Prana Studios

Last updated

Prana Studios, Inc.
Company type Private
Industry Visual effects, CGI animation
FoundedApril 2003;21 years ago (2003-04)
Headquarters,
Number of locations
2 (Mumbai, India)
Number of employees
500 -800
Divisions Rhythm & Hues Studios, Inc.
Website Prana Studios

Prana Studios, Inc. was an American computer animation and visual effects company, founded in 2003 in Los Angeles, United States, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Mumbai, India.

Contents

Prana Studios' investors include Reliance Industries and Mahindra Group. [1]

History

Prana Studios was founded in April 2003 by Arish Fyzee, Kristin Dornig and Pankaj Gunsagar. [2] Prana opened a Mumbai subsidiary in 2003. [3]

Prana produced highest quality CGI imagery and intellectual property for worldwide markets, and for major U.S. studios, in long form animation, digital effects, and themed entertainment. Their computer generated artistry included the digital CG production for multiple animated features for The Walt Disney Company, including the Tinker Bell franchise and Planes, [4] [5] among others. Prana was hired by Kanbar Entertainment to rescue the digital production on the independent animated monster hit "Hoodwinked!,” [6] and was instrumental in the final delivery, leading to a 110M box office hit. In 2008, The Weinstein Company launched a series of independent direct-to-video CGI feature-length films called Unstable Fables - they were produced amongst others, by The Jim Henson Company, Flame Ventures and Prana Studios. [2] The first released was 3 Pigs and a Baby, the second released was Tortoise vs. Hare and third and final released was The Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Show. Long form productions also included the independent Bollywood production Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for Dharma Productions, [7] as well as the Pathé French animated film Why I Did (Not) Eat My Father.

Prana would later go on producing on CG Animation for other animated films and series, Including Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return for Now-Defunct Summertime Entertainment, which shut down following of the Box-Office Disappointment of the film. Mexican animation company Ánima Estudios hired Prana Studios to contribute on CG Production for the films Top Cat: The Movie and Top Cat Begins, Then later partnered with French animation company Blue Spirit Animation to produce animation for Oggy and the Cockroaches for Xilam, Kaeloo for Cube Creative, and the French animated series Splat & Harry (Based on the book Splat the Cat written and illustrated by Rob Scotton).

On March 29, 2013, Prana Studios affiliate 34x118 Holdings, LLC won the bidding of Rhythm & Hues Studios in a bankruptcy auction. Post 2013, Rhythm&Hues and their VFX Supervisors were multiple Emmy and Visual Effects Society Award nominees and winners for their work on Game of Thrones. [8]

Prana Studios, Inc. is the recipient of multiple Themed Entertainment nominations and Awards, including for the attraction "5D Castle Theatre" at the prestigious Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zuhai, China. [9]

Filmography

Feature films

TitleOriginal release dateCo-production withNotes
Hoodwinked! January 13, 2006 The Weinstein Company [10]
Kanbar Entertainment
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby March 4, 2008The Weinstein Company
The Jim Henson Company
Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare September 9, 2008
Tinker Bell September 18, 2008 Walt Disney Pictures
DisneyToon Studios
Unstable Fables: The Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Show December 16, 2008The Weinstein Company
The Jim Henson Company
Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back October 5, 2010 Vanguard Animation
Tron: Legacy November 30, 2010Walt Disney PicturesVFX only [10]
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night March 16, 2011
(Italy)
Hyde Park Entertainment
Platinum Studios
Transformers: Dark of the Moon June 28, 2011 Paramount Pictures Additional digital effects
Secret of the Wings August 16, 2012
(Ukraine)
DisneyToon Studios
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return June 14, 2013
(AIAFF)
Summertime Entertainment
Metegol July 18, 2013
(Argentina)
Universal Pictures International
Planes August 9, 2013DisneyToon Studios [10]
Saving Santa November 5, 2013 Gateway Films
The Pirate Fairy February 13, 2014
(Denmark)
DisneyToon Studios
Postman Pat: The Movie May 23, 2014 DreamWorks Classics
Planes: Fire & Rescue July 18, 2014DisneyToon Studios
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast December 12, 2014
(United Kingdom)

Short films

TitleOriginal release dateCo-production with
The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas August 8, 2007 Columbia Pictures
Sony Pictures Animation
Alex & SylviaApril 2015 BRC Imagination Arts [11]
Kaka's Great AdventureMay 2015 Chimelong Ocean Kingdom [12]

Television

TitleOriginal release dateCo-production withNotes
Pixie Hollow Games November 19, 2011 DisneyToon Studios
An Elf's Story: The Elf on the Shelf November 26, 2011Trick 3D
Game of Thrones [13] April 17, 2011 HBO VFX only
The VeggieTales Show October 22, 2019 Big Idea Entertainment

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References

  1. Bhattacharjee, Nivedita (October 12, 2016). "Witches and thrones: Indian animators cash in on special effects boom". Reuters. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Baisley, Sarah (May 22, 2006). "Weinstein Co. Launches CG Unstable Fables Video Line". Animation World Network. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  3. "Foreign Animation Studios In Expansion Mode". Financial Express. August 6, 2004.
  4. https://sweetanimatedfilms.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/tinker-bell/
  5. https://www.awn.com/animationworld/disney-dtv-sequels-end-line
  6. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/8859480/hoodwinked-the-weinstein-company
  7. "Karan Johar announces four new projects". Sify . February 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013.
  8. "Outstanding Special Visual Effects Nominees / Winners 2018".
  9. "Thea Award Recipients Named – List Includes Waterworld and Shanghai Disneyland". November 16, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 Verrier, Richard (March 29, 2013). "Rhythm & Hues finalizes sale to Prana Studios". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  11. Alex and Sylvia - YouTube Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  12. Michael Switow (June 2015). "Chimelong Ocean Kingdom - June 2015". IAAPA. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  13. "This Indian company made Khaleesi's dragons in Game of Thrones", Quartz India , July 14, 2015