Sadfish

Sadfish is an independent animation collective and production studio established in 2025 by animation directors and artists formerly associated with Montreal’s Laughing Dragon Studios. Formed after that studio’s closure, it operates as an artist-forward alternative to conventional corporate studio structures while serving commercial clients and developing original intellectual property.

The collective works as a fully remote production team, drawing on a decentralized network of artists and contractors. Its core practice is high-end 2D animation, complemented by 3D animation, stop-motion, visual development, character exploration, art direction, storyboarding, and animatic production.

Animation and preproduction

Sadfish’s preproduction work includes character concept art, silhouette and shape-language exploration, camera blocking, staging, posing, and timing. Its visual approach combines realistic human and athletic anatomy with expressive draftsmanship and painterly colour palettes—particularly useful for movement-led character work.

Services span:

• 2D, 3D, and stop-motion animation production
• Visual development, character design, and art direction
• Storyboards, rough animatics, and mixed-media interstitial animation
• Commercial bumpers, documentary recreations, and series animation
• In-house concept development and co-production packaging for original IP

The studio works across animated feature and episodic television, sports documentary and non-fiction media, streaming entertainment, digital broadcast, and commercial advertising.

Current work

As of late 2026, Sadfish is in preproduction on a sports documentary project that combines archival material with 19 short stylized 2D animated interstitials. The work recreates historical moments through character design and animation centred on professional athletes, with a planned total of 12 minutes of animation.

Alongside client-service production, the collective is pursuing original IP development and co-production investment. Its 2026 recruitment activity includes business-development hiring intended to expand relationships with North American broadcasters, studios, and production houses.