Two former colleagues at Huminah Huminah Animation, Lynn Chadwick and Steve Cooke have just set up their own studio to take advantage of a market bounceback that they are beginning to see take shape on the horizon. 

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, That Animation Company is starting out with a focus on 2D and CG service work, but its long-term goal is to eventually create its own IPs. 

The animation industry is definitely still going through a difficult period, but Chadwick and Cooke say there’s been a very recent uptick in animation service demand from sectors such as advertising, sports and education. And setting up shop now, as opposed to waiting until the kids media market is fully back on track, gives them a chance to line up some key partnerships before the market becomes crowded with other new companies: “Now is the time to get in, not in a year when everyone is busy again,” says Cooke. 

Both partners are heading to Kidscreen Summit next month to make connections and line up a first slate of work. Cooke and Chadwick each have more than 20 years of experience in the animation business—Cooke on the production side and Chadwick in sales and distribution. Most recently, Chadwick was VP of content & sales at Huminah Huminah, while Cooke was the studio’s VP of production & operations. 

Over the course of her career, Chadwick has also worked at Sinking Ship Entertainment (VP of sales & distribution) and Nelvana (VP of worldwide sales & distribution), while Cooke spent more than 14 years at WildBrain (2004 to 2018), where he was a CG supervisor on Inspector Gadget and Rev and Roll. 

Now, they’re leveraging all of their experience into establishing That Animation Company as a small and valued partner to companies with animation needs. 

Pictured from left to right: Steve Cooke and Lynn Chadwick.