 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | April 2003; 22 years ago (2003-04) |
| Defunct | July 10, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-07-10) |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 2 (Mumbai, India) |
Number of employees | 500-800 |
| Divisions | Rhythm & Hues Studios |
| Website | Prana Studios |
Prana Studios, Inc. was an American animation and visual effects company, founded in 2003 inLos Angeles, United States, with a wholly owned subsidiary inMumbai, India. Known for its high-quality computer animation and visual effects.
Prana Studios' investors includeReliance Industries andMahindra Group.[1]
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 also including several animation studios, in long-form animation, commercials, digital effects, and themed entertainment. Their computer-generated artistry included the digital CGI production for multiple animated features for The Walt Disney Company, including theTinker Bell franchise andPlanes forDisneyToon Studios,[4][5] among others. Prana was hired byKanbar 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 2006,The Weinstein Company launched a series of independent direct-to-video CGI feature-length films calledThe House of Magic - they were produced amongst others, byThe Jim Henson Company,Flame Ventures and Prana Studios, Shout! Factory.[2] The first released was3 Pigs and a Baby, the second released wasTortoise vs. Hare and third and final released wasThe Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Show. Long form productions also included the independent Bollywood productionKuch Kuch Hota Hai forDharma Productions,[7] as well as thePathé French animated filmWhy I Did (Not) Eat My Father.
Prana would later go on to produce CGI animation for other animated films and series, includingLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return for the now-defunct Summertime Entertainment, which shut down following of theBox-Office Disappointment of the film. Mexican animation companyÁnima Estudios hired Prana Studios to contribute on CGI production for the filmsTop Cat: The Movie andTop Cat Begins, They later collaborated with French animation company Blue Spirit Animation to produce animation forOggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie forXilam,Kaeloo for Cube Creative, and the French animated seriesSplat & Harry (based on the bookSplat the Cat written and illustrated by Rob Scotton). They also did animation and visual effects forMarvel Experience, an interactive attraction to bringMarvel Universe into new worlds.
On March 29, 2013, Prana Studios affiliate 34x118 Holdings, LLC won the bidding ofRhythm & 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]
Prana's only unproduced animated films wereKuch Kuch Hota Hai forDharma Productions,Punk Farm forMGM,Wish directed byCory Edwards, andThe Power of Zhu andThe Secret of Zhu forMoonScoop.
| Title | Original release date | Co-production with |
|---|---|---|
| The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas | August 8, 2007 | Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation |
| Alex & Sylvia | April 2015 | BRC Imagination Arts[11] |
| Kaka's Great Adventure | May 2015 | Chimelong Ocean Kingdom[12] |
| Title | Original release date | Co-production with | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixie Hollow Games | November 19, 2011 | DisneyToon Studios | |
| An Elf's Story: The Elf on the Shelf | November 26, 2011 | Trick 3D | |
| Game of Thrones[13] | April 17, 2011 | HBO | VFX only |
| The VeggieTales Show | October 22, 2019 | Big Idea Entertainment |
