Made By Practice: The studio blending puppets, play and purpose

From Sesame Street to stop-motion for fintech, Made By Practice has carved out a craft-led niche in film and animation.

Creative acceleration and algorithmically optimised content are all the rage these days, but Made By Practice is determined to go against the grain and keep some of the analogues in its methodology. You’re just as likely to find the LA- and Denver-based studio sculpting puppets or building miniature sets as rendering 3D scenes or experimenting with AI. Their medium might change with every project, but their mission is always to create things that evoke emotions.

“We’re a craft-driven film and animation studio,” says co-founder Mike Slane. “We love discovering new techniques. It keeps our work fresh and hopefully original each time.”

That spirit of exploration is the golden thread running through Made By Practice’s work. Founded by Mike and Adrian Bishop, the studio seamlessly transitions between live-action and animation, utilising both tactile builds and digital tools. From charming educational spots for Sesame Street to surrealist banking ads for Modern Treasury, their portfolio dances between whimsy and warmth with ease, always guided by emotion, not a trend.

A tactile lens on the world

Made By Practice’s aesthetic leans heavily into the tangible. “That doesn’t mean everything is hand-made,” says Mike, “but there’s a physical aesthetic we return to again and again. Photography, in-camera methods, puppets, miniatures – we just love that world.”

It’s an approach rooted in experimentation rather than a fixed house style. The team might build life-size sets for one job, lean into stop-motion or 3D modelling for another, or combine techniques in unexpected ways.

“We really think of ourselves as artist experimenters,” Adrian adds. “We grab whatever tool is calling to us for the project at hand.”

This eclecticism is supported by a flexible structure. While Adrian and Mike lead as co-directors, the studio operates more like a collective, working closely with a rotating network of artists, illustrators and musicians.

“We typically work up the kernel of the idea – treatment, script, character sketches,” says Adrian, “but early on, we’re bringing in other voices. It’s not just about our vision.”

From Sesame Street to Silicon Valley

Playfulness is a core part of the studio’s creative identity, and not in a superficial sense, but in how it frames the world. “Our projects can be funny, but they’re never cynical,” says Mike. “We’re kind of big kids at heart.”

That sensibility is perhaps most clearly visible in their long-standing relationship with Sesame Street, where they first made their mark with joyful “Letter Films” like B is for Birds. It’s also present in more commercial work, like their campaign for Thumbtack, a home services app, where puppet-like characters brought warmth and wit to an otherwise functional message.

The magic lies in the balance: stories that are playful but purposeful, childlike but never childish. “Just because we’re making a brand spot doesn’t mean we abandon our values,” says Adrian. “It’s important to us that our work lifts up the world and brightens spirits.”

Creative freedom vs practical constraint

In 2023, Made By Practice tackled a new kind of brief: a campaign for Modern Treasury, visualising business cash flow with coins navigating elaborate tracks through model buildings. It was classic Practice – a mix of tactile sets, precise timing and surreal visual metaphors – but not without its challenges.

“We realised very quickly that doing all the coin shots practically was going to be too time-consuming,” says Mike. “We didn’t want to compromise the vision, so we pivoted. We shot the tracks and sets practically, then brought the coins in through VFX.”

The result is seamless and a quiet testament to the studio’s adaptability. “Nobody knew the difference,” Mike laughs. “At least not until now.”

Even their more serious work retains a sense of joyful tactility. Their 2021 short ‘How Far is Away?’ tackled ocean plastic pollution through a poetic, hand-crafted story about a girl who discovers a floating plastic island. Initially self-initiated, the film was later picked up by the Plastic Pollution Coalition as part of a broader educational push.

“If we can do anything to help correct that – we have to,” says Adrian. “That’s the point of passion projects. You can say whatever you want. But you also have to give yourself boundaries – otherwise, you’ll never finish it.”

Choosing the right ‘outfit’ for each story

With a toolkit that spans stop-motion, digital animation, puppetry, live-action, illustration, and more, how does Made By Practice decide what to use and when?

“We like to think of it like choosing an outfit from your closet,” says Mike. “You have a style, but you don’t wear the same thing every day. Some days, you’re in a puppet mood. Others, it’s 3D. The medium has to match the message – and the mood.”

Their practice (true to name) is more instinctive than systematic. “It’s all a great big playground,” Adrian adds. “We’re inviting clients to come in and discover the best way to communicate their idea.”

The same applies to trend cycles and technological shifts. While the studio has dipped its toe into AI, it remains cautious.

“Right now, a lot of AI-generated work looks the same,” says Mike. “But we’re excited about using it to amplify, not replace. It’s like any new tool – you have to find your voice with it.”

A tale of two cities (and a lot of sunshine)

The studio began life in Denver, Colorado, which is not the most obvious setting for a puppet-forward animation outfit. But that outsider status shaped its identity. “We stood out more,” says Adrian. “We were definitely the weird guys playing with puppets.”

Now split between Denver and LA (Mike relocated to California to be closer to family), the team straddles two sunny creative communities. “Geography still matters,” Mike adds, “but being remote is so much more feasible now.”

Despite the distance, the studio remains grounded in its original ethos. “We might have bad days,” Adrian jokes, “but we don’t bring that into our client work. We just cry into our pillows and get back to dancing in the studio.”

Looking ahead

As Made By Practice enters its next chapter, the team is expanding their ambitions. There are original stories in development, an early-stage stop-motion feature in the works, and an ongoing interest in episodic content. They’re also actively growing their collective and inviting new voices, skills and collaborators into the fold.

“The future is bright,” says Mike. “We’re always looking for the next weird idea to bring to life.”

Whether that’s a puppet show about plumbing or a miniature city for sentient coins, one thing’s for certain: it’ll be joyfully made, one tactile detail at a time.