HouseSpecial

What HouseSpecial does

HouseSpecial is a private, independent animation studio headquartered in Portland, Oregon, specializing in multi-disciplinary animated commercial content across stop motion, computer-generated (CG), and 2D illustration. The studio traces its operational lineage to LAIKA/house, the former commercial arm of LAIKA, and was spun off as an independent entity in 2014, carrying forward five decades of Portland's stop-motion heritage that originated with Will Vinton Studios (1975) and continued through LAIKA (2003-2014). The studio operates with 11-50 employees from a single Portland headquarters and provides end-to-end production services spanning design, animation, editorial, and final finish under one roof, with proprietary specialization in stop-motion puppet fabrication and hybrid stop-motion/2D techniques.

The company's core offering is custom, project-based animation production sold primarily to top-tier global advertising agencies and major consumer brands. Customer relationships are anchored in long-running engagements with Fortune 500 advertisers including M&M's/Mars, Apple, Target, Marvel/Disney, Chipotle, Starbucks, Nike, Cheerios, Smucker's, and AirBnB, alongside agency-side partnerships with Omnicom, Publicis, TBWA, Leo Burnett, and Barton F. Graf. Marquee deliverables include multiple Super Bowl campaigns (e.g., M&M's "Maya AKA SOS" in 2023) and ongoing spokescandy/mascot animations. The portfolio documents 344 projects across CG, 2D, films, holiday content, and behind-the-scenes categories, and the firm self-reports hundreds of award-winning projects.

Revenue is generated exclusively via project-based professional-services contracts (quote-based pricing, no published tiers). Go-to-market is B2B enterprise field sales executed through agency direct relationships, brand direct engagement, and a regionally distributed network of independent sales representatives covering International, East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast territories. Distribution is direct only, with no self-service, e-commerce, or licensing layer; the firm relies on portfolio-driven inbound from agency and brand contacts, complemented by an active social presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Vimeo, plus earned media coverage in Variety, IndieWire, The Drum, AdWeek, LBB Online, NPR, and VICE. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or public-market activity are disclosed; the company is privately held with leadership including Kirk Kelley (Partner & CCO), Aaron Sorenson (Director), Julie Ragland (EP & Head of Marketing), and Alvaro Cubillas (COO).

Name

HouseSpecial

Legal name

HouseSpecial

Website

https://housespecial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HouseSpecial is a Portland-based independent animation studio producing multi-disciplinary animated commercial content across stop motion, CG, and 2D for top advertising agencies and major global consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Animation Production Services: Project-based custom animation production for agencies and brands. Services span stop motion, CG, and 2D animation with full-service capabilities from design through final delivery. Revenue generated through project contracts with major advertising and entertainment clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HouseSpecial is a multi-disciplinary animation studio specializing in custom animated commercial content creation across stop motion, CG, and 2D illustration/animation techniques. The studio provides full-service production under one roof — from design and animation through editorial and final finish — serving top global advertising agencies (Omnicom, Publicis, Barton F. Graf) and major consumer brands (M&M's, Apple, Target, Marvel, Disney) with campaign, holiday, and original film content.

Product overview

HouseSpecial is a full-service animation studio offering three primary animation disciplines: Stop Motion Animation, CG Animation, and 2D Illustration and Animation. The studio provides comprehensive production services from concept development through final delivery, along with specialized offerings including holiday content and original film production. The portfolio spans films, shorts, commercials, and branded content for commercial clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stop Motion Animation Specialized stop motion animation services creating physical, frame-by-frame content for commercials, films, shorts, and branded content, leveraging handcrafted puppet fabrication techniques (felt, fur) and a heritage traced to Will Vinton Studios and LAIKA. Targeted at advertising agencies and major consumer brands seeking distinctive, memorable animated content.
• CG Animation Computer-generated animation services producing 3D animated content for digital-first delivery across commercials, games, and branded media. Targeted at advertising agencies and consumer brands requiring digital-first animated content.
• 2D Illustration and Animation Two-dimensional animation and illustration services for visual storytelling across multiple formats, including drawn, painted, and animated 2D content. Targeted at advertising agencies and brands requiring illustrated storytelling for campaigns.
• Full-Service Animation Production End-to-end animation production from concept development through final delivery, encompassing design, animation, editorial, and final finish under one roof. Eliminates handoff complexity for advertising agencies and consumer-brand clients seeking creative coherence.
• Holiday and Seasonal Content Production Specialized seasonal and holiday-themed animated content production for brand marketing campaigns across multiple techniques (stop motion, CG, 2D). Targeted at consumer brands running holiday, Super Bowl, and seasonal marketing initiatives.
• Original Films and Short-Form Animation Original animated film development and production, including short films and feature-length projects such as film credits, animated shorts, and book trailers. Targeted at film studios, entertainment companies, and brand clients seeking distinctive original content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of award-winning projects for iconic global brands
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housespecial
• Instagraminstagram.com/housespecialpdx
• Xx.com/housespecialpdx
• Facebookfacebook.com/housespecial-812132712153176

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 HouseSpecial