Giant Ant
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2007
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Giant Ant
Giant Ant is a Vancouver-based animation house, design shop and creative studio founded in 2007 by Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson. Its commercial work combines animation, motion design and visual storytelling for brands, entertainment companies and digital platforms. The studio develops projects around narrative clarity, character and emotional resonance, drawing on both design-led motion and traditional animation techniques.
Its capabilities span creative direction, scripting, concept development, visual style frames and storyboarding through illustration, character design, animation and final delivery. Production includes digital 2D animation, frame-by-frame cel animation, 3D modeling and CGI integration. Compositing, editorial and sound collaboration support delivery across broadcast, streaming and digital formats.
The studio works across technology, entertainment, gaming, consumer products and financial services. Its commercial projects range from character-driven comedy and product explanations to animated brand stories. Examples include Duolingo’s Misunderstood spots, Slack’s Work, Simplified and Spaceship campaigns, Microsoft Copilot animations, and OpenTable’s Find a Restaurant. Other work includes a cel-animated promotional segment for Genshin Impact and the four-part Tales of Mark Eting campaign for Optimizely.
Entertainment contributions include additional animation and musical sequences for the Animaniacs reboot, including the Pinky and the Brain introduction, and opening titles for Hilda and the Mountain King. Alongside commissioned work, Giant Ant produces original animated shorts and creative collaborations, including The Last White Rhino and Death Metal.
In September 2022, Giant Ant’s commercial animation and design business was acquired by Buck Design Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of BUCK. Giant Ant subsequently participated in launching the Residence creative network. It continues to operate under its own brand with distinct creative leadership and a dedicated Vancouver studio. Independent long-form film production is credited separately under the Giant Ant Films banner.
More about Giant Ant
Origins
An early viral video brought unexpected international attention and prompted the founders to move from industrial design and documentary filmmaking into full-time animation and visual storytelling.
Creative and working practices
- The studio describes three guiding values: “Never miss a deadline,” “Don't be a jerk,” and “Put love in your work.” Its internal creative principle is that the “best idea wins,” regardless of hierarchy.
- A core Vancouver team works alongside a curated network of international freelance collaborators. The studio describes its working setup as hybrid.
- Residence supplies shared finance and operational infrastructure while participating studios retain their distinct identities and creative autonomy.
Applications
The studio directs applicants to its online careers form rather than accepting applications by direct email.
Notable credits
13 creditsOffices
Where Giant Ant is based
- 961 E Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 0H1, CanadaVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver office
HeadquartersAbout this office
Single global headquarters in Strathcona, housing creative direction, art direction, animation, production and business operations in a hybrid studio setup.
Open roles
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