Animost is a veteran Animation Production and Motion Capture Studio based in Hanoi, Vietnam. With a history of excellence in supporting other projects and clients, Animost are now venturing into their own projects. This year Animost will be releasing their first animated feature film. We spoke to founder and CEO Tuan-Anh Phan to learn more about their story!
Opened in 2019: Animation Production in Vietnam
The idea for Animost technically originated in 2016, but the studio didn’t open properly until 2019. Gamers at heart, the founding team of Animost met playing Counter Strike 1.6 (A version that pre-dates our GameScoutJournal Editors, who were born into the CS:Source era).
Tuan-Anh and his fellow founders started Animost after realizing how much time and money studios waste on large-scale animation and 3D projects. A major turning point was their experience working on a large project for a US NGO. That project sparked the idea: what if they could help other studios avoid the same pitfalls?
Animost’s Founders met playing Counter Strike 1.6
In order to help other studios, Tuan-Anh and the team spent years focusing on optimizing their production pipelines since 2019. This was accomplished with massive investment into their technology and processes. Which led to their unique selling point—their own motion capture studio in Hanoi! Now, Tuan-Anh told me, they feel fully optimized and have hit their stride. This is why they are creating their own animated feature film! Soon this film will be a case study for them, and proof for how efficient their workflow is.
The idea: Create a film and finish it in one year. Now, it is set to be released after the 14-month mark, which is still incredibly impressive!
“Animost would consider themselves as a culmination of technology and creativity. It sounds like everyone says this, but, we want to be recognized by the speed and quality of our service.”
Tuan-Anh, Founder and CEO of Animost
A Motion Capture Studio in Hanoi, Vietnam. Animost’s Services:
Animost’s business is split into three service categories:
| Service | Description | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Animation Production | Real-time animation production pipeline. Animost Studio delivers full animation services at 2–4x the speed of traditional workflows. | – Main production – Layout/Blocking – Lighting & Rendering – Key Animation & Mo-cap – Hand/Secondary Animation – Facial Expression & Lip-sync |
| Digital Assets Creation | End-to-end asset creation for film and games—from single assets to full worldbuilding. | – 2D Concept Art – 3D Concept Development – 3D Character Design – 3D Environment Design – 3D Asset Modeling – 3D Skinning & Rigging |
| Motion Capture & Previz | Cutting-edge motion capture technology using Optitrack, Facegood, Faceware, and Manus systems. | – Body Motion Capture – Facial Motion Capture – Mocap Cleanup & Editing – Film/Game Animation – Secondary Animation – Real-time Previsualization |
Aside from their services in supporting other studios to optimize their animation production pipeline, Animost are also working on a new pillar of business. Animost will be focusing on “Original Content” now, starting with the production of their first feature film in collaboration with their partner: Jackstree Studio. The film will be shown in September and premiered in South Korea.
A Case Study of Animost’s Recent Project Success: The King of Kings
Since its 2019 founding, the best example of Animost’s real-time pipeline being fully showcased was in The King of Kings—a financially and critically successful animated feature that grossed $68M+, scored an “A+” CinemaScore, and demonstrated the studio’s ability to deliver high-end VFX, mocap, and animation services.
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Project | The King of Kings (2025 animated feature, directed by Seong‑ho Jang) |
| Budget & Gross | Grossed US $68.4 M worldwide |
| Box‑Office Milestone | Debut weekend: US $19.4 M, becoming the top-grossing Korean-origin film in US box-office history. (Surpassing Parasite!) |
| Audience Reception | Earned an “A+” CinemaScore |
| A-List Cast | Features voices from Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, Oscar Isaac |
| Technical Innovation | Utilised performance-capture, Unreal Engine virtual production, and blended mocap with traditional animation |
| Animost’s Role | – VFX, – Motion-Capture – Cleanup/editing – 2D/3D asset work – Animation. |
Where does Animost fit in the Global Games Market?
Animost want to fill a gap between AA/AAA Clients in Games and local studios with their state of the art technology and processes. Many outsourcers or studios in SEA cannot afford to keep up with larger competitors in the West due to the immense cost of animation production pipelines and mo-cap technologies. Animost exists to bridge that chasm and support local Vietnamese teams to be good enough to work with US and EU clients on AA/AAA content. They also aim to be the local film and content studio for Vietnamese studios making feature films or animated series for platforms like Netflix.
As it stands, Animost aligns mainly with the Film industry with their animation capability, however Video Game Trailers have always been a huge part of the service.
Industry Struggles and AI:
Animost have spent years sinking a lot of money into building their pipeline, and as they have done so they have been watching a “killing spree” caused by AI tools in their sector. Lots of studios are facing a lot of challenges, which we see with constant lay-offs in the games, film, and tech sectors. Even still, Animost are “too small to fail” and are confident that their investments will pay off long term as they pivot into more proactive growth after release of their feature film.
A New Era for Animation Production
As the animation production industry navigates rapid changes driven by new technologies and global uncertainty, Animost stands out for more than just resilience—it stands out for vision. What began as a group of friends playing Counter Strike, has evolved into a high-performing animation studio that contributed to a $68M global box office hit. By investing heavily in their real-time animation production pipeline, Animost has built lasting momentum. Now, with their first original animated feature set to premiere this September, the Hanoi-based studio is entering a new chapter. Their goal? To position Southeast Asian animation production on the global stage.
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