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Day: October 20, 2021

GALA CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE PUFFINS IMPOSSIBLE STARRING JOHNNY DEPP AND ONE YEAR OF OPERATIONS IN SERBIA

November 16, 2021 / By / NEWS

The day culminated with a gala conference, organized at Geozavod building in Belgrade, to present Iervolino Studios accomplishments over the past year and joint success with Archangel Digital Studios, where the first shots of the series were presented.  The conference underlined the importance that animated content with the mark “Made in Serbia” has on the local creative industry. 

 

Andrea Iervolino, CEO and founder, and Lady Monica Bacardi, honorary president of Iervolino Studios and Iervolino&Lady Bacardi Entertainment, together with Miloš Biković, founder of Archangel Digital Studios, joined Johnny at the gala conference to celebrate the end of production on season one of their first series in the presence of numerous media, excellencies, official guests and friends from the world of film, creative industries, arts and social scene. Prime Minister Ana Brnabić addressed the media and the guests. 

“I had this great fortune to be introduced to Serbian culture and people a long time ago now and ever since, life has brought me back to this wonderful place. I was instantly amazed by the charm, warmth, beauty and professionalism of local people and from what I’ve seen so far regarding the Puffins Impossible series, I have no doubt that many more directors, actors, animators and other creatives will come here and join this project. Serbia is the perfect opposite of Hollywood“, said Johnny Depp in his speech. 

So far, the creators of the project have developed a total of 54 episodes of the „Puffins Impossible“ series and Iervolino Studios announced investments in the production of 80 new episodes in 2022, with the desire for that number to reach even 100.

 

“During the last fifteen months, we have achieved an amazing result that I must admit I was sceptical about at first. However, to my biggest pleasure, our creative team in Serbia has surpassed all my expectations – and more. Until now, we have reached a number of more than 100 employees and I strongly believe that in the next 4-5 years we will achieve our goal of 560 people in the IES studio. Apart from „just“ hiring, we are also working on educating those people and that is why we started an internal training program lasting for four months, after which they get the job. Since 8 out of 10 trainees got hired, I think we are doing an amazing job“ , said Andrea Iervolino, CEO and co-founder of Iervolino Studios and Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment, who also announced that he is happy to announce that he got a Serbian passport. 

Since June 2020, Iervolino Studios has invested 25 million euros in the production of animated content and the development of two production studios in Belgrade and Novi Sad, followed by a special production pipeline.

“Today’s business models require flexibility regardless of the product being created. Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment therefore designed a unique model for the production of animated content and it was used when working on the Puffins Impossible series. It is a process that allows to create in Serbia as efficiently as in the rest of the world. I believe that with this production model, the animation industry in Serbia will soon stand side by side with Hollywood“, said Lady Monika Bacardi, honorary president of Iervolino Studios and Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment.

Iervolino Studios started working in Serbia only a year ago, thanks to the support of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and strategic cooperation with the production company Archangel Digital Studios, founded by Miloš Biković. He emphasized the fact that joint projects mean a lot for the entire creative industry of Serbia.

 

“With the arrival of Iervolino Studios, our animation industry gained know-how in the range of those used by Disney and Pixar. By working together, we strive to create an environment in which animation becomes a competitive production activity and jobs in the animation sector in Serbia sought after local, but also foreign artists. I thank the country of Serbia for its support and I’m looking forward to future projects”, said Miloš Biković, owner and founder of Archangel Digital Studios.

In addition to presenting the teaser poster, trailer and inserts from the episodes the Wonder  Strings quartet played music from the series Puffins Impossible, composed by Nemanja Mosurovic

Puffins Impossible is an animated series that follows the adventures of five Arctic birds – Johnny Puff, Didi, Pie, Tic and Tac. With the help and guidance of mentor Johnny Puff, the four birds are transformed into a unique team of superheroes, who, despite mutual disagreements and discussions, leave all differences aside in times of trouble and help their furry colleagues together. The series deals with the topics of equality and ecology in a fun and avant-garde way, in the desire to draw the public’s attention to the current challenges that our planet faces every day.

 

More to come about the first year of the studio whose focus is to create great stories that will change the animation landscape in Serbia.

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JOHNNY DEPP OFFICIALLY OPENED THE BRANCH OF IERVOLINO STUDIOS IN BELGRADE AND PROMOTED NEW SERIAL „PUFFINS IMPOSSIBLE“

October 29, 2021 / By / NEWS

Serbia now has its first animated series entitled “Puffins Impossible”. The series, produced in Serbia, was created by the local Iervolino Studios and produced by Archangel Digital Studios with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia. On Tuesday 19 of October 2021, we celebrated our first year of operation with a full day of promotionally activity for “Puffins Impossible” with legendary special guest Johnny Depp, who voices the main role of Johnny Puff in the new series. 

 

Legendary star Johnny Depp officially opened our studio in Belgrade.  Thanks to Andrea Iervolino, CEO and founder, and Lady Monica Bacardi, honorary president of Iervolino Studios and Iervolino&Lady Bacardi Entertainment, we couldn’t have been more excited to have the star of so many of the movies we grew up with and the character we have been drawing and animating for the past year in our offices.  Miloš Biković, owner of Archangel Digital Studio who persuaded Andrea to open the studio in Serbia, was also there for the celebration.  

