Toybox
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 1988
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Toybox
Toybox is an Auckland-based animation, visual effects and post-production studio established in 1988. Its work spans feature films, television, advertising and cultural installations, combining character animation, live-action integration and picture finishing. The studio developed alongside live-action production company Flying Start Pictures, bringing animation, design, visual effects and digital post-production into a shared creative environment.
Animation and visual effects
The studio produces 2D and 3D animation, character design, motion graphics and episodic screen content. Its visual effects capabilities include photorealistic creatures, simulated effects, matte painting, environment replacement and cleanup. These disciplines support both character-driven advertising and effects intended to blend seamlessly into filmed material.
Toybox also creates content for exhibition environments. Its work for Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira combined animation with immersive projection and interactive displays, extending its production capabilities beyond conventional film and television screens.
Production and finishing
Commercial services extend from television advertising production and post-production through to final master delivery. For feature films and drama series, Toybox provides colour grading, conforming, compositing and picture finishing. Offline and online editing sit alongside its animation and effects work, allowing projects to draw on several disciplines within the same facility.
The studio also makes equipped grading, compositing and editing suites available for hire by independent filmmakers and commercial producers. This supports productions seeking either individual facilities or a broader package of post-production services.
Selected work
Film and television credits include visual effects and picture finishing for Tinā, post-production and finishing for A Remarkable Place to Die, and work on Red Rabbit and SuperKitties. Commercial projects include ASB’s animated Kashin elephant campaign and Dilmah Tea’s 2026 Elephant and Generations campaigns.
Other reported work includes Air New Zealand’s The Hobbit safety videos and visual effects supervision and digital post-production for Filthy Rich. Across these projects, Toybox combines animation, effects and finishing for advertising campaigns, long-form storytelling and public-facing screen experiences.
More about Toybox
Leadership
The report identifies Nanette Miles as Managing Director and Executive Producer and Al McKay as Producer. It also records Animation Director Andrew Newland, Executive Producer Sam McCauley and post-production supervisor Pete Ritchie in its leadership history; their cited appointments should be understood in their historical context.
Production methods and operating model
The reported pipeline combines SideFX Houdini for 3D effects and simulations, Autodesk Flame for compositing, and DaVinci Resolve for grading, alongside AI-assisted workflows. The studio scales its core team with freelance artists and specialist animators according to project needs. Facilities are offered on both dry-hire and wet-hire terms.
Collaborations and installations
In July 2021, Toybox established a partnership with Australian production collective 13CO to represent its animation and visual effects offering in Australia.
The 2021 Auckland War Memorial Museum installation used eight projectors, a 360-degree screen, interactive tables and blended 2D/3D animation.
Notable credits
13 creditsOffices
Where Toybox is based
- Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland offices
HeadquartersAbout this office
**Office** Status: active Headquarters Address: 27 Sale Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland 1010, New Zealand Phone: +64 9 366 7247 Current headquarters and production facility with compositing, animation, grading and editing suites. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: 15 Edinburgh Street, Newton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand Former Toybox premises before consolidation at Sale Street; the report identifies subsequent commercial leasing for other occupants.
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