Founded in 2022 by industry veterans Tim Sarnoff and Vince Pizzica, Saffronic has been busy with projects such as Gabby’s Dollhouse, Barbie Doll Adventures, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous and Dragons: The Nine Realms. With established hubs in Chennai and Bengaluru, the company continues to push boundaries in the realm of animation and creative technology.
Due to continued growth, Saffronic recently inaugurated a new purpose-built studio inside Tech Mahindra’s Chennai Campus. The event, held on 29 April 2024, marked a significant milestone for the company. In addition to the inauguration, Saffronic launched the Saffronic Stellar Awards which celebrates outstanding employees, further underscoring the studio’s commitment to excellence and innovation.
The ceremony was attended by well-known animator Sanjay Patel, formerly of Pixar and the creator of Ghee Happy – a reimagining of Hindu deities as little kids who discover their powers in deity daycare. In addition, key members of the Saffronic board and executive team were on hand to celebrate the event including Saffronic board member, Dilip Keshu; Saffronic executive creative director Kevin Johnson; chief operating officer Sally Toms; studio directors – Prabhakar Sambandan and Kumar Chandrasekaran; and head of human resources Jimmy Kuriakose. The proceedings commenced with a traditional ribbon-cutting by Sanjay Patel and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, symbolising the commencement of operations at the new studio.
Guests were then treated to a guided tour of the studio facilities, led by Kumar and Prabhakar, showcasing the cutting-edge infrastructure provided by Tech Mahindra. The interactive sessions between guests and artists underscored the collaborative ethos of Saffronic Studios.
Patel shared, “It’s not every day that you get to see an animation team move into such a well-equipped and appointed new studio. And yet the sparkle of the new space was only the backdrop for the real stars – the artists, animators, producers, and the wise leaders at the helm of it all. Having spent a week meeting so many of the talented people at Saffronic Animation I left feeling inspired and connected both through our shared cultural stories as well as our mutual dreams.”
The highlight of the event was the inaugural Saffronic Stellar Awards, recognising 57 team members across various categories for their exceptional contribution to the success of the studio.
The new Saffronic studio is not just a physical space but a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation with purpose built edit suites, collaboration spaces and a 20-seater viewing room.
