Every great film or TV series starts with a great story and, very often, with a sequence of unexpected events that ultimately turn out to be fortuitous. And that’s precisely how the story of Serbia-based animation company Iervolino Studios (IES) started: from co-founder Andrea Iervolino being stuck in Belgrade during the first months of the pandemic and his brave decision to start his business here, to a studio which, just two years later, employs more than 100 creative professionals in uniquely designed studios in Belgrade and Novi Sad, equipped with top-notch technology
With its main focus on creating high-quality short animated content, the studio recently announced that the first 18 of 54 completed episodes of the animated series Puffins Impossible, created at IES and produced by Archangel Digital Studios, are available to watch on leading streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Chilli TV and TaTaTu.
Over a period of just two years, this project has achieved something that was difficult to even imagine: the work of Serbian artists and creative professionals can now reach millions of people worldwide. What makes this series even more special is the fact that Johnny Depp gives his voice to the main character, while he also officially opened the studio in Belgrade last October.
“We are very proud of the fact that the animated series that’s available on the leading streaming platforms is signed by Serbian artists. Our teams in Belgrade and Novi Sad have done a great job and confirmed that we are a talented, adaptive, and fast-growing community that’s always ready to inspire others, learn and progress. We will continue to further expand our team and our business in the years to come,” says Iervolino Studios Local Country Manager Dragan Nikolić, adding that IES is already working on new creative projects for global distribution, as well as on developing tailored content to meet the needs of specific users and clients in Serbia.
Another important step for IES during the previous period was the opening of the IES Internal Training Center, which is dedicated to educating all interested current and future creative professionals through specialised workshops and courses covering the fields of animation, film and special effects (VFX) that are led by renowned local and international experts.
“With its final goal of contributing to the development of the animation industry in Serbia, as well as building and supporting the local creative community, our training center is an educational platform for professionals wishing to enhance their existing creative skills. What’s more, it provides a chance for the most talented students to start their careers at IES after completing the course,” says Iervolino Studios Head of Marketing and Communications Anđelka Janković.
IES has even bigger plans to implement by the end of 2022: completing five seasons of the Puffins Impossible series, hiring more skilled professionals, opening a brand-new department alongside its current VFX and post-production departments, as well as launching numerous new projects, particularly in the field of education.