Brainy Pixel Animation Studios

What Brainy Pixel Animation Studios does

Brainy Pixel Animation Studios (legal entity Brainy Pixel Productions, LLC) is a privately held, faith-based animation studio founded in 2014 by Michael Thoenes (CEO/Managing Partner) and Brannon Hollingsworth (COO/Creative Director) and headquartered in Decatur, Alabama, with a second creative office in Fort Worth, Texas. The studio produces 2D and 3D Christ-centered animation, video, film, and comic book content using Blender, Maya, and Unreal Engine, and offers professional animation and illustration services to outside clients. Its original IP portfolio spans pre-K to elementary educational series (Lily's Lab on Answers.TV), pre-teen action (Righteous Warriors), teen/family sci-fi (Fourth World Four), an award-winning construction-themed show (Cubekins), gamified education (Mission Quest Academy), and a comic line (Chronicles of Faith: David, co-produced with Mercy Ways Studios).

The studio serves three customer groups: Christian families and homeschool households (direct-to-consumer), churches, ministries, and faith-based nonprofits (B2B production services and content partnerships such as Answers in Genesis and Come and See Foundation), and third-party studios needing outsourced animation or VFX work (e.g., Angel Studios' The Shift, Red Sky Studios' The Last Rodeo and The Shift). The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) subscription membership through the Shine-A-Light Guild at $5/month or $60/year, (2) project-based animation and illustration production services, and (3) content licensing/distribution through streaming platforms (Answers.tv for Lily's Lab, Vimeo On Demand for Righteous Warriors). GTM motion is community-led, event-driven, and enterprise field sales, with an active conference presence across faith-based, homeschool, and animation-industry events.

Name

Brainy Pixel Animation Studios

Legal name

Brainy Pixel Productions, LLC

Website

https://brainypixel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brainy Pixel Animation Studios is a privately held, faith-based 2D/3D animation studio producing Christ-centered animated series, films, comics, and gamified education for Christian families, churches, ministries, and homeschool communities, with services revenue and subscription guild membership as its core monetization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D/CGI Animation Production (MPADACAB), 3D Character Animation (MPAHACAB), Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Christian animation studio
• Faith-based animation
• Animation production services
• Educational media production
• 2D 3D animation

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Guild Membership Subscriptions: Monthly and annual subscription membership to Shine-A-Light Guild providing early access to content, voting rights on projects, and exclusive member content.
2. Animation Production Services: Custom animation, storytelling, and interactive media production for church leaders, ministries, media producers, and creative teams.
3. Content Distribution Revenue: Revenue from streaming platforms including Answers.tv for Lily's Lab content, and Vimeo for premium content like Righteous Warriors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brainy Pixel Animation Studios is a Christian animation and production studio that creates original faith-based animated series, films, and educational media, and provides custom 2D and 3D animation production services to churches, ministries, and creative teams. The studio operates a subscription membership community (Shine-A-Light Guild) and distributes content via streaming platforms such as Answers.tv and Vimeo On Demand.

Product overview

Brainy Pixel Animation Studios is an award-winning Christian animation and production studio founded in 2014 by Michael Thoenes and Brannon Hollingsworth. The company operates as both a content creator and service provider, producing original faith-based entertainment and offering professional animation and illustration services. The core product portfolio includes animated series such as Righteous Warriors (martial arts action for kids), Lily's Lab (educational dinosaur series for Pre-K to Elementary on Answers.TV), Fourth World Four (sci-fi action for teens using Unreal Engine), Cubekins (award-winning children's animation), and Mission Quest Academy (gamified education). The studio also operates the Shine-A-Light Guild subscription community for fan engagement and production support. Beyond original content, Brainy Pixel provides animation and illustration services to ministries, studios, and creators. The company also produces educational blog content through Theology of Storytelling and Encouraging Christian Creatives series, as well as media reviews via the Shine A Light Today (SALT) platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shine A Light Today (SALT): Media review series that spotlights faith-driven books, films, and podcasts.
• Shine-A-Light Guild

