What Augenblick Studios does

Augenblick Studios is an independent animation studio founded in 1999 by Aaron Augenblick and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The studio produces original animated content across television series, feature films, short films, music videos, commercials, and digital-first series, working as a custom B2B production partner rather than owning or distributing its own IP distribution channels. Its 50+ productions include commissioned series for Adult Swim (The Jellies, Superjail!, Teenage Euthanasia), Netflix (Headspace Guide to Meditation, Have a Good Trip, Losers), Comedy Central (Ugly Americans, Shorties Watchin' Shorties), MTV (Wonder Showzen), Cartoon Network (MAD), Fox ADHD (Golan the Insatiable), FX (Ex-Girlfiend), Paramount (Zoolander), PBS KIDS (City Island), and Snapchat (Death Hacks), plus commercial work for Google, Duolingo, G FUEL, Mountain Dew, and HBO, and music videos for artists including Weird Al Yankovic and Run the Jewels.

The studio's core technology stack centers on both traditional and digital animation production techniques, delivered by a small core creative team of approximately seven key personnel (Aaron Augenblick, Devin Clark, Jeremy Jusay, Josh Pilch, Katie Wendt, Keith Stack, and Nichola Latzgo) supplemented by a rolling freelance creative workforce. The company has received industry recognition including the Ottawa International Animation Festival Grand Prix (2007), Sundance official selection, SXSW Grand Prix, Promax Award (2006), and Critics Choice Award for Best Movie Made for Television (2023) for its animation work on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. In June 2021, Augenblick launched Future Brain Media, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on children's educational content, with City Island for PBS KIDS as its flagship production.

Augenblick operates a project-based professional services revenue model, with pricing negotiated directly with commissioning networks, streaming platforms, and brand clients on a per-project basis. The studio is privately held with no disclosed venture or private equity backing, is not publicly traded, and shows no M&A or acquisition history. Customer segments split between broadcast networks/streaming platforms and brand advertisers as primary, with film and music industry clients as secondary. The company marked its 25th anniversary in 2024 with the release of City Island Season 2 on PBS KIDS.

Name

Augenblick Studios

Legal name

Augenblick Studios Inc.

Website

https://augenblickstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Augenblick Studios is an independent Brooklyn-based animation studio founded in 1999 that produces original animated series, films, music videos, and commercials on a project basis for clients including Netflix, Adult Swim, PBS KIDS, Comedy Central, and brands like Google and Duolingo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Animated television production
• Animation studio services
• Commercial animation production
• Music video animation
• Feature film animation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Television Production: Commissioned animation production for television networks including Adult Swim, Comedy Central, MTV, Fox, Cartoon Network, and streaming platforms like Netflix and Paramount
2. Commercial Animation: Brand-sponsored commercial work including animated ads for Google, Duolingo, G FUEL, Mountain Dew, HBO, Expensify, and various other commercial clients
3. Music Video Production: Animated music videos for artists including Weird Al Yankovic, Run the Jewels, Kill the Noise, Feed Me, and The M Machine
4. Film Production: Animated films and documentary segments for theatrical release and streaming platforms

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Augenblick Studios is an independent animation production studio that creates original animated content including television series, feature films, commercials, and music videos. The studio delivers end-to-end animation services from concept, storyboarding, and design through final production for television networks, streaming platforms, and consumer brands. Through subsidiary Future Brain Media, it also develops children's animated programming.

Product overview

Augenblick Studios is an independent animation studio that creates a wide variety of animated content for film, television, and the internet. The company operates across multiple content categories including: animated TV series (City Island for PBS KIDS, Teenage Euthanasia and The Jellies for Adult Swim, Headspace Guide to Meditation for Netflix, Wonder Showzen for MTV, Ugly Americans for Comedy Central, and others); feature films (The Ten, Have a Good Trip, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and their first original film Ramblin' Man); music videos for artists like 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Run the Jewels, and Kill the Noise; and commercial work for clients including Duolingo, Google, HBO, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Street. The company also has a children's entertainment offshoot called Future Brain Media. Founded in 1999 by Aaron Augenblick and based in Brooklyn, NY, Augenblick Studios is recognized as one of the leading independent animation companies worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Original animated television series production

