Nickelodeon Animation Studio, formerly known as Games Animation, is an American animation studio. The studio is owned and operated by television network Nickelodeon. The studio produces many animated series, including SpongeBob SquarePants. Writing, directing, storyboarding, and voice acting duties are handled at the studio, while the animation for SpongeBob is completed by Rough Draft Korea.
The studio is featured in many behind-the-scenes shorts included on SpongeBob DVDs. It has made occasional appearances in the episodes themselves, usually as part of a brief gag. "Truth or Square" features the studio as a major setting.
The Nick Animation Studio expansion
On May 8, 2015, it was revealed that the studios were expanding.[1] Nickelodeon bought out a United Rentals lot, tore down their building, and built a new animation building.[2] Construction started in June 2015.[3] The building was finished in 2016.[4]
Role in series
"The Sponge Who Could Fly"
Don the parking attendant at Nickelodeon Animation Studios is seen standing at the front entrance.
SpongeBob Airpants: The Lost Episode
It was seen in the first page of the book.
Behind the Scenes: The Voices of SpongeBob & Friends
Crew members like Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and many more expand how they did the characters' voices.
Behind the Scenes with Pick Boy and SpongeBob
Pick Boy was seen running to the studio to meet SpongeBob.
Behind the Pantis
The studio makes a cameo at the start of the special.
Inside the SpongeBob Animation Studios
People are seen drawing the storybound for "Atlantis SquarePantis".
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
It was seen at the start of the special.
"Truth or Square"
Patchy is seen getting dropped off there by his mom in a car. He is later seen using the back door and driving away in his own boat car.
"Mooncation"
Ernest Borgnine is seen standing at the front entrance as he looks up high in the sky to see a small rocket passing by.
"Goons on the Moon"
The Storyboard artist played by Rodger Bumpass is seen in his office at the studio.
Trivia
- "Mooncation" is the only regular-length episode that the studio appears in.
- While the pilot was being made in 1997, the studio's name was still Games Animation. It did not change to Nickelodeon Animation Studio until 1998.
- Nickelodeon's logo in the 1990s was used on over a hundred different shapes, and for some of the studio's appearances on SpongeBob, the Nickelodeon logo is in the shape of a cartoon a foot. Since the late-2009 logo rebrand, it has been the standard Nickelodeon logo without a shape around it.
- The studio's new appearance was finished on January 12, 2017.
References