ThinkUp
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 1997
- Employees
- 1-10
- Offices
- 1
About ThinkUp
ThinkUp is a boutique CGI animation, 3D visualization and industrial product design studio based in New Jersey. Founded in 1997, it develops visual content and physical product concepts for toys, home arcade hardware, interactive entertainment and consumer products. Its work connects product ideation with the imagery and animation used to explain, package and market finished designs.
The studio’s capabilities include digital modeling and sculpting, photorealistic rendering, character and product animation, packaging visualization and retail merchandising design. Projects range from promotional sizzle reels and product demonstrations to structural packaging concepts, point-of-purchase displays, retail endcaps and shelf planograms. Its product development work also encompasses industrial styling, play patterns and interactive tabletop mechanics.
From concepts to consumer products
ThinkUp began as a development partner pitching licensed toy and game concepts to publishers including Hasbro Games and Milton Bradley. It subsequently expanded into CGI production and digital visualization while continuing to develop physical entertainment products.
The studio contributed the original compact, flat-pack cabinet concept behind Arcade1Up, then worked on industrial styling, 3D visual assets, interface elements and promotional animation for the product line. Its portfolio includes work associated with cabinets such as Out Run, Pac-Man and Golden Axe. Related touchscreen gaming work includes digital assets, play-pattern design and promotional animations for the Infinity Game Table and Infinity Game Board.
Animation and original development
ThinkUp’s animation portfolio spans toy demonstrations, licensed character products and photorealistic product presentations. Supported projects include Hasbro’s Transformers Rescue Bots and Playskool Heroes, Disney playsets, Marvel Super Hero Mashers, a Star Wars BB-8 Playset animation and a Rolex watch visualization. These projects reflect a practice that combines product communication with character animation and detailed rendering.
Alongside commissioned work, the studio has developed original entertainment properties. My Pixel Kids is a 3D animated musical series for preschool audiences, while Shuffle Golf, marketed under its ThinkUp Gaming banner, combines golf and shuffleboard mechanics in an indoor tabletop game.
More about ThinkUp
Leadership and creative team
- Gerald W. (Jerry) Cummings is identified as founder, president, CEO and creative director.
- Former Animation Director Jeff Oswald led animation and product rendering work. Lead Designer Michael Szagala worked with Cummings from 2001 to 2024.
Tools and production methods
- The reported toolset includes 3ds Max, V-Ray, Adobe Substance 3D Painter and ZBrush.
- Early arcade cabinet prototypes were fabricated from foam insulation board before the team partnered with Scott Bachrach and Tastemakers in 2017–2018 to bring the concept to mass retail.
- The report describes a boutique core team augmented by contract artists and specialized technical teams.
Business history
Following the termination of royalty agreements with Tastemakers in 2023, ThinkUp initiated federal litigation in 2024 against Disruptive Products and Tastemakers to recover contractual royalties.
Notable credits
15 creditsOffices
Where ThinkUp is based
- Berlin, New Jersey, United States
Berlin office
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