Quantifiable outcome

• Golden Age won grand prix for best animated film at the 2007 Ottawa International Animation Festival
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Future Brain MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Brain Media is an offshoot of Augenblick Studios focused on children's entertainment. City Island is the first series from Future Brain Media, created by Aaron Augenblick in partnership with Daniel Powell. The company was formed in June 2021 as a joint venture for kids animation production.
• PBS KIDScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBS KIDS partnered with Augenblick Studios and Future Brain Media to produce City Island, an animated children's series teaching civics and community concepts. The show launched on PBS KIDS Video app and pbskids.org in December 2022.
• Topic StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTopic Studios partnered with Augenblick Studios to produce Losers, an 8-episode documentary series about athletes who turned failure into triumph, with Augenblick Studios creating animation for the series.
• NetflixmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetflix has commissioned Augenblick Studios for multiple projects including Headspace Guide to Meditation and Have a Good Trip documentary, distributing content globally through the Netflix platform.
• Adult SwimmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdult Swim has aired multiple Augenblick Studios productions including The Jellies (Tyler the Creator), Superjail, and Teenage Euthanasia, serving as a primary broadcast distribution partner.
• Comedy CentralmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComedy Central commissioned Augenblick Studios to produce 31 episodes of Ugly Americans and animated stand-up segments for Shorties Watchin Shorties.
• Paramount/Red HourmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParamount and Red Hour partnered with Augenblick Studios to create the Zoolander animated movie featuring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and many other stars.
• DuolingominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAugenblick Studios created animated shorts for Duolingo's language learning app, producing educational content to enhance the user experience.
• Bear Meets Eagle On FireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAugenblick Studios collaborated with Bear Meets Eagle On Fire to create the Stake trading app commercial featuring retro Fleischer-inspired animation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Titmouse Inc. Independent animation studio producing content for Adult Swim, Netflix, Amazon, and major brands across TV, film, and commercials. Same fee-for-service animation model with comparable client roster and multi-format capabilities.
• ShadowMachine: Independent animation and production studio known for stop-motion and animated content including BoJack Horseman, Final Space, and Robot Chicken. Directly comparable as a multi-format animation studio serving premium networks and streamers.
• Powerhouse Animation Studios: Animation studio known for Castlevania, Seis Manos, and Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix. Directly comparable independent animation studio serving streaming platforms with adult-oriented animated series.
• Bent Image Lab: Independent animation and visual effects studio producing commercials, music videos, and animated content for brands and networks. Comparable as a boutique animation studio offering both commercial work and original content production.
• Floyd County Productions: Atlanta-based animation studio producing Archer, Solar Opposites, and other Adult Swim programming. Direct peer as an independent animation house serving premium cable networks with adult-oriented animated series.
• Frederator Studios: Animation studio and network producing Adventure Time, Bee and PuppyCat, and other Cartoon Network/streaming content. Comparable as an independent animation company developing and producing multi-platform animated content.
• Cartoon Saloon: Irish independent animation studio producing Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, and The Secret of Kells with festival recognition. Comparable as an indie animation studio with strong festival pedigree and feature film capabilities.
• Mondo Media: Independent animation studio producing Happy Tree Friends, Dick Figures, and other digital animation content. Comparable as an indie animation studio serving digital platforms with original and commissioned content.

Broad incumbents

• Aardman Animations: Acclaimed independent animation studio (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep) producing feature films, TV series, and commercials. Comparable as a long-established independent animation brand with similar cross-format capabilities, though significantly larger in scale.
• WildBrain: Canadian entertainment company producing Peanuts, Teletubbies, and other animated children's content. Comparable as a children's animation studio/producer with PBS-like distribution relationships, though publicly traded and much larger.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/augenblicknyc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@augenblickstudiosinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/augenblickstudios
• Facebookfacebook.com/augenblickstudios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Augenblick Studios