Sparx Animation Studios

Last updated
Sparx* Studios
Company typePrivate
IndustryAnimation
Digital entertainment
FoundedJune 23, 1995;28 years ago (1995-06-23)
FounderJean Christophe Bernard
Guillaume Hellouin
Fabrice Giger
Didier Montarou
Headquarters
Key people
Renaud Biscarrat (Chief Executive Officer/President)
Samuel Stevenin (General Manager)
Owner Virtuos Holdings Pte. Ltd.
Number of employees
400+
Website www.sparx.com

Sparx* Studios (stylized as SPARX*) is a French-Vietnamese 3D art, VFX and animation studio, with around 400 artists, animators and technical experts. The French offices closed in 2008, while the American and Vietnamese offices closed in 2010.

Contents

Since 2011, Sparx* has been a member of Virtuos Group - one of the world's largest game developers. It was reopened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011.

For over two decades, the studio, based in Ho Chi Minh City, has been working with different digital entertainment publishers in the movie and game industries, and has also contributed to AAA video games, Hollywood movies, and TV series across the globe.

History

Sparx* was previously known as Sparx* Animation Studios.

Founded in 1995 and opened in 2002, by Jean-Christophe Bernard, Guillaume Hellouin and Fabrice Giger, Sparx* first made its mark co-producing TV series that were aired in multiple countries across five continents, and became well known for co-producing Rolie Polie Olie with Nelvana and Disney Channel which won a Daytime Emmy Award and another Gemini Award for 'Outstanding Special Class Animated Program'.

The company also produced Youri the Spaceman, a series of animated shorts that aired on Cartoon Network in France.

The company produced the fully computer-animated movie Igor , starring John Cusack and Molly Shannon which was released on September 19, 2008. Their animation department reached new milestones years later by taking part in the full-episode production for the last 3 seasons of Star Wars Rebels - the award-winning TV series from Lucasfilm.[ citation needed ]

Sparx* temporarily closed its French office in 2008, [1] and American and Vietnamese offices in 2010. In September 2011, assets and core team of Sparx* in Vietnam were acquired and reopened by Virtuos Holdings Pte. Ltd., one of the largest digital entertainment contents production company headquartered in Singapore with studios in Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Paris, Dublin, Montreal, and Los Angeles, and offices in Montréal, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Vancouver and Tokyo.

As of 2019, Sparx* has been providing services for video game companies globally. The studio has also contributed to some of Hollywood's cinematic franchises.