Products and services

• Righteous Warriors High-octane 2D animated series for young audiences featuring martial arts action with Biblical values; follows Master Wan who unlocks secrets from Ancient Scrolls of Wisdom to overcome the Sinjas. Distributed via Vimeo On Demand.
• Lily's Lab 2D educational animation series for ages 4-9 featuring Lily the Leaellynasaura dinosaur exploring life's questions with the Bible as foundation. Produced for Answers in Genesis and streaming on Answers.TV; among the platform's top-performing shows.
• Fourth World Four High-definition sci-fi animated series for kids ages 12-16 and families, blending action-adventure with Christian values. Produced using the Unreal Game Engine for 3D visuals.
• Cubekins Award-winning animated children's show with construction-themed content for young audiences.
• Mission Quest Academy Gamified education platform combining faith-based learning with interactive educational content for families and homeschool audiences.
• Shine-A-Light Guild Subscription membership community providing early access to show and movie ideas, voting rights on production decisions, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and direct support for faith-based content creation. Priced at $5/month or $60/year.
• Animation Services Professional 2D and 3D animation production services including script development, visual design, character design, and full production for clients seeking faith-based or family-oriented content.
• Illustration Services Creative illustration services for comics, children's books, curriculum materials, and other visual storytelling needs.
• Chronicles of Faith: David Faith-based comic book series produced in partnership with Mercy Ways Studios, presenting the Biblical story of David in graphic novel format.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful production and delivery of multiple award-winning animated series and films.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Answers in GenesiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrainy Pixel serves as animation and production studio for Lily's Lab, one of Answers in Genesis' top-performing shows on Answers.TV. Partnership spans three years with Brainy Team crafting adventures, building the universe, and working with talent like Katie Leigh, Stephanie Komure, and composer John Campbell.
• Come and See FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for Mission Quest Academy gamified education content. Features collaboration with Mark McKane from The Chosen team for exclusive strategy conversations about faith-driven storytelling, gamified learning, and global impact.
• Mercy Ways StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Salvadorian Christian comics company on Chronicles of Faith comic series. Collaboration on Chronicles of Faith: David comic book series starting February 2021.
• Christian World View Film FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCore values adopted from Christian World View Film Festival. Active participation in their annual film festival as exhibitor/presenter.
• John CampbellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned Christian composer providing music for Lily's Lab animated series production.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DreamWorks Animation: Major animation studio producing family-oriented content. Broad incumbent in the same production category (2D/3D animation for families); not a direct competitor in the faith-based niche but a reference point for the production model and talent pool Brainy Pixel taps into.
• Affirm Films (Sony Pictures): Sony's faith-based film production and distribution label. A broader incumbent in the same overall faith-based content market, though it specializes in feature films rather than animation; represents the type of larger distribution partner Brainy Pixel could supply or co-produce with.
• Big Idea Entertainment: Established creator of VeggieTales, the dominant Christian children's animation franchise. Direct competitor in the faith-based kids animation category with broader catalog and established retail/streaming distribution, but a similar value proposition for Christian families.

Direct peers

• Kingstone Comics: Largest Christian comic book publisher in the U.S. Direct competitor in the faith-based graphic novel/comics space and a peer in distribution strategy to Christian retailers, comparable to Brainy Pixel's Chronicles of Faith: David series.
• Owlegories (1K Studios): Christian animated series teaching biblical lessons through nature-themed storytelling. Brainy Pixel's CPO Layne Laughter previously contributed to Owlegories, indicating direct overlap in talent, subject matter, and target demographic (faith-based kids animation).
• Adventures in Odyssey (Focus on the Family): Long-running Christian audio/animated series for families produced by Focus on the Family. Comparable in faith-based, family-focused audio/video content for Christian households, with overlapping audience to Brainy Pixel's target segments.
• Angel Studios: Faith-based film and series producer/distributor behind The Chosen and Sound of Freedom. Brainy Pixel provided animation and VFX services on The Shift (2023) for Angel Studios, making it a directly comparable peer in faith-based content production with overlapping customer base and distribution ecosystem.

Others

• Tyndale House Publishers: Christian publishing and content company with curriculum, media, and children's divisions. Adjacent player serving the same Christian family and homeschool audience that Brainy Pixel targets, with potential overlap in curriculum and educational content distribution.
• Salvation Army Media (Herald Entertainment): Faith-based publishing and media arm producing children's content for Christian audiences. Adjacent peer serving overlapping Christian family audiences via animation and educational content, with comparable distribution through church networks.

Emerging players

• Promised Land Entertainment: Faith-based film production and distribution company. Smaller emerging player with comparable focus on faith-driven storytelling and an analogous go-to-market via church and ministry engagement, though without the animation specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BrainyPixel
• Facebookfacebook.com/brainypixel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brainypixel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Brainy Pixel Animation Studios