Motion Foundry Studios

Motion Foundry Studios is an independent American stop-motion animation and production studio founded in 2016 by animator, writer and director Nathan (Nate) Smith. Based in Utah, the studio develops short films and independent features, alongside commercial and live-action projects. Its work combines handcrafted puppets and miniature environments with digital fabrication.

The studio offers production services spanning character design, puppet fabrication, armature rigging, miniature modelmaking, practical cinematography and post-production. Facial replacement animation is a particular focus: 3D-printed components allow physical characters to perform a range of expressions during stop-motion photography. This combination of fabrication and animation supports the studio’s approach to producing longer animated projects with a compact team.

Films and development

Motion Foundry Studios produced The Other Wise Man, a 22-minute stop-motion film directed by Nathan Smith and released in 2019. It also developed Saurus City, a stop-motion animated feature written and directed by Smith, with voice performances by Ron Perlman, Emma Roberts, Dennis Quaid and Tim Meadows.

Saurus City brought together Motion Foundry Studios, Suspended Animation Studios, 405 Productions and Bonfire Entertainment as production collaborators. The project subsequently received festival presentation at Cannes, with worldwide distribution handled by Archstone Entertainment.

The studio has also optioned Emperor Wolf, a post-apocalyptic fantasy animation screenplay by playwright and screenwriter Mahonri Stewart. Its production interests span holiday storytelling, fantasy and independent animated entertainment, while its public website also identifies short films, commercials and live-action films as areas of work.