Film contributions

TitleTypeRelease DatePublisher
Pierre et le loupShorts and Music Videos1995 Canal+
Bob & ScottTV series1996-
My Life in Pink Feature Film1997La Sept Cinéma
Rolie Polie Olie (Seasons 1–5)TV series1998 Nelvana
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom TV series2009 Astley Baker Davies -
Smart Planet Advance TV series1999-2000TPS Animation Studios-
À deux sur la comèteTV series2000-
Bella ciao -2001-
Changing Faces: The Best of Louise-2001-
Grégoire Moulin contre l'humanitéFeature Film2001Centre Européen Cinématographique Rhône-Alpes
-
JerryShort Film2001-
Le nouveau big bangShort Film2001-
Molly, Star-Racer TV series2001 Sav! The World Productions
PurgatoireTV series2001-
R. MertonensisTV series2001C.R.R.A.V
Thomas in Love Feature Film2001JBA Production-
RobotaShort Film2019-
Les filles, l'âne et les boeufsTV series2002Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée-
Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun TV series2002Nelvana-
The World of Happy Planet TV series2002-03EnSky Studios-
Youri, the SpacemanShorts2002Sparkling
Dragon Hunters Short Film2003-
Drawing Time with Happy PlanetVideo series2003EnSky Studios
Summer in the Golden Valley Feature Film2003-
Move with MimikVideo series2003-04EnSky Studios
Around The World with Happy PlanetVideo series2003-04EnSky Studios
Move and Learn with Happy PlanetVideo series2003-04EnSky Studios
Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot DTV Productions2004Nelvana
-
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas DTV Productions2004 Walt Disney Pictures -
Grand OdysseyShort Film2005-
Zoé Kezako TV series2006-2014Sparkling
ArgaiShort Film2006-
Bedtime StoriesShort Film2006-
GazoonTV series2007Sparkling
Igor Animated Feature Film2008Exodus Productions-
The Avengers Feature Film2012 Marvel Studios -
Elmo's Alphabet ChallengeDTV Productions2012 Sesame Workshop
Fanboy & Chum Chum TV series2013-2014 Frederator Studios and Sony Pictures Television for the third season, "Sleepless in West Apetown", "Snowy Mart" "Escape from Camp Catastrophe", "Not So Levitation", and "Conjurer in the Rough"-
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Feature Film2014 Paramount Pictures
Zorro: The ChroniclesTV series2014 Cyber Group Studios
Avengers: Age of Ultron Feature Film2015Marvel Studios
Jurassic World Feature Film2015 Universal Pictures
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Feature Film2015Lucasfilm
Star Wars: Rebels (Starting from Season 2)TV series2015–18 Lucasfilm Animation
Captain America: Civil War Feature Film2016Marvel Studios
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Feature Film2016Lucasfilm
Warcraft Feature Film2016Universal Pictures
Kong: Skull Island Feature Film2017 Warner Bros. Pictures
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Feature Film2017Lucasfilm
Transformers: The Last Knight Feature Film2017Paramount Pictures
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Feature Film2017 STXfilms
Aquaman Feature Film2018Warner Bros. Pictures
Avengers: Infinity War Feature Film2018Marvel Studios
Black Panther Feature Film2018Marvel Studios
Bumblebee Feature Film2018Paramount Pictures-
Ready Player One Feature Film2018Warner Bros. Pictures
Solo: A Star Wars Story Feature Film2018Lucasfilm-
Aladdin Feature Film2019Walt Disney Pictures
Captain Marvel Feature Film2019Marvel Studios-
The Addams Family Animated Feature Film2019 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Feature Film2019Lucasfilm
Vic & The Magic SwordAnimated Feature Film2019 Studio 100 Animation
The Mandalorian (Season 1 & 2)TV series2019-20 Industrial Light & Magic
Alien Worlds TV series2020 Framestore
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous TV series2020 Netflix
Puppy Dog Pals TV series2020Rainbow CGI
Space Jam: A New Legacy Feature Film2021Warner Bros. Pictures
The Addams Family 2 Animated Feature Film2021Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rumble Animated Feature Film2021 Paramount Animation
Sing 2 Animated Feature Film2021Universal Pictures
Minions: The Rise of Gru Animated Feature Film2022Universal Pictures

Game Contributions

TitlePlatform(s)Release DateDeveloper
League of Legends PC- Riot Games
Smite PC- Hi-Rez Studios
Fallout 4 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2015 Bethesda Softworks
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2016 Eidos-Montréal
Farming Simulator PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2016Giants Software
Killer Instinct 3Xbox One, PC2016-
Forza Motorsport 7 Xbox One, PC2017 Turn 10 Studios
NBA 2K18 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2017 2K
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2018 Treyarch
Detroit: Become Human PlayStation 4, PC2018 Quantic Dream
The Elder Scroll Online: SummersetPlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2018Bethesda Softworks
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition PC2019 Microsoft
Borderlands 3 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC20192K
Planet Zoo PC2019 Frontier Developments
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2019 Respawn Entertainment
The Outer Worlds PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch2019 Obsidian Entertainment
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series Oculus Quest, Microsoft Windows2019ILMxLab
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2020 Supermassive Games
Demon's Souls PlayStation 52020 Japan Studio
Grounded Xbox, PC2020Obsidian Entertainment
Legends of Runeterra PC, Apple Store, Google Store2020Riot Games
Marvel's Avengers PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2020 Crystal Dynamics
Microsoft Flight Simulator PC2020 Asobo Studio
Ride 4PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2020 Milestone
Rocket Arena PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC2020Final Strike Games
Star ShamanOculus Rift2020Ikimasho
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge Oculus Quest2020ILMxLab
Tell Me Why Xbox, PC2020 Dontnod Entertainment
Valorant PC2020Riot Games
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One2023 Purple Lamp

Commercials

BrandProduct NameYear
TF! Soccer ID1997
France 5 Les Zouzous1999
Eurosport Euro 20002000
Télétoon Télétoon Advance2000
13th Street Reface2001
France 3 T O 32002
Piwi Les Vacances de Piwi2003
Pepsi Rapido In the hit TV Show, RATZ2005
Pepto Bismol Eating Much Sweets2007
Mountain Dew Baja Blast2009
7-Up Razmo In the Hit TV Show, RATZ2010
SnuggieBeing Bored2017

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References

  1. Keslassy, Elsa (2008-11-18). "Sparx closes Paris animation studio". Variety. Retrieved 2021-03-23.