Knuckles Animation Studio is the love child of Canadian / Australian, award-winning, wife & wife duo, Chris and Susie Shapones
Knuckles Animation Studio is the love child of Canadian / Australian, award-winning, wife & wife duo, Chris and Susie Shapones
In early 2020, the world was turned upside down. But as necessity is the mother of invention, the Shapones turned their creative side-project partnership into a full- time business. They immediately enlisted their good friend from NSCAD University and talented illustrator, Camila Abdanur, to come on board and Knuckles was born! Knuckles has grown into a dynamic and collaborative animation studio where Chris and Susie work with a small group of trusted collaborators, both local and international, to produce bespoke animation and digital content. Their innovative stop- motion & 2D animation expand across explainer videos, e-training, content, short films and music videos. Knuckles is proudly an LGBTIQ+ run space and actively looks to partner with and promote other diverse voices.
Starting from humble beginnings in a Halifax basement after making their first short film, the award winning “Hide and Squeak” and Century Egg’s Ki Swui Kya music video, the couple knew they had something special they wanted to develop. They were discovering a unique style from Chris' visual arts background as a glassblower and jewellery maker, mixed with Susie's speciality in stop-motion animation. After a relocation to Susie’s hometown of Sydney, the couple found themselves without work at the start of the pandemic. Deciding to combine their creative powers, they turned their side project of creative short film making into the family business of a full time animation production studio. An homage to the cold Toronto winters where they rode their bikes all year round, their company was christened Knuckles. Calling in their talented friends from Brazil, Canada and Australia to collaborate, Knuckles really is a family business. Meet the team
Susie Shapones (she/her)
Animation Director
Susie is a stop-motion & 2D animator, video editor, animation director and overall IT whiz. Born on Gadigal land, her lifelong love of stop-motion animation and 20 years of professional experience bring a steady hand to the studio. When not at her machine, she likes to play drums, foster unsocialized cats and surf slow, gentle waves.
Chris Shapones (she/they)
Head of Production
Chris is a writer, producer, director, material artist and occasional on-set grip. They bring the lofty vision and meticulous schedule to every production. A lover of the unusual and the untold story, their experience comes from DIY bike co-ops, blowing glass, digging through archives and working on films sets. Born in the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, aka southern Ontario, Canada, this Capricorn spends their weekends working in the garden with their cats or riding bikes with friends.
Camila Abdanur (she/they)
Illustrator
Camilla is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who works (almost) exclusively with vectors. They love drawing in bold colours, designing cool characters and keeping layers organized. Their field of expertise is illustrating for motion but also dwells on editorial illustration and book cover design. All work proceeds go to spoiling their black cat and feeding their (still tiny) Lego collection.