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SIP Animation

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SIP Animation
FormerlySaban Records and Music SARL (1977–1990)
Saban Enterprises SARL
(1990–1993)
Saban International Paris SARL (1993–2002)
Company typeSociété à responsabilité limitée(1982–2005)
Société par actions simplifiée(2005–2023)
Industry
Founded1977;47 years ago(1977)
Founders
Defunct
  • 2009;15 years ago(2009)(dormancy)
  • 25 October 2023;8 months ago(25 October 2023)(as a company)
FateLiquidated; remaining assets folded intoBVS Entertainment[1]
SuccessorBVS Entertainment
HeadquartersLa Garenne-Colombes,
France
Number of locations
4[2]
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company(2012–2023)
Parent
SubsidiariesCréativité et Développement(April 1996–December 1998)

SIP Animation(known asSaban International Parisuntil 2002) was a Frenchanimation studio,and a defunct subsidiary ofBVS Entertainment(formerlySaban Entertainment). By 2009, the company had produced over 390 hours of animated content.[5]

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

Haim Sabanand Jacqueline Tordjman formed togetherSaban Records and Music SARLin 1977[6][7]in order to release Saban's musical compositions. Saban later formedSaban Productionsin 1980 and soon became a unit of the newly-formed company.

In 1989, the division moved into the animation field, producinganimated seriesfor their parent company under the name ofSaban International Paris.[5]The parent company was renamedSaban Enterprisesby 1990.

Semi-independence[edit]

In November 1991, Saban International Paris became a separately-operated facility after its shares were divided in thirds.[8]Luxembourg-based company International Film Productions took 49.7% stake, while CEO Jacueline Tordjman took 0.5%. Saban Entertainment kept a 49.8% share. Tordjman's shares increased to 0.7% by 1994.[9]with Saban's decreasing to 49.6%.[10]

In January 1996,France 3picked upPrincess Sissias a co-production between Saban International Paris and Canadian studio CinéGroupe.[11]In February 1996, the shares of International Film Productions were transferred to Pueblo Films AG, a Switzerland-based company.[12]

By the late 1990s, Saban International Paris mainly functioned as a producer of original content for the publicly operatingFox Kids Europeand maintained this partnership after its rebranding asJetix Europe.

Expansion[edit]

In March 1996, it was announced that Saban Entertainment would acquire rival French studioCréativité et Développement (C&D),which was owned byDIC Entertainmentco-founderJean Chalopin.[13]The plan was that if the deal closed successfully, the studio would be absorbed into Saban International Paris while Saban would inherit their catalogue. In addition, with the completion of the acquisition, the C&D headquarters building inLa Garanne-Colombeswould become the property of Saban International Paris. The deal closed successfully, with C&D soon being liquidated in 1998.[14]

The C&D acquisition allowed Saban International Paris to pick up the rights to produce an animated series based onDiabolik,which was added to their existing range of productions in development, which at the time included two Belgian-comic adaptations:Achille TalonandIznogoud,the latter of which was pre-sold toFrance 2for that summer, and three literature adaptations:Oliver Twistand twoMichael EndeworksJim ButtonandNight of the Wishes.In August 1996, Saban and the GermanARDnetwork agreed to a three-year, $50 million co-production and library program licensing agreement to co-produce the Michael Ende adaptations.[15]

In February 2000, it was announced that the in-developmentNight of the Wishesadaptation would be namedWunschpunschand would be produced as a co-production with Canadian-basedCinéGroupeand began production in February 2000, being pre-sold toRadio-CanadaandTF1in the same month.[16]In December,DIC Entertainmentannounced that they would be co-produceGadget and the Gadgetiniswith Saban International Paris and that Saban International would hold international (outside of the U.S.) distribution rights to the series, which itself would premiere in 2002.[17]

In April 2002, Saban International Paris presold a new show tentatively titledTofu Family(later renamed toThe Tofus), to the United Kingdom'sITVto air on theirCITVblock.[18]The studio were also reported to be working on three Canadian co-productions -TinsellaniaforTF1andFamilyin co-production withStudio B,[19]SparkizforFrance 2andROBOforM6.None of the three shows were ever completed.

