ShadowMachine
ShadowMachine is a privately held animation production studio founded in 1999, producing stop-motion, CGI, and hybrid animated series and feature films for major streaming platforms and studios including Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock, and Amazon MGM Studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ShadowMachine does
ShadowMachine is a privately held animation production studio founded in 1999 by Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley, headquartered in Portland, OR with a second studio in Los Angeles, CA. The company produces animated television series and feature films across three core technical modalities: stop-motion animation (including physical puppet fabrication), CGI animation, and hybrid productions that integrate stop-motion with live-action elements. Its portfolio spans prestige adult animation (BoJack Horseman, Long Story Short on Netflix), stop-motion feature films (the Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio for Netflix; The Buried Giant in development), children's programming (The Tiny Chef Show, Emmy-winning), and innovative hybrid formats (In The Know on Peacock combining stop-motion with live-action interviews).
The studio's technology stack is craft- and labor-intensive rather than software-driven, anchored by physical puppet fabrication infrastructure, CGI production pipelines, and a community of hundreds of specialized artists across its two locations. Its business model is professional services: ShadowMachine serves as the animation production partner for major studios and streaming platforms, earning revenue through project-based production fees, co-production deals, and creative fees. Pricing is negotiated on a per-project basis and is not publicly disclosed. The company sells primarily to enterprise clients — Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock, Amazon MGM Studios, BET+, TBS, and Hulu/Disney+ (Firefly in development) — and to high-profile creators seeking animation production partners for prestige projects.
ShadowMachine is employee-owned with no disclosed external funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent company. It is structured as ShadowMachine, LLC. Its go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven: new business is secured through industry relationships, award recognition (Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy), and creative partnerships with auteurs such as Guillermo del Toro, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Mike Judge, and Kevin Hart. The studio has grown from a garage operation into a multi-location production house with 101–250 employees, sustained by a continuous slate of high-profile projects and long-running buyer relationships rather than software platform leverage.
ShadowMachine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ShadowMachine
- Legal name
- ShadowMachine, LLC
- Website
- https://shadowmachine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- ShadowMachine is a privately held animation production studio founded in 1999, producing stop-motion, CGI, and hybrid animated series and feature films for major streaming platforms and studios including Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock, and Amazon MGM Studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ShadowMachine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation (MPAHACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Stop-Motion Animation Production (MPADACAC)
Keywords
Where ShadowMachine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ShadowMachine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Animation Production Services: ShadowMachine serves as the primary animation studio and production partner for television series and feature films, earning revenue through production fees, co-production deals, and creative fees from major studios and streaming platforms
- Feature Film Production: The studio produces stop-motion and animated feature films, earning revenue through production contracts and distribution partnerships with studios like Netflix
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
ShadowMachine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ShadowMachine is an animation production studio that creates stop-motion, CGI, and hybrid animated content for television series and feature films. It produces and co-produces original and commissioned animation for major streaming platforms and networks.
Product overview
ShadowMachine is a world-renowned animation studio and production house founded in 1999, with studio locations in Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR. The company operates as a full-service animation studio producing animated television series and feature films across television and film. ShadowMachine's portfolio includes award-winning animated series such as BoJack Horseman (Netflix), Long Story Short (Netflix), and The Tiny Chef Show, as well as stop-motion feature films including Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Academy Award winner) and The Buried Giant. The company produces content for major streaming platforms including Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV+, BET+, and broadcast networks like TBS. ShadowMachine functions as an animation services and production company rather than a software product company, offering its creative and production capabilities to develop and produce animated content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stop-Motion Animation Production End-to-end stop-motion animation production for feature films and series, including puppet fabrication, set building, and frame-by-frame animation. Delivered for studios and streaming platforms.
- CGI / Digital Animation Production Computer-generated and digital animation production for animated series and films, serving networks and streamers seeking full-service animated content.
- Hybrid Animation Production Blended production combining stop-motion, CGI, and other techniques for series and films requiring mixed visual approaches.
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Academy Award-winning stop-motion animated feature film produced by ShadowMachine for Netflix.
- BoJack Horseman Long-running adult animated series produced by ShadowMachine for Netflix.
Quantifiable outcome
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Golden Globe
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ShadowMachine
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ShadowMachine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ShadowMachine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Collision33coreCo-production partner with Nathan Fillion for Firefly animated series. Collision33 is developing the animated revival of the cult classic Firefly series with original cast members set to reprise roles.
- 20th Television AnimationcoreAnimation production partner for Firefly animated series, expected to be developed and taken to buyers with distribution likely on Hulu/Disney+.
