Talking Animals

Talking Animals is an independent animation studio and artistic collective based in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Founded in 2009 by graduates of Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, it brings together freelance animators, directors, designers, and visual storytellers. Its work spans original short films, animated documentaries, television sequences, music videos, commercial animation, and cultural projects.

The collective combines handcrafted imagery with digital production techniques. Its repertoire includes traditional frame-by-frame drawing, digital 2D animation, paper cut-out, artistic 3D CGI, and analogue stop-motion. These approaches support character-driven storytelling across both commissioned productions and independently directed films, allowing the visual language to change with each project.

From concept to finished animation

Talking Animals handles complete productions as well as individual animation contributions. Its production services cover concept development, scriptwriting, character design, storyboards, animatics, background artwork, animation, compositing, and final delivery. For film and television, the collective also creates title sequences, openers, visual effects, and animated segments. Other commissions include educational explainers, awareness campaigns, animated music videos, VR experiences, and museum installations.

Its markets include broadcasting, cinema, music, education, science, and the public sector. The collective’s television work includes animated segments for ZDF’s children’s series Siebenstein and visual development for Arte’s science programme 42 – Die Antwort auf fast alles. For the latter, Talking Animals developed a visual style guide, motion design building blocks, and recurring animation sequences.

Independent films and commissioned storytelling

The collective’s film work includes Tracing Addai, directed by Esther Niemeier with animation and design by Sonja Rohleder, alongside shorts such as Mishou, NEST, and Fuchs für Edgar. Its commissioned work includes the opener for Sky Studios’ Funeral for a Dog, with 3D animation and compositing by Jan Koester based on Christoph Niemann’s illustrations. Music video work includes Seeed’s Beautiful, bringing together direction, storyboarding, backgrounds, and other contributions from collective members.