Rebranding[edit]

In July 2001,News Corporationand Saban Entertainment announced their sale ofFox Family Worldwide,which held Saban's assets and stakes, toThe Walt Disney Companyfor $5.3 billion.[20]The deal would also include Saban Entertainment and Saban's 49.6% shares in Saban International Paris. The deal was closed in October 2001, and after the sale, Saban Entertainment was renamed to BVS Entertainment.[21]With this, Haim Saban departed from the company, while The Walt Disney Company would inherit a 49.6% minority stake in the studio, which remained under BVS.[22]

With the departure of Haim Saban from both Saban International Paris and BVS Entertainment, the studio could no longer be referred to under the respective name.[22]On October 1, 2002, the company was renamed to SIP Animation and soon launched a new website and a change ofdomain nameshortly afterward.[23][24]Alongside the change of name, SIP announced the production of aTV seriesbased on the Italiancomic bookseriesW.I.T.C.H.,which Disney published. Additional projects SIP continued to work on prior to the name change wereJason and the Heroes of Mount OlympusandGadget & the Gadgetinisfor Fox Kids Europe.[25][26][27]As with Saban and Fox Kids Europe's existing programmes, television distribution and servicing were transferred from Saban International N.V. (renamed to BVS International N.V.) toBuena Vista International Television,a Disney subsidiary.[22]

In March 2003, SIP announced that production onThe Tofushad begun, and that they would co-produce the second season of CinéGroupe'sWhat's with Andy?,in association withFox Kids FranceandSuper RTL.The studio also produced aW.I.T.C.H.pilot to attract broadcasters into airing the series, and announced two brand new unnamed projects under development forFox Kids Europe,a 2D show which TF1 was looking into airing and a 2D/3D show.[28]By this point, home video rights to SIP's catalogue fell under Active Licensing Europe, which was renamed Jetix Consumer Products during the rebranding of all Fox Kids operations as Jetix.

In September 2004, SIP and Jetix Europe announced that the planned 2D/3D show would become their next co-production, an action cartoon with the working title ofThe Insiders.[29]Hasbro signed a deal to produce toys based on the show later in the month.[30]The show's full title would eventually becomeA.T.O.M. - Alpha Teens on Machines,and premiered on Jetix channels worldwide in the second half of 2005. In October of the same year, Kidscreen reported that the planned 2D show would be titledCombo Niñosand that delivery for the series would begin in early 2006. Jetix Europe andTF1had been on board with the series, but SIP had also been looking for other broadcasters or countries to co-produce the series.[31]

In December 2006, SIP made a call for short film pitches.[32]

In May 2007, SIP Animation announced that the production ofCombo Niñoshad begun for an August 2008 delivery window.[33]The series premiered on Jetix Europe-operated channels in the Summer of 2008, with a terrestrial expansion soon following. Throughout 2007, SIP announced several new projects in the works, withAstaquanabeing picked up in September 2007 for a June 2008 start and a January 2009 delivery window, with a pilot being produced to attract consumers,[34]George and Me[35]being picked up in December, based on a 2006Soleil Productionscomic series,[36]and the filmPrincess Barion December 30, which was a co-production with Korean distributor M-Line and would become the first ever French-Korean animated co-production. The film was rumored to have been completed but was never released.[37][38][39]

In April 2008, SIP refreshed their website and changed their domain name.[40]Within 2008, the company produced threetelevision pilots:[5]Wesh Wesh Express,Ko-Bushi,[41]andThe Jokers.In June, it was reported thatGeorge & Mewould begin production at the beginning of 2009.[42]The studio also produced for Interfilm an eight-minuteshort filmtitledInukshuk,which was completed in December 2008,[43]and premiered in May 2009.[44]

Dormancy, closure and legacy[edit]

In December 2008, The Walt Disney Company announced that they would purchase out the rest ofJetix Europe.With Disney fully purchasing their main programme supplier, SIP silently went dormant.

In April 2009, the company was subject toliquidation,[45]and André Lacour was appointed as president by shareholders' decision. During this point, several employees of the studio would leave the company, including CEO and co-founder Jacqueline Tordjman,[45]who would establish Zagtoon with former employee Jeremy Zag.Bruno Bianchialso left and founded Ginkgo Animation, taking theGeorge & Meproject with him. Additionally, the company changed its address to Rue de la Galmy 77776Marne la Valléecedex 4. As Torjman no longer held any business with the studio, Disney purchased out Tordjman's 0.7% share, now owning a 50.3% majority share in SIP.

