"Blue Eye Samurai"
The quality of work from Blue Spirit Studios, Newen Studios' production company specializing in animation, is recognized through multiple nominations at the 2024 Annie Awards for the series "Blue Eye Samurai" and "Gremlins" produced by Netflix.
"Blue Eye Samurai" (Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment) is the most nominated series, with selections in six categories: Best TV/Media – Mature (pilot episode: "Hammerscal"); Best Production Design - TV/Media (episode: "The Great Fire of 1657"); Best Writing - TV/Media (episode: "The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride"); Best Editorial - TV/Media (episode: "The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride"); Best Character Animation - TV/Media (episodes 101, 104, and 106) and Best FX - TV/Media (episode: "All Evil Dreams and Angry Words").
These last two nominations are a direct reward for the efforts of the Blue Spirit Studios teams, who worked on the production of the "Blue Eye Samurai" series, 2D backgrounds, 3D preproduction, 3D layout, animation, FX, rendering, and compositing were done in Paris, Angoulême, and Montreal.
In addition, "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai" (for Warner Bros Animation) is nominated in the category of Best Storyboarding - TV/Media. Blue Spirit Studios worked on both seasons of "Gremlins", handling 2D backgrounds, 3D pre-production, 3D layout, animation, FX, rendering/lighting, and compositing.
For Olivier Lelardoux, CEO of Blue Spirit: "The teams at Blue Spirit in Paris, Angoulême, and Montreal express their great joy and pride in the recognition of their efforts. The Annie Awards, which have been celebrating excellence and innovation in the animation industry for years, have honored our work. Committed to partnerships with demanding clients both in France and internationally, our studios are committed to continuing this momentum in 2024 by collaborating on even more daring, diverse, and creative projects. We extend our warmest congratulations and express our gratitude to the teams at Netflix and Warner Bros Animation for the trust they place in our studios."
Established in 1972, the Annie Awards are dedicated to animation and honor the greatest talents and best productions in the genre each year. The event has become the animation industry's equivalent of the Oscars, encompassing cinema, television, and advertising. This year, the 51st annual Annie Awards ceremony took place on Saturday, February 17th in Los Angeles.