Lanning Animation

Lanning Animation is an artist-run independent 3D animation studio founded in 2022 by Robert Lanning and Taylor Gessler Lanning. The studio develops narrative animation with an emphasis on human craft, emotional resonance and cinematic storytelling, operating outside the traditional corporate-studio model.

Its work spans high-fidelity character animation, visual development, concept art, worldbuilding, character and environment modeling, look development, surfacing, texturing, rigging, storyboarding and cinematic direction. The production pipeline centers on Autodesk Maya for character animation, supported by digital sculpting, surfacing and Unreal Engine toolsets.

Independent narrative production

The studio pairs its core creative direction with a remote-friendly network of freelance specialists engaged on fixed-term production contracts. This model supports both original development and contracted animation work while maintaining a small, artist-led core team.

Current and developing projects include:

• Elegy of Emptiness — a narrative 3D animated short inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and focused on the lore of the Deku Butler’s Son.
• Forest Heights — an original animated mystery series set in a secluded town and exploring childhood mysteries.
• An unannounced independent animated pilot involving 3D character animation and asset production.

Robert Lanning brings experience as a Senior Cinematic Animator at Blizzard Entertainment, including work on cinematic sequences for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. Taylor Gessler Lanning has contributed animation work at Walt Disney Animation Studios and has worked as a character designer and animator at Mob Entertainment.

Lanning Animation’s services include keyframe character and creature animation, full-pipeline CG cinematic and short-film production, 3D asset creation, story development, storyboarding, animatics, and community-facing animation review and portfolio critique.