Prana Studios
Prana Studios, Inc. was an American animation and visual effects company, founded in 2003 in Los Angeles, United States, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Mumbai, India. Known for its high-quality computer animation and visual effects.
Prana Studios' investors include Reliance Industries and Mahindra Group.
History
Prana Studios was founded in April 2003 by Arish Fyzee, Kristin Dornig and Pankaj Gunsagar. Prana opened a Mumbai subsidiary in 2003.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 the Tinker Bell franchise and
Planes for DisneyToon Studios, among others. Prana was hired by Kanbar Entertainment to rescue the digital production on the independent animated monster hit "Hoodwinked!,” 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 called The House of Magic - they were produced amongst others, by The Jim Henson Company, Flame Ventures and Prana Studios, Shout! Factory. 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, as well as the Pathé French animated film Why I Did (Not) Eat My Father.
Prana would later go on to produce CGI animation for other animated films and series, including Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return for the 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 CGI production for the films Top Cat: The Movie and Top Cat Begins, They later collaborated with French animation company Blue Spirit Animation to produce animation for Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie for Xilam, Kaeloo for Cube Creative, and the French animated series Splat & Harry. They also did animation and visual effects for Marvel Experience, an interactive attraction to bring Marvel Universe into new worlds.
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.
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.