Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Bonitatis. Michael and his team shared their story with us below:
Animation Libation Studios is the brainchild of animation professor and Director Michael Bonitatis. “We are a virtual animation studio creating new original content with recent college graduates and industry professionals. My vision is to go beyond the boundaries of imagination, create amazing worlds, and bring to life the unique characters and creatures that inhabit them,” said Bonitatis.
Bonitatis has been teaching animation production classes for over a decade at several Cal State colleges, including CSUN and CSUF, while producing animated short films in his production classes. He put his big idea into motion and created the first animation studio that helps recent graduates work with professionals to create original content and pave the way into the industry.
The dream became a reality in 2015. One year after the studio launched, Animation Magazine partnered with Animation Libation Studios. Together they revived the classic animation festival The World Animation Celebration. The international festival was hosted by Sony Pictures Animation bringing pop culture, animated shorts, and IP to life. A year later, the studio launched the first original international animation channel on the Roku platform for rising stars in animation. “Since the inception of the show Animation Libation, the core concept has always been to champion new talent straight out of college”, said Bonitatis. We now seek a wider audience and opportunities for mainstream viewers on platforms such as Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon & Hulu.
Bonitatis heads up the studio with a powerhouse of educators and professionals who bring years of industry experience to the table.
With a slew of innovative, groundbreaking pilots and projects in the works Animation Libation is proving itself a major contender in the animation arena. Bonitatis says ‘We all look forward to creating new and exciting content with emerging artists from around the world and leading a new wave of diverse and inclusive talent that will help define our evolving industry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There will always be challenges, but it’s how you deal with those challenges that defines you as a company. For instance, funding is always a problem for independent companies but has never been a roadblock. Bonitatis says “It has pushed me to come up with creative ways of producing and creating content. Our goal is to get a show picked up by a network and move on from there. Being surrounded by the best creative supportive people have made us push forward to new heights and I know success will come as long as we stick together, teamwork makes the dream work.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Serving as an animator, writer, producer and director at Animation Libation Studios, Bonitatis is constantly developing and collaborating with artists to create original new projects for distribution. His current projects include ‘Champions of Eternity’ a ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ inspired comedy 2D animated series, ‘The Chronicles of Tobor’, a cg, futuristic, action adventure series about robots taking over the earth, and ‘Mystic Mettle’ a cg animated game about heroes with supernatural powers from alternate dimensions. He is also currently developing the next World Animation Celebration international animation festival with Animation Magazine.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Animation Libation Studios is a full-service animation production company specializing in 2d animation, CG animation and visual effects content for a variety of industries.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.animationlibationstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animationlibationstudios/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animationlibation
- Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/company/ animation-libation-studios- llc/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/animatelibation
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCusvxklmF1-nanSSp5jf5ig
Image Credits
Michael Bonitatis