 

On this occasion, Johnny was able to see where his character Johnny Puff was drawn, animated and edited for the new series “Puffins Impossible.” He talked to the artists and employees in the studio; visited all sectors and addressed the colleagues in the studio in Novi Sad via zoom.  

  

The studio in Belgrade was officially opened with the signing of the Johnny Puff figurine, which was specially created for this occasion by our famous animator Stevica Živkov, who now has the scarf that Depp was wearing during the studio visit.   

The studio in Belgrade was officially opened with the signing of the Johnny Puff figurine, which was specially created for this occasion by our famous animator Stevica Živkov, who now has the scarf that Depp was wearing during the studio visit.  

Johnny also received a 3D model of Johnny Puff as a gift from Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi.

Johnny left us with the message that everything we do and draw should bring a smile to our faces every day.  His admiration for our work motivates us all to continue to create even greater stories for the young and young at heart. 

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PUFFINS IMPOSSIBLE: THE FIRST ANIMATED SERIES PRODUCED IN SERBIA WITH JOHNNY DEPP IN THE LEAD ROLE HAS BEEN PRESENTED

October 29, 2021 / By / NEWS / 2 Comments

The production of the first season of the first animated series made in Serbia, created in our studio and intended for global distribution, called “Puffins Impossible”, has been completed. It is a spin-off of the famous series “Puffins”, with Johnny Depp in the leading role, who was a guest of Serbia on the occasion of the promotion of this project. The series, which was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, was created in our studio for the production of animated content Iervolino Studios (IES), owned by Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi, founders of our parent company Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment (ILBE), while the production is signed by Archangel Digital Studios (ADS), founded by Miloš Biković. 

The voice and appearance of the main character Johnny Puff are based on the personality of the legendary Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, who, in the company of superheroes, becomes a ninja in the new series. Depp arrived in Belgrade to promote the project and visited Iervolino Studios accompanied by Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monica Bacardi. He talked to the artists and employees in the studio; he visited all sectors, and addressed the colleagues in the studio in Novi Sad via zoom. On this occasion the studio in Belgrade was officially opened with the signing of the Johnny Puff figurine which was specially created for this occasion by our famous animator Stevica Živkov. Also, on this occasion, Jonny Depp received a 3D model of Johnny Puff as a gift from Andrea Iervolino. 

“Puffins Impossible is a great story for all ages, witty and educational. I enjoyed working on this project and I hope it will repeat the success of the Puffins series it derives from. The work that has been done in just one year is simply amazing. I’m delighted with the creativity of people from Serbia”, said Johnny Depp.

Lady Monika Bacardi, co-founder of the domestic IES studio and production company Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment, who was recently named producer of the year at the Italia – Los Angeles 2021 festival, also arrived in Belgrade. Lady Bacardi announced that the ILBE group has big plans for the Serbian studio and claims the employees have the potential to respond to those ambitions.

“Serbia is one of the most inspiring markets in which ILBE operates. The production of the Puffins Impossible series is proof that we have a capable, dedicated and agile team ready for world-class projects. We have opened an entire sector dedicated to post-production and visual effects (VFX) and our plans go beyond the production of animated content. Our goal is for Serbia to become Hollywood”, said Lady Monika Bacardi.

 

The animated web series “Puffins Impossible” follows the adventures of five Arctic birds – Johnny Puff, Didi, Pie, Tic and Tac. With the help and guidance of their mentor Johnny Puff, the four little birds are transformed into a unique team of superheroes, who, despite mutual disagreements and squabbles, leave all differences aside in times of trouble and help their furry fellows together. The series deals with the topics of equality and ecology in a fun and avant-garde way, in the desire to draw the public’s attention to the current challenges that our planet faces every day.

“The production of such a series is not only important for Iervolino Studios and Archangel Digital Studios, who presented this project in partnership, but also for the Serbian creative industry. Puffins Impossible is the first animated series produced in Serbia, following the highest world standards. It’s a big leap for the domestic creative sector. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to Miloš Biković, who convinced me only a year ago that we can produce everything we imagined in Serbia with great artists who work here, as well as to Johnny Depp with whom we continued successful collaboration in Serbia, too. Today, Iervolino Studios operates in two cities, Belgrade and Novi Sad, and employs over 100 members, with plans to have a team of 600 people by 2026“, said Andrea Iervolino, CEO and co-founder of IES and Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment.

The production of the “Puffins Impossible” series was done by Archangel Digital Studios, founded by our celebrated actor Miloš Biković.

 

“This is a huge success for local artists. Together, we managed to start the animation industry, thanks to innovative technologies and unique pipeline that we imported to Serbia and by doing that, gave our creative people the possibility to work according to standards of some of the biggest world studios. I thank the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Culture and Information for supporting our common vision and recognizing the importance of this investment. I believe that there will be even more such projects and that we will continue to grow and create”, said Miloš Biković on this occasion. 

The “Puffins Impossible” series will soon be available for streaming on the world’s leading platforms, with one of them being Apple TV. The wish of Iervolino Studios and Archangel Digital Studios and their founders is for Serbia to become a world leader in the production of animated content, which is why the development of new projects intended for the international market is planned. 

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