TV Character Animation Reel: Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon Productions
Broadcast-ready TV character animation for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Episodic production across Teen Titans GO, Care Bears, The Casagrandes — on schedule, on model, every time.
The Brief
This reel brings together episodic TV character animation work produced between 2017 and 2021 for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon series. Each clip was delivered on a live production schedule using Toon Boom Harmony and Adobe Animate, to the style guide and animation bible of each show.
The Approach
On episodic TV the workflow moves fast. I start by updating character rigs to match the storyboard requirements, then build keyframes that establish the timing and structure of each scene. Breakdowns and in-betweens follow, refining the motion to fit the show bible and visual style. Working across Teen Titans GO, Care Bears, The Loud House, and The Casagrandes meant adapting quickly to different pipelines and style guides while maintaining daily production quotas.
The Tools: Adobe Animate and Toon Boom Harmony
Each show ran on a different pipeline. Give a Mouse a Cookie and Nickelodeon productions like The Casagrandes used Toon Boom Harmony with proprietary rigs, while Cartoon Network titles including Teen Titans GO and Care Bears ran on Adobe Animate.
Switching between them wasn’t just a software toggle — it meant adapting to different rig architectures, symbol libraries, and scene file conventions while keeping the character performance consistent.
The animation process follows a strict TV production sequence.
Each scene starts with staging — reading the storyboard and locking camera intent and character placement before touching a single keyframe. Keys come next, establishing the core poses that carry the acting and timing.
Breakdowns follow, defining the path of action between keys to preserve squash, stretch, and the follow-through that makes the motion feel alive. In-betweens close the sequence, filling the remaining frames to hit the broadcast frame rate without losing the fluidity built in the previous passes.
Throughout every pass, the 12 principles of animation drive the decisions — not as a checklist, but as the underlying grammar of character performance for TV. Anticipation before a jump, overlapping action on tails and ears, ease-in and ease-out on weight shifts.
The goal is always the same: animation that reads clearly at broadcast speed and holds up to a director’s eye on the first submission.
The Result
Consistent broadcast-quality character animation delivered across multiple series and studios over a four-year period. On schedule, on model, and production-ready.
Why Studios Trust This TV Character Animation Workflow
Episodic TV character animation has zero margin for error. Each clip needs to hit the model sheet, match the show’s timing bible, and clear QC on the first pass — because broadcast schedules don’t allow a second round.
This workflow is built around that constraint. Rigs are updated to spec before a single keyframe is drawn. Breakdowns and in-betweens are structured to maintain fluid motion at broadcast frame rates. The result is TV character animation that directors don’t have to fix.