Inside MAKE's Commercial Workshop 2025-26

Every year animation studio MAKE (creators of Sunny Side Down) runs a commercial workshop for animation students. The workshop offers students the chance to work within a real studio pipeline and work on a commercial spot for real-life clients. The 2025 intake recently completed their film. The students were split into two groups, one of which worked on a brief for Crayola, and the other produced a film for Kool-Aid.

The Crayola team were instructed to produce their spot in 2D. The animation artwork is actually done with Crayola crayons, and drawn in a deliberately childlike style. Danny Robashkin, Creative Director, says, “In 2D, the more you let go, the more personality shows up. What really stood out on this project was how the team used the limitations as a shared language. Everyone was working within the same set of rules, and that’s what allowed the world to feel cohesive.” 

Producer Lucia Naples helped guide that process, keeping things moving forward as the team pushed ideas, adjusted in real time and committed to ideas without overworking them. For her, that's really the point of the workshop: “Not just making a strong portfolio piece, but learning how to think and operate like a professional team.”

Meanwhile, the Kool-Aid team made their 15-second spot in 3D CGI. In a short that conveys a sense of summer and fun, the spot features an appearance from the iconic Kool-Aid Man. Danny Robashkin, Creative Director adds.“This one’s all about pushing energy and personality through. Because in 3D, especially with a concept like Kool-Aid, things escalate quickly: fluids, sims, motion, timing, character performance. Everything and everyone has to work together. That’s where the real growth happens.”

And sometimes, the biggest takeaways aren't just technical. As producer Rebekah Hartwig shared, “You may step into a role you didn’t expect, be pushed to figure things out as you go, and build a portfolio piece with people you didn’t even know a few weeks prior.” 

Mirabelle Lapenna, a student from the 2D Team, says, “The highlight was honestly watching the entire piece come together at the end. Everyone had such different strengths and styles, but seeing it all merge into one cohesive final spot was really rewarding. It felt like being part of an actual studio pipeline.”

Meanwhile, Ollie Wang, from the 3D team, says, “One challenge was figuring out how to work quickly without losing the personality in the work. In 3D especially, it’s easy to get caught up in polishing things forever. I had to learn when to move on, trust the process, and let the energy of the piece carry through instead of overworking every shot.”

The workshop will return for 2026-27. Entries are open worldwide to junior, senior and MFA animation students enrolled in animation programs and the key dates for this year are:

• Online Info Session: September 2026
• Applications Open: September 2026
• Application Deadline: September 2026

Students will collaborate with MAKE artists, work on a real client-style brief and produce a professional commercial spot. Open worldwide to junior, senior and MFA animation students, the program provides mentorship from MAKE animators at every stage. Participants will leave with a polished portfolio piece and firsthand experience of how the animation industry works from the inside.