In 2012,Disney Franceexecutive Bruno Danzel d'Aumont was appointed the head of the company by a shareholder decision.[46]In 2012, Disney purchased out the remaining 49.7% shares held by Pueblo Films AG, making SIP Animation owned by a single company (BVS Entertainment) for the first time since 1991.[47]Shortly afterward, the remains of the studio moved toThe Walt Disney Company Franceheadquarters at 25 Quai Panhard Levassor 75013, Paris.[48]

In 2019, by the decision of the sole authorized shareholder BVS, current Disney France CEO Phillipe Coen was appointed as the company president.[49]

In 2023, Disney terminated the company through BVS, the sole authorized shareholder of the company, in the last quarter of the year.[50]SIP Animation as a whole was listed as fully closed on 25 October 2023.[51]All remains of the studio were automatically transferred to BVS Entertainment, which was the sole authorized partner of thesociété anonymein accordance withFrench civil code.None of the SIP assets were transferred or folded intoThe Walt Disney Company France.

Although the studio was a separately operated multi-shareholder unit from its parent company BVS Entertainment between 1991 and 2012, BVS International N.V. owned the rights to "SIP Animation" respective name, logo, brand and trademark between 2002 and 2012.[52]

Shows produced[edit]

Main article:List of BVS Entertainment productions § SIP Animation

Pilots[edit]

  • Astaquana(2007)
  • Wesh Wesh Express(2008)
  • Ko-Bushi(2008)
  • The Jokers(2008)

Short film[edit]

  • Inukshuk(2009)

Subsequent ownership[edit]

Main article:List of BVS Entertainment productions § Library status

Disney owns all remaining assets of SIP as of the company's liquidation in October 2023[51][53]through BVS Entertainment. As of March 2012,The Walt Disney Company Franceacts as a contact point for SIP and its former assets.[54]The short filmInukshukis distributed by interfilm.[55]

Bruno Bianchi,who had worked at the company since the 1990s, went on to form his own animation company called Ginkgo Animation after SIP's shutdown, and ran it before his death on December 2, 2011.[56]Ginkgo picked up theGeorge and Meproject after he left SIP, but by April 2011 this venture of Ginkgo's was considered unsuccessful due to changing priorities in the French animation industry,[35]according to one of the authors of the original comics.[57]

