Mainframe

Mainframe is an independent motion design, photoreal CGI and 3D animation studio based in London. Established in 1998, it creates commercial imagery and animation for brands, advertising agencies and broadcast clients. Its work translates product features, manufacturing processes and complex technological or scientific concepts into visual narratives.

The studio works across the production process, from concept development, creative direction and storyboarding through animation, simulation, rendering and final delivery. Projects combine design and visual storytelling with detailed digital materials, product modelling and movement. Deliverables include animated films, still imagery, campaign assets and adaptable design systems for broadcast, cinema, digital out-of-home and social platforms.

Commercial and technical work

Drinks and spirits projects draw on liquid simulation, bottle visualisation and representations of materials and craftsmanship. Luxury and beauty work applies photoreal CGI to jewellery, cosmetics, retail imagery and premium products, with attention to surfaces, lighting and material behaviour.

For technology and consumer electronics, Mainframe produces product launch imagery, technical teardowns and animations that explain how devices and digital systems work. Its healthcare work includes mechanism-of-action animation and device demonstrations for pharmaceutical clients, medical communications agencies and Medical Affairs teams. Sports and fitness projects extend this product-focused approach to performance apparel, biometric wearables and fitness hardware.

Alongside product and campaign production, the studio creates channel idents, title sequences, broadcast branding and commercial promos. Motion graphics, animated typography and procedural systems support both individual sequences and larger families of coordinated assets.

Production approach

Mainframe develops scalable campaign toolkits that allow visual ideas to carry across formats and channels. Its production services include social reformats, cutdowns and versioning, connecting the initial creative treatment with the practical requirements of multi-platform delivery. The studio also has a history of developing animation software from production research, linking its commercial practice with procedural tools for computer graphics artists.