Ottawa’s Mercury Filmworks (Hilda, pictured) and Angoulême/Paris/Montreal-based prodco Blue Spirit Studios (What If…?) have joined forces to launch a bespoke animation design and production service called Seraphim.

With a focus on serving 2D-animated and CG-animated projects, Seraphim offers producers wide-ranging services from the visual development phase to post-production. With its first yet-to-be-revealed client already signed on, the joint venture is casting a net for high-end films in the US$30 million to US$50 million budget range, as well as series with premium and episodic budgets. 

The venture merges both companies’ specialties—Mercury’s expertise in 2D animation and Blue Spirit’s familiarity with CG animation—with the goal of delivering “visually breathtaking and narratively compelling” content.

Seraphim’s advantages include its flexibility to adapt to the specific creative/production needs of each project. It also provides access to Mercury and Blue Spirit’s multi-territory production hubs (located in Ottawa, Montreal, Paris and Angoulême), which can help projects qualify for tax credits and other financial incentives.

And the timing is strong for Seraphim as an answer to a significant market demand for “reliable sophisticated animation capabilities for big-budget series and movies,” noted Mercury Filmworks CEO Clint Eland in a release. 

The new venture won’t impact Mercury or Blue Spirit’s original projects or existing service work, and the companies will continue to separately take on animation service work outside of Seraphim.