Malaysian studioInspidea,which had previously worked as asubcontractoronCombo Niños[58]andWesh Wesh Express,co-produced theKo-Bushipilot and would eventually co-produce a full series under the slightly different titleKobushi,[59]with the involvement of Zagtoon. Zagtoon itself was co-founded by SIP co-founder Jaqueline Tordjman and also employs several key people who worked at SIP, like composers Alain Garcia andNoam Kaniel.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^https:// pappers.fr/934661bf-6d49-472d-87b5-2aefda94b078
  2. ^https:// pappers.fr/entreprise/sip-animation-312161516
  3. ^https:// pappers.fr/43773284-3579-4113-9e81-8358821a47d7%7C
  4. ^https:// pappers.fr/db2b4add-5a95-47e0-8499-00f968f093d1%7C
  5. ^abc"SIP Animation".8 February 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-08.Retrieved24 September2018.
  6. ^"SIP Animation Appoint Sylvie Barro As Head of Development".4rfv.co.uk.January 17, 2007.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.
  7. ^"First Name of the Company".
  8. ^"16/04/1993 - Shareholders Document".
  9. ^"08/02/1994 - Shareholders Document".
  10. ^"12/04/1995 - Shareholders Document".
  11. ^"France 3 has a busy slate of productions".
  12. ^"22/02/1996 - Shareholders Document".
  13. ^"Saban grows in France".Retrieved29 November2018.
  14. ^"21/12/1998 - Document about Liqudiation of C&D".
  15. ^"August Issue News Section".awn.Retrieved29 November2018.
  16. ^"What's developing in kids production".
  17. ^"Archive » What's developing in kids production".Kidscreen. 2000-12-01.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  18. ^"UK presale for Saban's new toon | News".C21Media. 2002-04-22.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  19. ^"Canadian shows screen at MIPCOM » Playback".Playbackonline.ca. 2002-10-14.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  20. ^"News Corp. and Haim Saban Reach Agreement to Sell Fox Family Worldwide to Disney for $5.3 Billion".saban.July 23, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 19,2009.
  21. ^"22/07/2002 - Shareholders Document".
  22. ^abc"anime1.pdf"(PDF).19 October 2004. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2004-10-19.Retrieved24 December2018.
  23. ^"Bienvenue".14 March 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 2002-03-14.Retrieved28 November2018.
  24. ^"Bienvenue sur le site Saban International Paris. Welcome on Saban International Paris web site".22 January 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 2003-01-22.Retrieved28 November2018.
  25. ^Godfrey, Leigh (September 25, 2002)."Saban Becomes SIP Before Journey To Mipcom".Animation World Network.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.
  26. ^Waller, Ed (October 1, 2002)."SIP Animation adapts Italian comic books".C21 Media.RetrievedSeptember 16,2018.
  27. ^DeMott, Rick (April 12, 2005)."W.I.T.C.H. Licensed on Free TV To 13 Countries Across Europe".AWN News.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.
  28. ^"Euro-Canadian toon deals for SIP | News".C21Media. 2003-03-24.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  29. ^2004-09-09T08:30:00 (2004-09-09)."Jetix signs toon co-pro | News | Broadcast".Broadcastnow.co.uk.Retrieved2019-11-12.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^"Jetix Awards Hasbro Toy License | Animation World Network".Awn. 2004-09-28.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  31. ^"Archive » Cool New Shows!".Kidscreen. 2004-10-01.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  32. ^"[Pro] SIP se lance dans le court-métrage - News - Catsuka".catsuka.Retrieved28 November2018.
  33. ^Baisley, Sarah (May 10, 2007)."Jetix Europe, SIP Animation & TF1 to Co-Produce Combo Ninos".AWN News.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.
  34. ^"Up Next – What's Developing in Kids Production".Retrieved1 October2018.
  35. ^ab"Georges et moi, le projet de série télé par ginkgo-animation - Maroin Eluasti.マロワン・エリュアスティ".1 April 2011.Retrieved22 October2018.
  36. ^"des NEWS de l'anim - N°13".animation-france.fr.Retrieved22 October2018.
  37. ^"des NEWS de l'anim - N°13"(in French). Animation-france.fr.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  38. ^"[Animation] Princess Bari (France/Corée) - News".Catsuka.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  39. ^"Princesse Bari - Pilote (Film franco/coréen par le réal d'Oseam) - News".Catsuka. 2019-10-20.Retrieved2019-11-12.
  40. ^"SIP Animation".7 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-04-07.Retrieved24 September2018.
  41. ^"mip market showcase 2008".animationmagazine.net.Retrieved1 October2018.
  42. ^"UpNext-What's developing in kids production".Retrieved22 October2018.
  43. ^"Inukshuk (2008)".en.unifrance.org.Retrieved15 September2018.
  44. ^"Inukshuk - La Pellicule Ensorcelée".lapelliculeensorcelee.org.Retrieved24 September2018.
  45. ^ab"27/04/2009 - Shareholders Document".societe.Retrieved24 September2018.
  46. ^"02/08/2012 - Shareholders Document".
  47. ^"07/03/2017 - Comptes sociaux 2016, 14/05/2018 - Décision(s) de l'associé unique, démission de commissaire aux comptes suppléant".
  48. ^"26/03/2013 - Document about transfer of head office".
  49. ^"25/02/2019 - Sole authorized shareholder's decision(s) change of president".
  50. ^"Liqudaition".
  51. ^ab"25/10/2023 - Liqudiation Document".
  52. ^"SIP ANIMATION - EUIPO".European Union Intellectual Property Office.
  53. ^"Annonces commerciales detail — bodacc.fr".bodacc.fr.Retrieved2024-01-29.
  54. ^"ADHÉRER AU SNEP"(PDF).SNEP.RetrievedSeptember 14,2018.
  55. ^"Inukshuk".interfilm.de.Retrieved22 December2018.
  56. ^Zahed, Ramin (December 2, 2011)."French TV Animator Bruno Bianchi Passes Away".Animation Magazine.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.
  57. ^recherche, résultats de (17 August 2006).Georges et moi, Tome 1: Bubble-gum et croquettes.Soleil Productions.ASIN2849465437.
  58. ^"Is".7 December 2015.Retrieved1 October2018.
  59. ^"Kobushi".16 December 2015.Retrieved1 October2018.
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