- Amazon MGM StudiosmajorDistribution partner for Bob the Builder animated feature film, co-produced with Jennifer Lopez's Nuyorican Productions.
- PeacockmajorDistribution partner for In The Know, an adult animation series combining stop-motion animation and live-action interviews, created by Zach Woods, Mike Judge, and Brandon Gardner.
- Apple TV+majorDistribution partner for Strange Planet animated series, based on Nathan W. Pyle's webcomic.
- NetflixcorePrimary streaming partner for multiple projects including Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Oscar-winning), BoJack Horseman, Long Story Short, The Buried Giant (in development). Netflix distributes ShadowMachine productions globally.
- Guillermo del TorocoreOngoing creative partnership for stop-motion animated features. Projects include Pinocchio (Oscar-winning) and The Buried Giant (in development). Work began a decade ago with initial concept art creation.
- BET+majorFirst-ever adult animated series order from BET+ for Lil Kev, based on Kevin Hart's childhood, starring Wanda Sykes and Deon Cole.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ShadowMachine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Laika: Laika is a Portland, Oregon-based stop-motion animation studio (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link) and ShadowMachine's closest direct peer — same city, same primary technique, same feature-film prestige positioning, and same reliance on stop-motion craftsmanship with large artisan teams.
- Aardman Animations: Aardman is a UK-based stop-motion animation studio (Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run) directly comparable to ShadowMachine in its mastery of stop-motion features and series, its emphasis on award-winning craft, and its work-for-hire model with major distributors.
- Titmouse: Titmouse is a US-based independent animation studio producing adult and prestige series (Metalocalypse, Venture Bros., Star Trek: Lower Decks). Comparable to ShadowMachine as a privately held multi-format TV animation production house serving streamers and cable networks.
- WildBrain: WildBrain is a Canadian animation studio and IP owner producing children's and family animation (Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake). Comparable to ShadowMachine as a vertically integrated animation production and distribution business serving major platforms.
- Cartoon Saloon: Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation studio (Wolfwalkers, The Secret of Kells) producing hand-crafted, award-winning animated features. Comparable to ShadowMachine as a prestige animation studio with a similar boutique scale, multi-Oscar nominations, and reliance on streaming/feature distribution partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- Illumination: Illumination (Despicable Me, Sing) is a major incumbent animation studio owned by Universal. Overlaps with ShadowMachine in feature animation production for global distributors but operates at far greater scale and focuses on CGI family franchises rather than stop-motion prestige.
- Pixar Animation Studios: Pixar is the leading CGI animation feature studio (Toy Story, Inside Out). Comparable to ShadowMachine in producing Academy Award-winning animated features for major distributors, but vastly larger and exclusively CGI.
- DreamWorks Animation: DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda) produces animated features and series for global distribution. Comparable to ShadowMachine as an animation production house supplying premium content to streamers and theatrical, but at much larger scale.
- Sony Pictures Animation: Sony Pictures Animation (Spider-Verse, Hotel Transylvania) is a major incumbent feature animation studio. Comparable to ShadowMachine in award-caliber animation output, but with studio backing and global distribution infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Netflix Animation: Netflix's in-house animation division is both a customer and emerging competitive threat to ShadowMachine, producing original animated features and series directly. Relevant as an emerging vertically integrated player that could absorb work ShadowMachine currently performs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ShadowMachine social profiles
Digital presenceShadowMachine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ShadowMachine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ShadowMachine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ShadowMachine 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 ShadowMachine
What does ShadowMachine do?
ShadowMachine is an animation production studio that creates stop-motion, CGI, and hybrid animated content for television series and feature films. It produces and co-produces original and commissioned animation for major streaming platforms and networks.
Is ShadowMachine a public or private company?
ShadowMachine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ShadowMachine founded?
ShadowMachine was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ShadowMachine based?
ShadowMachine is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does ShadowMachine make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Animation Production Services are the primary driver. The others are feature Film Production.
Who are ShadowMachine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Laika, Aardman Animations, Titmouse, WildBrain and Cartoon Saloon. Broad incumbents are Illumination, Pixar Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation and Sony Pictures Animation. Netflix Animation is listed as an emerging player.
Does ShadowMachine have an API?
No public API is recorded for ShadowMachine.
What industry is ShadowMachine in?
ShadowMachine's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHACAM, Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation, with a secondary code of MPADACAC, Stop-Motion Animation Production. Its NAICS code is 5121 and its SIC code is 7812.