Technology and creativity combined transforms how children learn about music

Invida takes great pride in creating captivating storytelling, as reflected in their award-winning animated shorts and series. However, Slovenia’s largest animation and production studio wanted to take its broad range of services to another level. 

The company has built up an impressive portfolio of over 3 500 projects. This enviable list includes their own IPs, such as short films, documentaries and animated series, as well as advertisements, explainer videos, social media content, interactive content, and video game and in-app animation. It also has an extensive track record in producing animated content for younger audiences.

Invida has celebrated 20 years in business, but for much of that period, it had a steady growth in turnover, limited staff, and minimal presence in the global market. That all changed when the Enterprise Europe Network came along. 

Showcasing capabilities on a bigger stage 

Invida wanted to expand its global reach, explore new market opportunities and find potential partners for collaborative efforts. It turned to the Network’s Slovenian partner Centre for Development and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Primorska. "Their extensive network and resources seemed like the perfect match for us, and this proved to be true," said Blaž Gregorin, marketing director at Invida. 

The Network brought Invida in contact with prospective international partners and offered guidance on EU funding opportunities. This helped to secure participation in Creative Europe – the European Commission’s programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors. 

Sebastjan Rosa, former Enterprise Europe Network’s senior internationalisation adviser at the University of Primorska’s Faculty of Management, introduced Invida to Fortissimo, an Italian SME looking to secure funding via Creative Europe to lead a digital educational project aimed at teaching children about classical music. Sebastjan’s work with Invida was later taken over by Leon Pavlič, now Enterprise Europe Network’s internationalisation adviser and project manager. Invida’s expertise in education management and technical/audiovisual competencies made it the ideal partner. "Our added value lies in our ability to understand and engage with the toughest audience – children," said Gregorin.

The first educational project of its kind 

With EUR 1.7 million in funding, a digital tool was developed to make classical music fun for and accessible to children. It includes an app with interactive games, lesson plans for teachers and a virtual music house for discovering instruments and composing music through a 360° virtual reality experience. Invida contributed to the project by producing animations, designing 3D virtual environments using Unreal Engine, recording 360° videos of orchestra performances, and augmenting these videos with additional animated elements.

The platform will soon be available in 11 European languages. Fortissimo was awarded the second prize during the annual conference in 2023 for leveraging the Network’s services to grow and innovate. 

"The Fortissimo project represents one of our most cherished success stories, showcasing the dedication and work of our local office," said Pavlič. "It also highlights the abundant opportunities provided by the Network. We are constantly seeking new possibilities and ways to connect business or project partners, as in this case with Invida, and we are committed to doing our best in matching partners to ensure new success stories continue to emerge."

Honing skills for content across platforms and formats 

Invida has gained valuable insight into EU call possibilities, needs and requirements. This knowhow is crucial for future cooperations in the global market. The Network’s role in facilitating connections and ensuring smooth collaboration was invaluable. Multiple networking events led to strategic partnerships, resulting in new opportunities for collaboration. 

A 15 % increase in turnover meant more in-house staff and external freelancers were hired. In addition, international project enquiries have gone up and there is steady growth in the EU client base. 

Invida plans to invest in talent development and state-of-the-art equipment to maintain a competitive edge. Because the company’s character development and storytelling have universal appeal, it is also expanding production of its original animated films for the worldwide market.

Invida continues to explore new technologies and innovative storytelling techniques, while increasing its involvement in EU-funded projects. For example, it is revisiting the idea of developing animated short films with characters that use sign language. With assistance from the Network at the University of Primorska, the company is seeking technical partners with expertise in motion capture and AI to help develop an automated system for translating content into different sign language versions. This collaboration aims to apply for a project in one of the upcoming Creative Europe calls

"As we look ahead, we are excited about the opportunities to collaborate with new partners, explore pioneering technologies, and continue telling compelling stories that captivate and inspire audiences around the world," concluded Gregorin. "Our goal is to further expand our international presence and establish ourselves as a go-to partner for projects requiring high-quality animation and immersive experiences."