Tucked away in a tranquil corner of Altrincham, around 110 animators, puppet makers, sculptors and creative pioneers are crafting the magic behind some of the biggest hit films and TV shows.
It’s where animation giant Mackinnon & Saunders are based, set up by stop frame visionaries Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders more than 30 years ago. The company has seen incredible success on a global stage, most notably with their recent involvement in creating the puppets for Guillermo Del Toro’s BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning adaptation of Pinocchio for Netflix.
“We have obsessive puppet makers here, wanting to constantly just push the boundaries of what we do with puppet-making,” Ian Mackinnon told Prolific North at the studio.
Whether it’s design work, animation or building puppets for characters on TV, feature films and commercials, Mackinnon and Saunders’ vast body of work can be seen in Postman Pat, Bob the Builder, Raa Raa the Noisy Lion, Twirlywoos, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, to name a few.
They’ve worked together since the 1980s, initially at Chorlton’s Cosgrove Hall Films which was behind familiar classics such as Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows.
The animation giant even attracted the attention of a teenage John Squire, who went on to become a musician for The Stone Roses.
“Before he got involved with The Stone Roses, he brought in this beautiful little model shed,” said Saunders, dusting off the model. The intricate model is more than 30 years old, with minute details down to cracked window panes and hoops on a barrel showing signs of rust.
