Back to all studios
MS2

Mackinnon & Saunders

Animation
View roles 0Visit website
Open roles
0
Founded
1992
Employees
11-50
Offices
2

About Mackinnon & Saunders

Mackinnon & Saunders is a British animation production company and specialist puppet fabrication studio based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. Founded as a partnership in 1992, it combines character design, model-making and armature engineering with stop-motion and 2D digital animation production. Its work spans feature films, children's television, commercials, short films and cultural exhibitions.

The studio develops characters from initial concepts and maquettes through sculpting, molds, internal mechanisms, casting and costumes. It builds puppets for external productions as well as providing animation production from concept and script development to post-production delivery. Its capabilities also include storyboarding, set and prop construction, puppet maintenance and repair, supported by dedicated workshops and shooting facilities.

Feature filmmaking

The company's longstanding collaboration with Tim Burton began with Martian character work for Mars Attacks! and continued through Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. It constructed puppets and armatures for Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox and supplied specialist fabrication support for LAIKA productions including Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls.

For Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Mackinnon & Saunders provided puppet design and construction, including metal armatures. Other feature work includes puppets and models for The House and stop-motion puppet and animation work for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. These projects demonstrate the studio's role both as a character fabrication supplier and as an animation production partner.

Television and mixed-media production

Its television work includes puppet contributions to Bob the Builder, Postman Pat, Pingu, Twirlywoos, The Clangers, Raa Raa the Noisy Lion, Scream Street and Moon and Me. More recent productions include Mixmups, The Sound Collector and BooSnoo!.

Alongside physical puppet filmmaking, the company offers digital cut-out animation using CelAction and works across mixed-media production. Its commercial and exhibition work extends its character-making expertise beyond broadcast storytelling to advertising, museum displays and live-action character maquettes.

More about Mackinnon & Saunders

Founders and leadership

Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders are identified as co-founders, directors, Creative Directors and Executive Producers. Their working relationship began at Cosgrove Hall Films during the 1980s.

Engineering and digital adoption

  • For Corpse Bride, the studio developed micro-machined mechanical facial controls using gear-driven paddle systems.
  • Its work on Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio introduced 3D-printed stainless steel internal frameworks designed to be intricate, lightweight and durable. This digital adoption was supported by the UK government-backed Made Smarter initiative.

Recognition

Mackinnon & Saunders received the Ub Iwerks Award for Technical Achievement at the 33rd Annual Annie Awards for its mechanical face controls on Corpse Bride. The 2023 Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe mentioned in the research were awards for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio as a film.

Production model and collaborations

The studio expands its production workforce for major feature engagements; the report records more than 100 craftspeople and artists at peak production on Pinocchio. It also co-produces television commercials with Loose Moose. A collaboration with Nihil Declarandum on the stop-motion feature Heads was announced in 2026 and remained in development in the supplied research.

Notable credits

40 credits
  • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
  • The House
  • Frankenweenie
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
  • Max & Co
  • The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
  • Mars Attacks!
  • Coraline
  • ParaNorman
  • The Boxtrolls
  • Chicken Run
  • Mixmups
  • The Sound Collector
  • BooSnoo!
  • Stan Can
  • Moon and Me
  • Twirlywoos
  • Scream Street
  • The Clangers
  • Postman Pat SDS
  • Wanda and the Alien
  • Toby's Travelling Circus
  • Strange Hill High
  • Raa Raa the Noisy Lion
  • Rastamouse
  • Frankenstein's Cat
  • Roary the Racing Car
  • Fifi and the Flowertots
  • Pingu
  • Bob the Builder
  • The Koala Brothers
  • Fetch the Vet
  • The Periwig-Maker
  • The Big Story
  • Puffs Tissues
  • Taco Bell – National Taco Day
  • BBC One Christmas: The Supporting Act
  • Sainsbury's: The Greatest Gift

Offices

Current and former locations of Mackinnon & Saunders

3 locations

  • Altrincham Studio Headquarters & Workshops

    Headquarters
    146–148 Seamons Road, Altrincham, Cheshire / Greater Manchester, WA14 4LJ, United KingdomAltrincham, England, United Kingdom
    About this office

    A 15,000 sq ft studio and workshop complex with stop-motion stages, mold-making facilities, armature machine shops, 3D printing suites, sculpting and costume departments, and 2D digital animation suites.

    +44 (0)161 929 4441
    View map

  • Altrincham office

    Altrincham, England, United Kingdom

  • Los Angeles Temporary Design Studio

    Former office
    Los Angeles, California, United States

    Opened 1995

    Temporary direct project branch established for Martian character development on Mars Attacks!; closed after the film's production cycle.

Open roles

Find your next role at Mackinnon & Saunders

No open roles right now

Check back for new opportunities at Mackinnon & Saunders.

Visit studio website