey Tunes A series of stop-motion shorts for BBC Studios' Bluey, transforming iconic songs into playful animations including Cat Squad, Fruit Bat, Keepy Uppy, Taxi and Who Likes to Dance, crafted entirely in-house at A+C Studios.
- Stop-Motion for Brands Full-service stop-motion production for brand campaigns and product launches, covering concept, build, shoot, post and delivery with producer-led approvals.
- Stop-Motion for Financial Services & Insurance Brand-safe stop-motion for financial services and insurance campaigns with compliance-friendly workflows, approval gates and channel-ready deliverables including cutdowns and ratios.
- Stop-Motion Food & Drink Commercials Full-service stop-motion product animation for food and drink launches, seasonal campaigns and always-on social, with producer-led approvals and predictable timelines.
- Stop-Motion for Toys, Kids & Entertainment Brands Full-service stop-motion for toy, kids, family and entertainment launches, with on-model protection, character consistency checkpoints and NDA support for unreleased IP.
- Retail & eCommerce Stop-Motion Animation Stop-motion for retail and e-commerce product launches and always-on performance, including hero films, paid-social cutdowns and PDP-ready loops.
- Animated Video Production Agency Award-winning animated video production agency service partnering with brands and agencies to produce high-quality animation from handcrafted stop-motion to hybrid films.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30+ million views generated across client campaigns
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use A+C Studios
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
A+C Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
A+C Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Jen Giles + PartnersminorUS expansion partnership announced May 2026, extending A+C Studios' presence into the US market through collaborative partnership.
- EmmylandminorEquipment rental partner for any additional kit not available at Postgate Stage. Referred to as backup resource for productions needing specialized equipment beyond studio inventory.
- DUDE MilancoreCreative agency partnership for 'Canva Wild Design' campaign - a stop-motion commercial for Canva Italy produced in collaboration with DUDE Milan, featuring character pigeon 'Picci1'. The agency brought creative direction while A+C handled full production at Postgate Stage.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
A+C Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Framestore: One of the world's largest VFX and animation studios with deep commercial advertising work. Overlaps with A+C on stop-motion-adjacent brand work, but operates at much larger scale and broader capability.
Direct peers
- Golden Wolf: London-based animation studio producing bold short-form animation for brands, music, and entertainment. Overlaps with A+C on character-led brand campaigns and agency partnership model.
- Giant Ant: Canadian animation and design studio specialising in animation, motion design, and short-form content for brands. Comparable offering and client base to A+C's commercial animation work.
- Studio AKA: London independent animation studio producing commercials, short films, and broadcast content across 2D, stop-motion, and mixed media. Overlaps directly with A+C in stop-motion commercial work and brand storytelling.
- Blinkink: UK animation studio producing commercials, music videos, and short films in mixed styles including stop-motion. Directly comparable in scope, client base, and short-form animation focus.
- Buck: Global design and animation studio producing commercials, brand films, and digital content with strong motion craft. Competes with A+C for the same brand and agency stop-motion/character animation briefs.
- Aardman Animations: The UK's most famous stop-motion studio (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep). A+C's founder Dan Richards trained at Aardman, and both studios compete for the same brand and agency stop-motion briefs across advertising and short-form content.
- Nexus Studios: London-based animation and production studio with a strong track record in commercials, music videos, and short films. Comparable client roster (global brands and agencies), animation-forward offering, and similar size/market position to A+C Studios.
- Passion Pictures: London-based production company known for commercials, documentaries (Oscar-winning), and branded content. Comparable in serving the same premium brand/agency client base for high-craft short-form productions.
Emerging players
- Lobo Studio: Brazil-based animation and design studio known for distinctive mixed-media and stop-motion commercial work. Comparable in craft specialisation and brand focus, though geographically distinct from A+C's UK base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
A+C Studios social profiles
Digital presenceA+C Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
A+C Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A+C Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
A+C Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A+C Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A+C Studios
What does A+C Studios do?
A+C Studios is a full-service stop-motion animation production studio that handles creative development, fabrication, animation, and post-production entirely in-house. The studio produces TV commercials, brand films, social-first campaigns, product animation, character-led series, and explainer videos for global brands and creative agencies. Production is delivered at scale through Postgate Stage, a 5,000 sq ft purpose-built hybrid facility in Margate supporting up to 15 simultaneous stop-motion units, and through structured packages including Launch Sprint, Hero Film + Content Toolkit, and Always-On Stop-Motion retainers.
Is A+C Studios a public or private company?
A+C Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A+C Studios founded?
A+C Studios was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is A+C Studios based?
A+C Studios is headquartered in Kent, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does A+C Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Animation Production Services are the primary driver. The others are studio Hire (Dry and Wet) and social Media Video Production.
Who are A+C Studios's main competitors?
Framestore is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Golden Wolf, Giant Ant, Studio AKA, Blinkink, Buck, Aardman Animations, Nexus Studios and Passion Pictures. Lobo Studio is listed as an emerging player.
Does A+C Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for A+C Studios.
What industry is A+C Studios in?
A+C Studios's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAB, 3D/CGI Animation Production, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAJ, Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.