French kids’ entertainment powerhouse TeamTO has announced the opening of its new, cutting-edge studio in Paris — a facility that will further the studio’s ambitions to create quality animated content and commitment to social and environmental issues.
Located in the Bastille neighborhood, the studio will feature a host of energy saving and green protocols, significantly reducing its carbon footprint and making it one of the most energy-efficient studios in France. The innovative methods developed are the culmination of 15 years of research and experimentation initiated by founder Guillaume Hellouin and implemented by TeamTO CTO Jean-Baptiste Spieser and his team.
TeamTO’s environmental policies started 17 years ago, with everyday micro-choices such as going paperless, using only reusable cups and utensils, encouraging the use of electric or pedal-powered vehicles and even experimenting with warming up a swimming pool using heat from their servers.
Larger green initiatives for the new studio include: choosing the location based on the commuting distances and access of its 200+ employees to reduce travel; using only recycled wood in the construction; green areas that require minimal water while providing bird and insect ecosystems; hot-fridge systems in place of microwaves; low-energy, free cooling ventilation; 100% renewable energy; extending the use of workstations (six years) and servers (10 years); and a data-center enhanced by an AI based open source management software.
Together, TeamTO says these cutting-edge technologies and policies will reduce the studio’s carbon footprint by 63%.
“I’m so proud of the work achieved by our entire team, from technical to production, who over the past four years where able to imagine, develop and create this incredible, artist-centered and forward-thinking animation studio,” said Hellouin. “The result is truly amazing, it is a nest that will nurture the next generation of talent for the next 15 years!”
In 2012 TeamTO received UNESCO recognition for Plankton Invasion, an animated satire on global warming for teenagers & young adults. During the production of the series, TeamTO developed the first carbon footprint calculator for animation. Currently, TeamtTO’S CTO Jean-Baptiste Spieser and his team are working with AnimFrance and La Cartouch Verte to create an updated animation carbon footprint calculator for the industry. Their science- based approach can provide any producer or studio with a tool to accurately monitor their activities.
Hellouin and TeamTO co-founder Corinne Kouper are multi-award-winning kids’ content producers who have won broad international recognition for their animated series (including Emmys, Annies, Pulcinellas, Cartoon Tribute for Producer of the Year), as well as for their impact on the industry as a whole (Ecran Total Personality of the Year, World Animation Summit Hall of Fame, UNESCO, et al). They also have contributed concretely to the diversification in the production business, and an increase of the French talent pool, with their free animation school (ECAS), and Kouper’s work with Les Femmes s’Animent (the French organization for women in animation).
Founded in 2005 by Hellouin, Kouper and Caroline Souris, TeamTO is one of Europe’s leading kids entertainment companies. Its original series include Jade Armor, Mighty Mike, Emmy-nominated Angelo Rules, Presto! School of Magic, My Knight and Me, Oscar’s Oasis and the feature film Yellowbird; third-party productions include Netflix’s Emmy-winning City of Ghosts, Silvergate’s Creature Cases, eOne’s PJ Masks, Ricky Zoom and Kiya; Activision Blizzard’s Skylanders Academy and Ubisoft’s Rabbids Invasion. The company employs 400+ artists in its Paris and Valence studios, with offices in Beijing, Toronto and Los Angeles.
