Universities & research animation
Big ideas. Made clear.
Research explainer animation, 3D worlds and interactive learning for universities and researchers. We turn complex research into stories people understand, bring teaching to life, and rebuild places in 3D so learners can step inside what they're studying.
Research, made shareablefrom paper to picture
Explore in 3Dstep inside the subject
Trusted by universities and researchers at
- King’s College London
- Keele University
- Staffordshire University
- UK Biobank
- Middleport Matters
What we make for universities
From the lab to the lecture theatre.
And everywhere in between: the public, funders, policy makers, students and the students you haven't met yet.
Research explainer animation
Animation for academic research: years of work, a thesis or a paper turned into a short, clear film anyone can follow, without dumbing it down.
For public engagement and research impact
Teaching & learning content
Animated lessons for the topics students find hardest, from processes too small to see to systems too big to picture.
For lecturers and learners
3D worlds to explore
Historic sites, landscapes, cities and environments rebuilt in a game engine, so learners can walk around them, not just read about them.
For history, geography and science
Games & interactive learning
Game-based learning and gamification that turns a subject into something people choose to spend time with.
For learners of every age
Student recruitment
Course, campus and open-day films that show potential students what studying with you is really like.
For marketing and admissions
Funding bids & conferences
Short films that explain your project to funders, partners and conference audiences in the first minute.
For research teams and partners
Learning by exploring
Walk through history. Explore the world.
Video games have shown what's possible. Ubisoft's Discovery Tours let players walk the streets of ancient Egypt and Greece, built on years of historical, archaeological and geographic research. Rebuilding a place in 3D takes real science, and exploring it teaches in a way a textbook can't.
We build these worlds with the same game-engine tools, for learning, research and heritage:
- Historic buildings and sites, rebuilt from records and research
- Landscapes, cities and environments to explore
- Science you can walk around, at any scale
- Virtual field trips, on any screen, anywhere
Discover Middleport
An open-world game of Middleport Pottery and the area around it, made with Middleport Matters to bring Stoke-on-Trent's heritage to young people. Free to download and explore. Play it →
How it works
From paper to picture.
You know the research. We know how to make people understand it. Together, we find the clearest way to tell it.
- Share your work
Papers, data, lecture notes or a thesis. Tell us who needs to understand it and what they should take away.
- We find the story
We pick out the key message and build a script and storyboard that keeps the science intact.
- You check accuracy
You and your team review every stage, so everything on screen is something you can stand behind.
- Share it everywhere
Cut for lectures, conferences, social media, websites and impact case studies, with subtitles as standard.
Our university & research work
Research that reached people.
Years of research, understood in minutes
Avatar 2 / King’s College London
The findings of a major medical research project, distilled into a clear visual story shared across the NHS and with international audiences.
Preparing participants for MRI scans
UK Biobank
Explainer videos that showed participants what to expect, reducing anxiety and helping a large research study run smoothly.
Gamifying careers advice
Staffordshire University
A Knowledge Share Partnership developing game-based ways to signpost young people towards careers.
C&W have delivered an excellent job by producing a high-quality animation to help us disseminate our research to a wide audience. They are a joy to work with, clearly explained the process, and went the extra mile to ensure we were 100% happy.
Dr Thomas WardKing’s College London
Why animation for universities?
Simplified. Never compromised.
Show what can't be filmed
Molecules, data, deep time, lost buildings, whole ecosystems. Animation shows them at the scale and speed that makes sense.
Reach beyond the journal
A paper reaches your field. A two-minute film can reach the public, policy makers, funders and the people your research is for.
Learning that sticks
People remember what they see and explore far better than what they read, so the lesson lasts beyond the lecture.
Why it matters
When research stays on the page…
On the page
- Only specialists read it
- The key finding gets lost in the detail
- Students struggle with the hardest topics
- Impact is hard to show
- Places and the past stay abstract
Brought to life
- Anyone can understand it in minutes
- The key message is clear and shareable
- Hard topics click, and stay clicked
- Reach and engagement you can measure
- Learners step inside and explore
Good questions
Research animation questions, answered.
- Can an animation be costed into a research grant?
- Often, yes. Many funders expect public engagement and impact activity, and a film is a clear, measurable way to deliver it. We're happy to provide a quote and a short description of the work for your bid.
- How do you make sure the science stays accurate?
- You and your team review the script, storyboard and animation at every stage. We simplify the language, never the facts, so you can stand behind everything on screen.
- Can you build a 3D world or game for learning?
- Yes. We use game-engine tools to rebuild places and ideas in 3D for people to explore, like our Discover Middleport heritage game, as well as smaller interactive pieces for teaching.
Got research that deserves to be seen?
Tell us what you're working on and who needs to understand it, and we'll show you the clearest way to reach them.
