Blue Sky Studios

Lilyanna Camacho (Chief Content Officer, Senior Vice President of Theatrical Animation)

### Products

Animated movies
 Animated television series

### Owner

Disney Entertainment (The Walt Disney Company)

### Parent company

20th Century Animation
 20th Century Premium Entertainment (20th Century Entertainment)

### Divisions

**Los Angeles**
 Pico Studios 10301
 Pico Studios 10951
 **Stamford**
 Station Plaza Studios

### Subsidiaries

Atomic Cartoons
 Digital Frontier
 Digital Frontier Taiwan
 GEMBA
 Giant Animation
 Icon Creative Studio
 Maga Animation Studio
 nWave Studios
 Toneplus
 Omens Studios
 Sparky Animation

### Website

blueskystudios.com

**Blue Sky Studios** is an American multinational computer animation studio based in Los Angeles, California and Stamford, Connecticut. It's current form was founded on February 1, 2023 by Carina executive Brenton Day and animation producer Lilyanna Camacho.

Utilizing various software, from sister company Pixar's RenderMan, Autodesk Maya/3ds Max, SideFX's Houdini, and DreamWorks' MoonRay renderer, the studio creates animated feature films and television series.

Blue Sky Studios is a subsidiary of 20th Century Animation, of which is a division of 20th Century Premium Entertainment for the 20th Century Entertainment division of Disney Entertainment. Currently, 20th Century Studios distributes the films in most countries with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In France, Oceania, South Korea, and Japan, these films are self-distributed.

Most Blue Sky Studios productions are co-produced by another 20th Century Entertainment division, 20th Century Kids and Family.

The current release cycle are two films being released annually, one in the Spring (usually April) and one in the Fall (usually September or October).

## History

### 1987-2021: Classic Blue Sky Studios

The studio was founded in 1987 by a group of visionaries, including Chris Wedge, Carl Ludwig, Dr. Eugene Troubetzkoy, and Alison Brown. Originally named "Blue Sky Productions," the company began as a provider of visual effects and computer graphics for various projects, including commercials, music videos, and films.

In its early years, Blue Sky Studios gained recognition for its cutting-edge computer animation techniques and innovative use of technology. They collaborated with notable companies like IBM and Bell Labs, pushing the boundaries of computer-generated imagery (CGI). However, it wasn't until 2002 that the studio rose to prominence with the release of their first feature film, *Ice Age*. *Ice Age* was an enormous success, both critically and commercially, catapulting Blue Sky Studios into the forefront of the animation industry. The film introduced audiences to a lovable cast of prehistoric characters embarking on a hilarious and heartwarming adventure. The studio's unique storytelling, coupled with its exceptional animation and captivating visuals, resonated with viewers worldwide.

(To Be Edited further)

In 2019, Blue Sky Studios became a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox (now 20th Century Entertainment). However, in February 2021, Disney announced the closure of Blue Sky Studios due to the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

### 2023: Re-formation of Blue Sky Studios

After the acquisition of The Walt Disney Company by Carina and South Star Group, one of the "to-do's" for Brenton Day (Vice President and CCO of Carina) was restructure 20th Century Studios and reform Blue Sky Studios to produce and animate films and television series. Day approached animation producer Lilyanna Camacho to co-lead the studio.

Between February and May 2023, Camacho and Day would acquire office space in Los Angeles and Stamford and started to hire employees. Some employees of the former Blue Sky Studios returned, some Pixar and WDAS animators moved to Blue Sky Studios, while the bulk of the employees were new hires and veterans of CG animation. In this time as well, Blue Sky Studios acquired multiple independent animation studios including Dwarf Animation, Giant Animation, Icon Creative Studio, Toneplus, Omens Studios, and Spark Animation. These studios are the main support animation studios for Blue Sky Studios and related projects, as well as work independently from Blue Sky Studios as well.

Camacho then hired Carlos Saldanha in early May 2023 to become the President and CEO of the new studio, after which Day would officially leave the studio to focus on other aspects of 20th Century Entertainment.

At a upfront on May 15, 2023, it was announced that two films were in production, *Hedgewitch* and *Popeye*, along with two other unannounced films with release dates and directors attached.

At the same upfront, the website, blueskystudios.com, relaunched, showcasing the history of Blue Sky Studios and the upcoming films, as well as the main team behind the relaunch.

A few days later, at a separate event, they announced two original films, *Chronicles of the Celestial Key* and *Cosmic Voyage: A Stellar Odyssey*.

On June 23rd, 2023, a few subsidiaries of Carina become subsidiaries of Blue Sky Studios, including Cinesite and Digital Domain, with the two companies being merged into Blue Sky.

## Process

Like sister sibling studios Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Blue Sky Studios acts as their own animation studio. Most films and television works are animated in house at either the Los Angeles offices and/or the Stamford Station Plaza office. In addition, works can be animated or animation can be supported by the several independent studios that Blue Sky acquired.

## Current first-look deals

* Galen T. Chu
* Mike Rianda (non-exclusive)