MK12 Studios is a filmmaking and design collective with over a dozen award-winning short films to its credit. Their approach to filmmaking and animation is experimental and holistic, blending live action, traditional and CGI animation, nostalgic influence and new technologies to define their own unique brand of storytelling.
MK12 was established in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1999 by art school students Jed Carter, Timmy Fisher, Matt Fraction, and Ben Radatz, and later joined by Shaun Hamontree and computer guru Chad Perry. Founded as a means to produce original content, MK12 has since lent its talents to many commercial ventures, including title sequence and UI design for films like Quantum of Solace and Stranger Than Fiction, music videos for Common, Jack White and Alicia Keys, and animated cutscenes and vignettes for video games like Rock Band: Beatles & Green Day editions and documentaries like Particle Fever, which earned them a Cinema Eye Award for Outstanding Graphic Design in 2015. In 2017, MK12 joined forces with Los Angeles-based production company, iartists.
Grammy Award (2009) for Best Short Form Music Video for their collaborative video for “Another Way to Die” by Jack White and Alicia KeysSouth by Southwest (2015) as finalists in the Excellence in TItle Design Award for their 2014 Semi-Permanent opening titlesMTV Video Music Awards (2005) Nomination: Best Hip Hop Video, Common "Go"Cinema Eye Honors (2014) for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design or Animation for “Particle Fever”Art of the Title for Semi-Permanent '14 Titles: Top Ten Title Sequences of 2014Mile High Horror Film Festival, "Most Innovative Short Film" awarded to MK12's "Follow the Sun!"Miami Short Film Festival, "Best Experimental film" award for "TELEPHONEME"2002 Adobe Systems Online Film Festival, "Best Animated Film": "Untitled:002:Infinity"2001 Rockstar Games, "Best Short Film": "Terrible Cosmic Death"2016 Cinemor77 Film Festival, Glasgow Scotland: Beauty In Danger2015 Zero Film Festival, Manhattan NY: Man Of Action II: Ashes Of Vengeance2014 Salon 94, the Bowery NY: Beauty in Danger2014 Pluk de Nacht Open Air Film Festival, The Netherlands: Follow the Sun!2014 University of North Carolina, Charlotte: group exhibition Icarus: Powers of Ten2013 Art Basel, Miami: Beauty in Danger2012 Fantastic Fest: Follow the Sun!2012 Vimeo Awards: Follow the Sun!2012 Slamdance Film Festival: Follow the Sun!2011 Walker Art Center, Minneapolis: Graphic Design: Now in Production (title sequence exhibition component): Stranger than Fiction, The Kite Runner2011 Type in Motion: Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich (Zurich Design Museum): Sleeping Beauty, Diesel, Levi's, Stranger than Fiction, The Kite Runner2011 Telluride Horror Show: Follow the Sun!2011 Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights: Follow the Sun!2011 Prix Ars Electronica Animation Festival, Linz, Austria: TELEPHONEME (best-of compilation from '10)2010 Ars Electronica Animation Festival, Linz, Austria: TELEPHONEME2010 Zurich Film Festival: TELEPHONEME2010 Slamdance Film Festival: TELEPHONEME2010 Atlantic Film Festival: TELEPHONEME2010 Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich (Zurich Design Museum), multiple works2009 Anima Mundi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: one short film "History of America"2008 International Amsterdam Film Festival: one short film "History of America"2008 Sundance Film Festival: one short film "History of America"2007 Montreal World Film Festival: one short film "History of America"2005 OneDotZero film festival: two short films: "UltraloveNinja" and "4D Softcore Sweater Porn"2005 The Epsten Gallery: Kansas City, MO: work retrospective2005 Art in General, New York City, NY: collaborative exhibition with Brian Alfred, a NY-based painter2004 Art Basel, Miami, Florida: group exhibition, curated by the Paragraph Gallery (Kansas City, MO)2004 RESFest, international: one short film: "Funkstorung" music video2003 Sundance Online Film Festival: one short film "UltraloveNinja"2003 RESFest, international: two short films: "The Faint" music video, "Macho Box"2002 Adobe Online Short Film Festival, international: one short film: "Untitled:002:Infinity"2000 RESFest, international: one short film: "Untitled:002:Infinity"2000 Toronto International Film Festival: one short film: "Terrible Cosmic Death"2000 Sci-Fi Channel: one short film: "Terrible Cosmic Death"2000 New York Animation Festival, New York, NY: one short film: "Terrible Cosmic Death"
