Sparx* Studios
Sparx* Studios (stylized as SPARX*) is a French-Vietnamese visual effects, 3D art, game and animation studio. Originally founded as Sparx Animation Studios in 1995, it initially worked primarily on animated feature films. In 2011, Virtuos purchased the company and reopened in Ho Chi Minh City the same year. The current incarnation of the company primarily works on animation for video games as well as VFX work for feature films.
History
Sparx* Studios was founded in 1995 and opened in 2002, by Jean-Christophe Bernard, Guillaume Hellouin and Fabrice Giger. They worked on Rolie Polie Olie with Nelvana and which won a Daytime Emmy Award and another Gemini Award for 'Outstanding Special Class Animated Program'.
The company produced the fully computer-animated movie Igor, starring John Cusack and Molly Shannon which was released on September 19, 2008, to mixed reviews and commercial success. They also worked on the last 3 seasons of Star Wars Rebels.
The company would go on a downward spiral in later years, closing down its Paris office in 2008 as well as their American and Vietnamese offices in 2010, leaving only the Shanghai offices open. In 2011, Virtuos acquired the company and reopened the Ho Chi Minh City offices the same year.