Blue Zoo Animation

Blue Zoo Animation Studio is a British animation production company founded in 2000 by Bournemouth University classmates Oli Hyatt, Adam Shaw and Tom Box. Based in Camden, London, the studio creates character-driven work for television, film, commercial and digital platforms, with a focus on children’s and family entertainment.

The studio works across both 3D CGI and 2D animation, combining series production with visual development, production design, short-form content and digital IP creation. Its pipeline spans modelling, rigging, layout, character animation, lighting, shading, rendering and compositing, alongside storyboarding, scriptwriting, concept art, previs and look development.

Production capabilities

Blue Zoo’s work includes:

• Full-pipeline 3D computer animation
• 2D episodic animation
• Real-time animation and virtual-production workflows using Unreal Engine, Maya and Houdini
• Visual development and art direction through ZooLab
• Commercial, brand and short-form animation
• Digital products, mobile gaming, web content, licensing and IP brand management

The company has expanded its creative infrastructure to include real-time production pipelines, IP development and distribution, an experimental incubator called The Ideas Fund, and brand licensing activity.

Selected work

Blue Zoo has produced or contributed to animated series and projects including Numberblocks, Alphablocks, The Adventures of Paddington, Pip and Posy, LEGO City: No Limits, Mojo Swoptops, It’s Pony, Tree Fu Tom, Digby Dragon, Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, Go Jetters, Big Tree City and Millie and Lou.

Its portfolio also includes independent animated shorts such as Mamoon, Ada, In Shapes, Lynx & Birds, Via and Sinking Feeling. The studio is developing a preschool animated Doctor Who series for BBC/CBeebies.

Blue Zoo became B Corp certified in September 2021 and is described in the research as the world’s first major animation studio to receive that certification.