Mechsplorers Showcases Minnesota’s Future for Animation Productions

As a state, Minnesota is no stranger to animation. Several talented animation marvels have grown up here, including the likes of Pete Docter (Up), Don Christensen (Disney animator), and even the legendary Ward Kimball (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). Thanks to developments in software and various studios, animators no longer have to venture outside the state to showcase their talent. There are studios right in our own backyard that are turning out some stellar animation.

MAKE Studios is one of those studios that resides in Minneapolis. The studio has dabbled in animation and VFX for various commercial projects for many years. Their beefy catalog of clients has included the likes of Xbox, Crunchyroll, and Dunkin’ Donuts. But the studio is more than just a production house for commercials. They’ve also made their own original animations with astounding quality. Recently, the studio has been expanding into creating more high-quality computer-animated originals with impressive results.

Mechplorers title card. MAKE Studios

Their latest series is Mechsplorers, a sci-fi adventure series composed of episodes that run a minute each. The show focuses on the creative Robotson family exploring a planet composed of unique robotic creatures. Kai is a young girl with comprehensive knowledge of the planet she studies. Robby is her less-than-observant brother who gets into more trouble but still has a curious mind built for exploring. Their parents are astute scientist Mia and their bumbling dad, Roy.

Kai (left) and Robby (right) from Mechsplorers. MAKE Studios

The episodes of this series are short and sweet but crammed with so much detail. There’s a unique marriage between the alien planet’s natural beauty and the clever mechanical designs of the creatures who roam the planet. Every episode features some discovery of robotic wildlife. There are plenty of surprises with these robots, ranging from birds that repeat audio recordings to the hungry Mechrodile to the dog-like personality of the Hippobotamus. These designs are eye-catching and cute, giving just enough information on each of them to appreciate their charm.

The MAKE Studios website has been very open about how much work has gone into creating these episodes. Everything from the animatics to the character design sheets to the progress of shots is revealed. It displays just how much effort went into making these minute-long episodes look as stylish and vibrant as the most feature quality of computer animation. The site also details designs for future characters as the world the studio has developed continues to expand.

Mechsplorers has the look and feel of an animated series bound for bigger things. It helps that the entire premise is built around adventure and has an exciting tone for exploration, making the viewer thirsty to see what lurks around the next river or mountain. The style is playful, portraying the alien planet with vibrant invention. Despite the episodes’ brief running time, the quality and worldbuilding level is high. A fully realized robot wonderland comes to life with feature-quality animation.

Kai (right) and Robby (left) from Mechsplorers. MAKE Studios

Watching these shorts inspires much hope for more animation production in Minnesota that will go beyond commercials. When one thinks of local shows of nationally recognized media, a Minnesota favorite might be Mystery Science Theater 3000, which filmed 10 seasons in studios around the Twin Cities area. That show had a campy appeal for being such a silly and relatively cheap production with plenty of heart behind its miniature special effects and junky puppets. What makes something like Mechsplorers unique goes beyond the mere Minnesota-made appeal, although it did warm my heart to see a few recognizable names of Minnesotan animators in the credits. These episodes have the look and feel of a big-name studio production that could easily play on cable television or a top-tier streaming channel.

The development of this new animated series inspires much hope for animation in Minnesota. With such incredible animation coming out of studios like MAKE, Minnesota won’t just be where animators are born but where they can stay.

You can watch Mechsplorers on MAKE’s website, MAKEvisual.com.