A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks Establish Flint Base, Strengthening Production Capacity

A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, both subsidiaries of Aniplex under Sony Group, have announced the creation of Flint Base, a new animation studio set to open in April 2026. Designed as an entry point for aspiring animators, the studio addresses one of the industry's most persistent challenges: a growing demand for skilled artists amid limited training capacity. The companies have long maintained internal teams focused on the development of staff animators through selective new-graduate hiring and hands-on instruction. However, this model restricts intake due to the intensive supervision required. Flint Base is intended to widen that pipeline. Backed by Sony Group, the studio will operate as a dedicated department within CloverWorks and hire trainees as fixed-term employees for up to two years. Incoming recruits—primarily students graduating in March 2026—will receive foundational training, focus on in-between animation work, and gain practical experience across A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks productions before pursuing roles as key animators or moving into other studios. Both companies describe the initiative as a response to structural pressures in the animation labor market. As global demand for Japanese animation expands, the need for trained animators continues to rise, while production schedules have tightened and competition for talent has intensified. By creating a separate training hub, A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks aim to secure long-term production stability and broaden the pool of industry-ready creators. Expansion of Internal Production Capabilities The launch of Flint Base follows a period of increased investment in internal production structures. In July 2025, A-1 Pictures established Psyde Kick Studio, a new in-house label focused on experimentation and the incubation of emerging creative voices. Built on A-1 Pictures' existing production expertise, the label's mandate is to explore unconventional projects and new production flows, particularly in collaboration with younger creators. The label is led by A-1 Pictures' Jun Kato and is already preparing multiple projects. While Psyde Kick Studio focuses on creative R&D (research and development) and innovative planning, Flint Base complements that effort by strengthening human-resource development. Together, the two initiatives indicate a multi-tiered strategy: one aimed at securing long-term talent pipelines, the other at expanding the company's creative bandwidth. A Coordinated Strategy Across the Aniplex-Sony Ecosystem A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks have signaled that the new studio will work closely with their existing operations rather than replace them. Their primary training teams remain intact; Flint Base functions as an additional structure that increases capacity rather than redistributes it. The companies expect graduates of the program to move into roles within their mainline teams or across the broader animation sector, reinforcing the studios' long-term ability to meet production demand. Sony Group's support provides financial stability and positions the initiative within a broader corporate effort to strengthen the company's global animation footprint. As streaming growth intensifies competition for content and rising production volume strains available staff, studios are increasingly seeking to secure talent and develop in-house capability across multiple fronts. The combined establishment of Flint Base and Psyde Kick Studio demonstrates how large production groups are adapting to these pressures by investing in training, R&D, and vertical integration simultaneously. Official site: https://flintbase.jp/ A-1 Pictures official site: https://a1p.jp/ CloverWorks official site: https://cloverworks.co.jp/