God is up to good at Brainy Pixel Studios + Friends.
Brainy Pixel’s Year in Motion
Written collectively with Michael Thoenes, Brannon Hollingsworth, & Layne Laughter.
There are years that feel busy.
And then there are years that feel significant.
For Brainy Pixel, this was the latter.
Not loud. Not flashy for the sake of flash. But unmistakably purposeful—the kind of year where you look up from the render queue, the storyboards, the late-night exports, and realize something deeper has been happening underneath all the work.
This wasn’t just a slate year — it was a formation year.
The Throughline: Faithful People, Faithful Work
If you were inside the studio—on Discord threads, in review calls, buried in meetings, budgets, quotes, schedules—you’d notice something unusual. The work moved fast, but the posture moved slow.
Careful. Prayerful. Intentional.
At a time when kids’ content is increasingly loud, disposable, and algorithm-chasing, Brainy Pixel doubled down on a quieter conviction: stories shape souls, and craftsmanship still matters.
That conviction showed up everywhere—from preschool animation beats to feature-quality VFX, from playful character design to curriculum-driven storytelling.
And it showed up most clearly in the team itself.
Artists, animators, designers, writers, editors—from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, but who can now work anywhere or for anyone—chose to work here, on stories that point somewhere beyond the screen.
Captivated Kids & the “Why” Behind the Work
Midway through the year, a simple internal phrase kept resurfacing: “Why are we building this?”
The answer became the backbone of the studio’s direction.
Through the Captivated Kids initiative, Brainy Pixel aligned its creative muscle with a singular goal: helping families raise kids in a media environment that doesn’t undermine them. Not preachy. Not watered down. Just better. Bright, funny, adventurous content that respects childhood—and the parents guiding it.
In a landscape where children’s programming often disciples by default, Captivated Kids reframed the mission: if kids are watching anyway, let’s give them something worthy of their attention.
A Year of Creative Output (That Actually Meant Something)
From the outside, the project list reads like a highlight reel. Inside the studio, it felt more like controlled momentum.
George the Baby Dragon came to life across animation, branding, and picture book form—warm, expressive, and quietly charming.
The Blobs delivered playful, kinetic animation with personality to spare.
Action Bible animations translated Scripture into visual storytelling with clarity and energy.
Illuminate illustrations expanded into multiple illustration styles to support the curriculum—comics, children’s visuals, and activities—proving the studio’s range without losing its soul.
SideKick to Hero and Puzzle Box branding projects leaned into bold identity work that understood story before style.
High-end VFX and 3D work (from stunning Alaska Rescue Story AI sequences to feature-quality VFX and set extension work for The Last Rodeo) demonstrated that faith-based studios don’t have to compromise on technical excellence.
Brainy Pixel had the honor of creating the feature book trailer and promotion reel for The Blobs, By Justin Stuart, published by David C. Cook.
It wasn’t about doing everything.
It was about doing the right things well.
The Moment That Makes You Lean Forward
Every good variety piece needs the “wait—what’s next?” moment. And here it is:
2026 is shaping up to be a defining year.
Two major initiatives are quietly moving through development—carefully, deliberately, without hype-for-hype’s sake:
TagLife / LifeStone Curriculum – a next-generation approach to faith-based learning that blends story, theology, and engagement in ways that feel modern without losing depth.
Freedom Quest VBS – an adventure-forward VBS experience designed to pull kids into story, mission, and movement, not just programming.
Details are intentionally scarce. But the internal tone is clear: this isn’t incremental—it’s directional.
Cubekins Construction: Small Episodes, Big Intent
One project, however, is stepping fully into the light.
Cubekins Construction is a preschool series (ages 2–4) where toy-town challenges become moments of problem-solving, teamwork, and discovery.
Short-form. Joy-driven. Built for repeat watching parents don’t dread.
Every brick and beam is designed with early childhood development in mind—shapes, numbers, tools, cooperation—wrapped in humor and heart.
And for the first time, the community is being invited in directly.
A simple $10 donation through Captivated Kids helps move Episode One from concept to reality. No smoke. No gimmicks. Just a tangible way to build something good.
The Bigger Play: Shine-A-Light Guild
Behind the scenes, one idea keeps surfacing in conversations:
What if audiences weren’t just consumers—but collaborators?
The Shine-A-Light Guild is Brainy Pixel’s answer.
A community where supporters don’t just fund content—they help shape it. Early access. Creative input. A seat at the table as new ideas move from pitch to production.
It’s less fan club, more founding circle.
And in an era where the Church has already proven it can rally behind meaningful stories, the logic is hard to ignore.
Sign-up today through Jan 15 to become a Shine A Light Foundational Member! The special access for VIPs.
Final Frame
This year wasn’t about scale for scale’s sake. It was about alignment.
Faith and craft. Mission and excellence. Playfulness and purpose.
As the calendar turns, Brainy Pixel isn’t resetting—it’s building momentum.
Quietly. Confidently. Together. And if this year was the foundation, the next one looks ready to rise.
Pixels With Purpose
Brainy Pixel Studios
P.S. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll want to make sure and sign-up to become a foundational Shine A Light Guild Member. After the January 2026, the foundational achievement and milestone will be closed. And we’ve got a BIG release coming you’ll want to be a part of, our new edutainment platform for faith and family content. Shine A Light Guild Members will receive an early access, previews, and special passes for you and your household. Get in early! You will thank us later!
