Studio Isar Animation: About the Nostalgia of Tomorrow

Nowadays, when Heidi and Goat Peter frolic on the mountain pasture in the movies, when Maya the Bee and her Willi hum around in a race, then Studio Isar Animation is behind these loving and witty computer animations. In just a few years, the Munich-based production studio has become a major player on the European animation market. With strong brands such as “Maya the Bee” and ‘Heidi’, which the company is reviving with state-of-the-art technologies, as well as new formats such as “The Secret of La Mancha” or the upcoming “Maya the Bee” spin-off “Arnie [&] Barney”, the studio shows that high-quality animation from Germany is not only possible, but can also hold its own on the international stage.

Founded in 2018 as a subsidiary of Studio 100 International, the Munich-based studio has always pursued a clear vision: creative and technical excellence in CGI production with a formal language that resonates internationally. Visual clarity, sympathetic character design and emotional lighting meet the taste of the audience and are at the same time trademarks of the lovingly crafted productions. From today's perspective, CEO Martin Krieger describes the founding of the company as a “logical and strategically important step” to tell stories for children and families holistically across all channels – from TV and cinema to streaming, licensed products and merchandising.

Markets, brands, opportunities: Prospects for German animation

 

"In a volatile cinema market, family entertainment has recently proven to be an extremely stable segment – especially in international rights trading. Animated films from Germany are regularly among the top-selling export titles. The children's and family entertainment sector in particular is growing worldwide – there is enormous potential here for German studios," Krieger emphasizes.

At the same time, the environment is becoming more selective. Platforms and broadcasters are increasingly relying on established IPs to minimize risks. Series such as “Stranger Things” or “Ghostbusters” are being relaunched as animated formats. Studio Isar Animation is countering this trend with a dual strategy: on the one hand with spin-offs such as “Arnie [&] Barney”, which build on successful brands. On the other hand, with original formats that are developed together with partners, such as the adventure film “The Secret of La Mancha”.

Munich plays an important role as a location. The proximity to the HFF, the central location in Europe and not least the close links with Studio 100 International create a stable network. Studio Isar Animation not only has access to a well-developed internal production network for service work, but also operates within the framework of international co-productions – for example with Spain and Norway. In addition to the cinema market, the parent company Studio 100 International also has its eye on the series sector. In the case of the colorful Australian preschool children's series “Vegesaurier”, Studio 100 acts as a co-investor and global distribution partner.

The studio's political concerns therefore also seem logical: Head of Studio Laura Langhammer and Martin Krieger would like to see the automatic funding extended to series productions and the introduction of an investment obligation for platforms, as is the case in France, for example.

“If we were completely free to choose, we would make more series,” says Krieger. At the moment, however, funding for series projects is not yet comparable to that of feature films. “Series give us the opportunity to develop characters in the long term – and they contribute to the sustainable utilization of the studio.”

Visual worlds that are emotionally moving and convincing in terms of craftsmanship

 

What drives Studio Isar Animation is more than efficiency and production logic. It is a passion for storytelling – and the aspiration to create visual worlds that are both emotionally moving and technically convincing. The makers see themselves as clearly “artist-driven”: creativity begins in the team. Through flat hierarchies, daily creative coordination and conscious backing through processes, the studio aims to create precisely those spaces in which excellence can emerge in the first place.

“We want to create the nostalgia of tomorrow,” says Studio Director Laura Langhammer – and by this she means not only iconic images, but also the confidence that original ideas and strong craftsmanship can accompany an audience for decades.

With an experienced core team of animation artists who previously worked at international giants such as ILM, Framestore, Weta, Sony, MPC or Scanline, and the in-house departments Asset, Set Dressing, Look Development, Lighting, FX, Compositing and DMPs (Digital Matte Paintings), Studio Isar Animation today offers not only creative quality, but also a high degree of efficiency. The in-house infrastructure – from the local render farm to flexible remote work setups – makes it possible to realize high-quality projects within controllable budgets.

“We pay particular attention to the quality of the lighting,” explains Laura Langhammer. “In this way, we support moods and emotions in a similar way to music.” The visual finishing touches are part of the company's signature: detailed textures, atmospheric lighting and a narrative focus on emotional imagery characterize the creative self-image. Productions such as “Heidi – The Legend of the Lynx”, which can currently be seen in cinemas, and “The Secret of La Mancha” are regarded internally as benchmarks for this style.

For the new Heidi film, Studio Isar Animation has created a look that “makes you want to go to the mountains”, explains Thorsten Wegener, producer at parent company Studio 100. "Heidi's closeness to nature and love of animals should continue to be the focus of our retelling. At the same time, we wanted to shed light on unknown aspects of the previous Heidi stories, such as the role and background story of the grandfather."

Creativity meets structure: the way Studio Isar Animation works

 

What makes Studio Isar Animation special in the German-speaking world is the combination of a sophisticated and finely tuned pipeline that allows the artists to focus on the image and a corporate culture with flat hierarchies. This applies not only to the appreciation of creative positions, but also to specific structures: creative departments are involved in decision-making processes at an early stage, and daily stand-up meetings enable agility in this regard as well as fluid communication. For new projects, the core visual team has a say in style and development issues right from the start.

In terms of technology, Studio Isar Animation relies on a tried-and-tested but ultra-modern setup: Maya for modeling, Substance Painter for texturing, Katana and RenderMan for lighting and Nuke for compositing – tools that have established themselves internationally in top studios. However, it is not just the technology that is decisive, but how it is used. Studio Isar Animation is continuously building up the team's knowledge and integrating new software features into the pipeline at an early stage, including AI tools. The Munich-based studio continues to develop its processes with every new production. The necessary flexibility – especially in the context of co-productions – is guaranteed by the in-house render farm, as Laura Langhammer emphasizes. "We deliberately rely on an in-house set-up here. We rent out free capacity in times of low capacity utilization – this creates flexibility. We use cloud resources selectively and selectively."

The international team – currently around 25 permanent employees – is being expanded through the targeted promotion of young talent and, if necessary, supplemented by a network of proven freelancers. Contacts with HFF Munich and other educational institutions play just as important a role as the opportunity to retain knowledge in the studio over the long term through projects. Studio Isar Animation thrives on these synergies at the location. According to Langhammer, Munich's central location in Europe offers the ideal conditions for international collaboration. And the direct line to the parent company Studio 100 International creates short decision-making paths in day-to-day production. “Of course, the city is also simply a great place to live,” says the studio boss, who, like many of her colleagues, enjoys being able to cycle to her desk every day.