Method Animation

Last updated
Method Animation
FormerlyMethod Films
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Animation
Founded1998;26 years ago (1998)
FounderAton Soumache
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Key people
Katell France (managing director)
Parent Mediawan Kids & Family
Website www.mediawankidsandfamily.com/studios/22

Method Animation (formerly Method Films) is a French animation studio owned by Mediawan through its Kids & Family division founded in 1998 by Aton Soumache. The studio produces CGI and 2D animated shows. It came together in 2014 as the culmination of a merger of Dimitri Rassam's Chapter 2 and Alexis Vonarb's Onyx Films. [1] [2] [3] In 2018, Mediawan (which was founded by Xavier Niel, Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton in 2015) obtained a majority stake in Method Animation through its acquisition of ON Kids & Family and ON Entertainment. [4]

Contents

History

In 1996 while during the production of Christian Volckman’s short Maaz, Aton Soumache launched his own production company dedicated to short films and feature films named Onyx Films.

In December 1999, It was announced that Method Films had teamed up with Paris-based animation studio Millimages to launch a new stop-motion animation joint-venture studio based in Paris which would be named Gimmick. The new animation studio will work on Method Films in-house projects along with Millimages' works and would work on co-productions as well as outside cilents such as TV adverts. [5]

In January 2014, it was announced that Method Animation along with Onyx Films and drama film producer Chapter 2 announced that they had merged together by their founders Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam to form a new leading animation and film audiovisual production group named ON Entertainment with the new company launching its focus on their animated series and feature films along with live-action films. Method Animation along with film production company Chapter 2 became labels of the new production and audiovisual group with Method Animation became ON Entertainment's animation label under their ON Kids & Family division with film production house Chapter 2 became ON's film production label. [6]

In December 2017, it was announced that a European-based French special-acquisition company named Mediawan was in exclusive talks to buy a majority stake of ON Entertainment along with ON Kids & Family and their labels Method Animation and film production house Chapter 2 for about €50 million. [7] [8] A year later in June 2018, Mediawan announced that they've completed their acquisition of a majority stake in ON Entertainment and renamed it ON Kids & Family after their division with Chapter 2 split from ON and moved under Mediawan's portfolio. [9]

In June 2022, when ON Kids & Family's parent company Mediawan announced that they're bringing all of their kids and family activities and ramping up their youth entertainment content, it was announced that Mediawan had rebranded ON Kids & Family and relaunching it as a new division which was renamed Mediawan Kids & Family with Method Animation becoming part of the new renamed division. Mediawan Kids & Family also launched a new distribution division that will handle all of their original productions along with third-party programs. [10] [11]

In December 2022, Method Animation along with their parent Mediawan Kids & Family announced that they have hired Katell France the founder of her animation studio Onikiri as Chief Content Officer and Managing Director of the Method Animation label. [12]

In February 2023, Mediawan Kids & Family had announced that they've acquired a majority stake in British-based production company Wildseed Studios, marking Mediawan Kids & Family's first international acquisition with Wildseed Studios becoming part of Mediawan Kids & Family as a label. [13]

Key people

Aton Soumache

Aton Soumache is a producer of animated films. He is the CEO of Method Animation. Soumache is perhaps best known for The Little Prince , for which he, Rassam, Alexis Vonarb, and Mark Osborne won the 2016 César Award for Best Animated Film. [14]

Dimitri Rassam

Dimitri Rassam is a film producer and founder of Chapter 2. [15]

Caroline Guillot

She is the marketing manager of Method Animation. [16]

Alexis Vonarb

He was born in 1970, and is an alumnus of Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg. [17] Then he studied at the University of Leicester in the UK. [17] While working in production at La Fémis in 1995, he got to know Soumache. [17] He founded Onyx Films, which went on to produce 15 films, including Renaissance (2006) which won an award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. [17]

TV series

Co-produced with DQ Entertainment

Via producer Tapaas Chakravarti:

Co-produced with Zagtoon

Via producer Jeremy Zag:

Films

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References

  1. ↑ Renault, Marie-Cécile; Renault, Enguérand (16 January 2014). "Naissance d'une major française du cinéma et de l'animation". Le Figaro. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "Dimitri Rassam". Variety 500. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Wolfe, Jennifer. "Method Animation, Onyx and Chapter 2 form ON Entertainment". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Mediawan Announces the Finalization of the Acquisition of ON Entertainment and Preparations for the Group's New Operational Organization". Business Wire . 2018-06-07. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  5. ↑ Paoli, Pascal (December 1, 1999). "Millimages and Method team up for stop-motion". Kidscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  6. ↑ Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (January 16, 2014). "Soumache, Rassam Launch ON Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  7. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (December 17, 2017). "Mediawan Closes In on Acquisition of Dimitri Rassam's ON Kids & Family". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  8. ↑ Foster, Elizabeth (December 18, 2017). "Mediawan to acquire majority stake in ON kids & family". Kidscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Mediawan Announces the Finalization of the Acquisition of ON Entertainment and Preparations for the Group's New Operational Organization". Business Wire . June 6, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  10. ↑ Brzoznowski, Kirstin (June 13, 2022). "Mediawan Forms Kids & Family Unit". Worldscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ Kaminska, Karolina (June 13, 2022). "France's Mediawan combines kids and family interests into single division". C21Media. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ Stalcup, Jamie (December 9, 2022). "New Managing Director for Method Animation". Worldscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  13. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (February 7, 2023). "'The Last Bus' U.K. Producer Wildseed Studios Joins Mediawan Kids & Family in First International Acquisition (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  14. ↑ "2016 César Awards Full Winners List". Hollywood Reporter. 26 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (5 November 2016). "Dimitri Rassam Builds Bridges With Wildside, Endemic Shrine France". Variety. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ↑ "Interview: Caroline Guillot - On Entertainment". Écran Total. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Alexis Vonarb (On Animation Studios)". César Académie des Arts et Technique du Cinéma. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  18. ↑ Zag Studios Sets Up Shop In L.A. To Produce Animated Features by Amid Amidi on Cartoon Brew published 30 October 2014
  19. ↑ "Zak Storm brewing at MIPCOM". TBIvision. 9 October 2014. Ben 10 creator Man of Action conceived the 39x30mins show, with Zagtoon, Method Animation and eOne Family attached as coproducers.
  20. ↑ Mercedes Milligan (9 October 2014). "eOne's 'Zak Storm' Gets Greenlight". Animation Magazine.
  21. ↑ www.actionfigureinsider.com/zag-americas-zag-heroez-power-players-to-debut-on-cartoon-network/
  22. ↑ "www.retail-merchandiser.com/blog/3580-zag-america-s-zag-heroez-power-players-to-debut-on-cartoon-network". Archived from the original on 2019-03-24. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  23. ↑ "Oscar-Nominated Director Sylvain Chomet Returns with 'The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol'". 15 June 2021.
  24. 1 2 "ON Animation Unveils Hot Slate in Cannes". 8 May 2018.
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