Mainframe, the short-form animation and motion graphics company, is spending£1.2m on expanding into a new Clerkenwell studio and increasing its capacity by 50% to 2,000 sq ft.

The company will relocate from rented premises, also in Clerkenwell, to a new building on Farringdon Road that it has bought for£1m.

It will add£200,000 worth of new kit including five additional Maya animation seats and eight Apple Mac and Boxx workstations.

Referring to the current lull in the housing market, managing director Adam Jenns said: “It seemed like a good time to buy.” He also said there had been an increase in commercials demand and online animation work, particularly in the past two years.

“We are seeing an increase in commercials clients [coming to us] that would have traditionally gone to the bigger post companies in Soho,” he said. “We are more cost effective and can spend more time with them.”

Jenns attributes the upturn in online animation to producers being able to save on the cost of shoots.

As a result of the expansion the company has also taken on four new animators taking its staff to 16. The new additions are Monika Rohner, Mickael Abensur, Simon Tibbs and Gierdre Domzaite.

Mainframe specialises in motion graphics, animation and visual effects for branded content, commercials, promos and titles.

The company's main clients include Nickleodeon and Virgin Media. It is currently working on a global rebrand for Nickleodeon.

Mainframe has recently opened a design studio in Manchester.

Picture: Mainframe's new office as occupied by previous tenants.

Topics