ShadowMachine
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Production |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Alex Bulkley, Corey Campodonico |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Animated television series, films, commercials, music videos |
ShadowMachine is a U.S.-based animation studio and production company that focuses on creating content for film, television, commercials, and music videos.
Established in 1999 by Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico, with its headquarters located in Los Angeles, California, ShadowMachine has earned recognition for its expertise in stop-motion animation. The studio is known for producing series such as Robot Chicken, Moral Orel, Mary Shelley's Frankenhole, The Shivering Truth, and Titan Maximum for Adult Swim. Its portfolio broadened with the successful launch of acclaimed shows like BoJack Horseman, developed in collaboration with Michael Eisner's Tornante Company and featuring talents including Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, and Amy Sedaris. Additionally, the company reinforced its position in the adult animation market by producing Tuca & Bertie, which stars Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun.
Films
| Release date | Film | Director | Co-producers | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2006 | The Zodiac | Alex Bulkley | Myriad Pictures, Blackwater Films | THINKFilm |
| October 2, 2015 | Hell and Back | Tom Gianas, Ross Shuman | N/A | Freestyle Releasing |
| May 24, 2019 | Booksmart | Olivia Wilde | Annapurna Pictures, Gloria Sanchez Productions | Annapurna Pictures |
| December 9, 2022 | Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson | Netflix Animation, Double Dare You!, The Jim Henson Company | Netflix |
| TBA | The Buried Giant | Guillermo del Toro | Netflix Animation | |
| Miss Camel | Haifaa Al-Mansour | N/A | ||
| Bob the Builder | TBA | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Mattel Films, Nuyorican Productions | Amazon MGM Studios |
Television series
| Year | Series | Creator(s) | Co-producers | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2012 | Robot Chicken (seasons 1–5) | Seth Green and Matthew Senreich | Stoopid Monkey, Williams Street, Sony Pictures Digital | Adult Swim |
| 2005–2009 | Moral Orel | Dino Stamatopoulos | Fragical Productions, Williams Street | |
| 2009 | Titan Maximum | Matthew Senreich, Tom Root | Stoopid Monkey, Williams Street, Tom Is Awesome | |
| 2010 | Mary Shelley's Frankenhole | Dino Stamatopoulos | Fragical Productions, Williams Street | |
| 2013 | David Javerbaum | The Jim Henson Company | Fusion | |
| 2014–2016 | Various creators | Comedy Partners | Comedy Central | |
| 2014–2020 | Raphael Bob-Waksberg | The Tornante Company, Boxer vs. Raptor | Netflix | |
| 2016 |
N/A |
Four Peaks Media Group, Den of Thieves |
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Sean Donnelly, Alessandro Minoli |
Video Lou, Comedy Partners |
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Star Cadet, Conaco, Studio T (S1), New Form Digital, Jam Filled Entertainment |
TBS (S1) / Adult Swim (S2-3) | |||
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Mike Roberts |
N/A |
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Adult Swim (S1 only) | ||||
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The Tornante Company, Brave Dummy, Boxer vs. Raptor (S1), Vegan Blintzes (S2-3), Williams Street (S2-3) |
Netflix (S1) / Adult Swim (S2-3) | |||
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Human Discoveries |
Chris Bruno, David Howard Lee |
Ninjas Runnin' Wild, Kirk J. Rudell Productions |
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Work Friends LLC, Tomorrow Studios, Insane Loon Productions |
HBO Max (S1) / Max (S2) | |||
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- |- rowspan="3" | TBA - |- | Galaga Chronicles - |- | Roberto Orci - |- | Bandai Namco Entertainment, The Nuttery Entertainment - |- | Milepost 88 - |- | Mark Gustafson - |- | N/A |
Specials
| Release Date | Special Title | Co-production Partners | Broadcasting Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 17, 2007 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars | Lucasfilm, Stoopid Monkey, Williams Street, Sony Pictures Digital | Adult Swim |
| November 16, 2008 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | ||
| December 19, 2010 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | ||
| December 19, 2014 | BoJack Horseman: Sabrina's Christmas Wish | The Tornante Company, Boxer vs. Raptor | Netflix |
| May 13, 2018 | Chuck Deuce (unsuccessful pilot) | Adult Swim | |
| November 26, 2021 | 5 More Sleeps 'til Christmas | Electric Hot Dog, Universal Television | NBC |
Music videos
| Year | Song Title | Performing Artists | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Last Time | Downer | Roadrunner Records |
| 2011 | End to the Lies | Jane's Addiction | Capitol Records |
| 2011 | Irresistible Force | ||
| 2011 | Narcissistic Cannibal | Korn | Roadrunner Records |
| 2012 | Put the Gun Down | ZZ Ward | Hollywood Records |
| 2014 | Blue Moon | Beck | Capitol Records |
Advertising
The company has broadened its scope into advertising, producing campaigns for prominent brands such as Honda, and earning accolades for its work with Farmers Insurance, under the direction of Jed Hathaway. Their collaborations include partnerships with agencies like RPA, Secret Weapon, BBH L.A., 180LA, Publicis, and 360i.
| Year | Category | Client | Campaign Title | Agency | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Online | Farmers Insurance | “Meet the Wongs” | RPA | Jed Hathaway |
| 2011 | Online | Farmers Insurance | “The Cat Burglar” | RPA | Jed Hathaway |
| 2011 | Online | Farmers Insurance | “Dude of Hazards” | RPA | Jed Hathaway |
| 2011 | Online | Farmers Insurance | “Le Petite Disastre” | RPA | Jed Hathaway |
Other significant projects feature:
- Happy Honda Days series (helmed by Jed Hathaway) for Honda over multiple years.
