Rugrats Rugrats

Technicolor has announced that it is folding Technicolor Animation Productions and Technicolor Animation into the Mikros Animation brand. The move is part of an ongoing restructuring effort and a consolidation of the company’s studios.

What does this mean? Technicolor Animation Productions, Technicolor Animation, and Mikros Animation will integrate their operations to operate as one company. It currently has operations in Paris, Montreal, Bangalore, London, and Los Angeles. Technicolor says that combining these studios under one banner “strengthens its position as a global partner to filmmakers across the world” and allows the companies to share knowledge, technology, processes, and operations.

What do the companies create? Prior to this consolidation, Mikros was primarily creating features, such as The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and the upcoming Paw Patrol: The Movie, while Technicolor units handled animation services for dozens of series, like the new cg Rugrats, Elena of Avalor for Disney Junior, and Alvinnn!!! & the Chipmunks for Nickelodeon.

Who’s in charge? Andrea Miloro was recently appointed president of Mikros Animation, and heads its feature animation efforts. The newly organized leadership team that will report to Miloro consists of Adrianna Cohen, svp, global head of production; Sandrine Nguyen Tiet, svp, episodic and IP; Boris Hertzog, svp, managing director; and Julien Meesters, svp, head of creative.

The big picture: After a rocky stretch that involved filing for bankruptcy, Technicolor is coming back in a big way. Across its various studios, including Mikros as well as its vfx shops like MPC, The Mill, and Mr. X, Technicolor has said that it intends to hire three to four thousand new employees over the next year. That includes 700–800 new animation hires.