Lava Studio
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 1999
- Employees
- 1-10
- Offices
- 3
About Lava Studio
Lava Studio is an American design, animation, visual effects and live-action production studio founded in 1999. Working across television, film, sports entertainment and advertising, it develops projects from concept and art direction through production, animation, compositing and final delivery. Its geographic presence spans New York and Miami, serving broadcast networks, film studios, sports franchises, agencies and consumer brands.
The studio combines original graphic design with 2D and 3D character animation, photorealistic CGI and digital visual effects. Live-action work includes directing children, celebrities and athletes, alongside productions that integrate filmed performances with animated characters or digital environments. Concept development, storyboarding and visual toolkits support this work across different campaign and programme formats.
Broadcast, film and sports
Broadcast design is a substantial part of the studio’s portfolio. Its work for MLB Network includes show packaging for MLB Central and MLB Tonight, regional game graphics, postseason showcase packages and promotional material. Other television assignments include CBS Sports branding, BIG3 broadcast design and the opening sequence, packaging and visual effects for Discovery’s Discovery #MINDBLOWN.
Film and series work ranges from effects sequences to main titles. For The Wicker Man, the studio produced more than 60 visual effects shots, including photorealistic animated bees and digital environment extensions. Its title work includes The Forever Purge, The Most Hated Woman in America, American Refugee and CBS’s True Lies. It also contributed visual effects to Disney+’s Just Beyond.
Commercial and experiential production
Commercial projects encompass animated advertising, live-action campaigns and effects work for clients including WhatsApp Business, Columbia Sportswear, the Florida Lottery and WellCare. The portfolio also extends beyond conventional screens into environmental motion media, panoramic stadium installations and theatrical stage imagery. Examples include custom 360-degree media for Mercedes-Benz Stadium and animated LED stage backgrounds for Norwegian Cruise Line, alongside an animated onboard safety video for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
More about Lava Studio
Leadership
- Founder and President Robert Kirkpatrick is a creative director and VFX artist who studied at New York’s Pratt Institute. Before establishing the studio, he worked in visual effects and creative direction across New York and Miami.
- Executive Producer and Managing Director Dana Bonomo previously worked at PMcD Design and EDISEN.
Production methods
The report describes virtual production pipelines using LED volume stages, extending the studio’s work with digital environments into live-action production.
Industry recognition
The studio’s reported recognition includes two Emmy Awards for work on CBS’s The Super Bowl Today and the Miami Heat Open, six additional Emmy nominations, 24 Promax Awards and 21 Addy Awards. Separately, Kirkpatrick is identified as a two-time Emmy winner with multiple nominations for Art Direction and Graphic Design.
Notable credits
25 creditsOffices
Where Lava Studio is based
- 4501 N Jefferson Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USAMiami Beach, Florida, United States
Miami Beach office
HeadquartersCompany headquarters, studio production and executive office in the Miami metropolitan area.
- Miami, Florida, United States
Miami office
- 442 5th Avenue, #1156, New York, NY 10018, USANew York, United States
New York office
New York production office and creative management hub.
Open roles
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