- Pinto Promos created for Fuel TV.
- Hallmark eCards (Can't Touch This) directed by Rohitash Rao.
- Disney's Snow White promotional campaign.
- Lake Nona project for GE in collaboration with BBH L.A.
- Advertisements for Verrado and Boost Mobile, both directed by Rohitash Rao.
- Commercials produced for Jack In The Box, Fire House Subs, Subway, Nabisco’s Oreo and Red Velvet Oreo campaigns, Walgreens/BuzzFeed's Red Nose initiative, M.A.C. Trolls promotion, NBC Sports' "A Christmas Carol," Nissan's Star Wars commercial, as well as promos for the Newport Beach Film Festival.
These advertising endeavors highlight the organization's strategic vision in diversifying operations and strengthening its presence in the market through partnerships with high-profile clients and innovative content creation.
Film
| Award Name | Ceremony Date | Category | Honoree(s) | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Music Themed Film, Biopic or Musical | Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | December 11, 2022 | Best Animated Film | |||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2022 | Best Animated Feature | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2022 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association | December 17, 2022 | Best Animated Feature | Pinocchio | ||
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | December 18, 2022 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| rowspan="2" Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 19, 2022 | Best Picture | |||
| Best Animated Film | |||||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 22, 2022 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 5, 2023 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | January 6, 2023 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Best Visual Effects | |||||
| Toronto Film Critics Association | January 8, 2023 | Best Animated Film | |||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | January 9, 2023 | Best Animated Feature | |||
| Austin Film Critics Association | January 10, 2023 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Animated Feature Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 13, 2023 | Best Animated Film | Pinocchio | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Animated Feature | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | 2022 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | Best Animated Feature | Pinocchio | ||
| Online Film Critics Society | Online Film Critics Society Awards 2022 | Best Animated Feature | |||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | 21st Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature | Aaron Weintraub, Jeffrey Schaper, Cameron Carson, Emma Gorbey | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society | Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2022 | Best Picture | Pinocchio | > | |
| Best Animated Feature | > | ||||
| Art Directors Guild Awards | >Art Directors Guild Awards 2022 | >Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Film | > Guy Davis, Curt Enderle | > | |
| British Academy Film Awards | >76th British Academy Film Awards | >Best Animated Film | > Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley | > | |
| Hollywood Critics Association | >6th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards | >Best Animated Film | >Pinocchio | > | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | >34th Producers Guild of America Awards | >Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures | > Guillermo Del Toro, Gary Ungar, and Alex Bulkley | > | |
| Annie Awards | >50th Annie Awards | >Best Animated Feature | >Pinocchio | > | |
| Golden Reel Awards | Golden Reel Awards 2022 | >Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Animation | > Scott Martin Gershin et al. | > | |
| >Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Feature Motion Picture | > Lewis Morison et al. | > | |||
| Satellite Awards | >27th Satellite Awards | >Best Motion Picture – Animated or Mixed Media | >Pinocchio | > | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | >Cinema Audio Society Awards 2022 | >Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Animated | > Jon Taylor et al. | > | |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | >American Cinema Editors Awards 2023 | >Best Edited Animated Feature Film | > Ken Schretzmann and Holly Klein | > | |
| Academy Awards | >95th Academy Awards | >Best Animated Feature Film | > Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley | > |
Television
The studio has achieved notable acclaim within the television sector, garnering numerous Emmy and Annie accolades presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and ASIFA-Hollywood. These distinctions underscore the company's artistic innovation and its significant impact on the animated television landscape.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Sarah E. Meyer - Robot Chicken: Easter Chicken |
| 2007 | Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Thomas Smith - Robot Chicken: Lust For Puppets |
| Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Sihanouk Mariona - Moral Orel: The Lord's Prayer | |
| 2008 | Annie | Outstanding Character Animation In a TV Production | Eric Towner - Robot Chicken |
| Annie | Best Directing in an Animated Television Production | Seth Green - Robot Chicken: Star Wars | |
| 2009 | Annie | Best Voice Acting In a TV Production | Ahmed Best - Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II |
| Annie | Best Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | |
| Annie | Best Animated Television Production | Robot Chicken: Star Wars | |
| Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Savelen Forrest - Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | |
| Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Elizabeth Harvatine - Moral Orel: Sacrifice | |
| 2010 | Annie | Best Animated Short Subject | Robot Chicken: Star Wars |
| Emmy | Outstanding Costumes for a Variety/Music Program or a Special | Jeanette Moffat - Titan Maximum: Went to Party, Got Crabs | |
| Emmy | Outstanding Short Form Animated Program | Robot Chicken: Full-Assed Christmas Special | |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Animation Series | BoJack Horseman |