2D Animation Studio in Ireland

2D animation made in Dublin

2D animation is drawn animation: characters, illustrated scenes and graphics built from flat artwork rather than 3D models. It is the style behind most explainer videos, public information films and education content, because it is warm, clear and quick to change. We are a 2D animation studio in Dublin working with organisations across Ireland.

2D character animation

Characters are what make 2D animation feel human. When a viewer sees somebody on screen who looks like them, in a setting they recognise, they keep watching.

That is why the HSE chose a general illustrated style for its Psychology First series rather than anything clinical. The four films on calm, low mood, loss and stress follow ordinary people through ordinary moments, and the gentleness of the drawing does a lot of the work. You can watch them further down this page, and read how they were made in the HSE Psychology First case study.

We design characters for each project rather than pulling them from a library, so they fit your audience and your brand instead of turning up in a dozen other companies’ videos.

Illustrated scenes and backgrounds

The setting matters as much as the characters. For the University of Limerick recruitment film every background was drawn for that film: campus, careers and the places a languages degree can take you. Stock backgrounds would have been cheaper, but a university selling itself to prospective students needs to look like itself.

2D animation styles

Within 2D there is a lot of range. Full character animation, where people walk, talk and react, is the richest and takes the longest. Cut out animation moves drawn pieces of a character, which is quicker and suits a simpler illustrated look. Motion graphics drop the characters entirely and animate type, icons and data. Whiteboard animation draws the picture on screen as the voiceover explains it.

Many videos mix them. A typical explainer video might open with characters to set up the problem, switch to motion graphics for the numbers, and close on an animated logo.

Why 2D rather than 3D

3D animation is the right tool when you need to show a physical product from every angle, or a mechanism working inside. For almost everything else, 2D animation does the job for less money and in less time, and changes are easier. If a policy or a price moves after launch, we redraw a scene. In 3D that often means remodelling, relighting and rendering again.

Our 2D animation services across Ireland

We handle the whole job: reading the script against the clock, storyboarding, character and background design, voiceover, animation, music and delivery in whatever formats you need. Pricing comes from the final script word count, so the figure you are quoted is the figure you pay.

See every type of animation we make on our video production in Ireland page, or send us your script for a price.