There’s a new Los Angeles based independent digital art studio that is challenging the status quo in the entertainment and gaming industry by providing faster, lower cost services. The founders, Michael Casalino and Maxim Miheyenko, CEO and COO, have developed an innovative business model that allows expedited and cost-efficient solutions for concept art, illustrations, 3D modeling, animation, cinematics, AR/VR, and full-development. The firm operates production studios in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with headquarters in Los Angeles, allowing the company to work continuously on time-sensitive projects.
With greater than four decades of experience between the two, the founders set out to create 5518 Studios to offer animation and art services as an outsourced creative partner. The firm is quickly building a strong reputation in the industry with excellent feedback from partners including Redemption Games, Human Head Studios, Hi-Rez Studios, Digit Game Studios, Paradox Development Studio and more. The firm has found its largest market share in the mobile gaming industry as a trusted collaborator for small and large companies.
Since 5518’s launch in 2016, it has established more than 15 partnerships with major studios includingGoogle, Uber, Wargaming, Scopely, Oculus, Warner Bros, Electronic Arts, and more, as well as growth-conscious startups.The management team at 5518 worked with Disney, EA, Scopely, Oculus, Wargaming and numerous others before starting their own firm. They had creative roles in projects including Madden Football, Tiger Woods PGA Golf, Killzone, Microsoft Kinect Adventure, World of Tanks in addition to hit mobile games Temple Run Oz, Yahtzee, Walking Dead: Road to Survival and award-winning ‘Where’s My Water?’
The studio has a team of artists with cutting-edge training and experience and delivers a spectrum of digital art styles from casual, to midcore and next-gen photoreal style. They also create strategic partnerships, such as recently collaborating with Striker VR in Louisiana for groundbreaking VR experience, include co-partner work as engineering, backend support, and programming. 5518 is currently working with Jam City, a leading mobile game development company, on the new Snoopy Pop game, creating whimsical high-quality art for the loveable Peanuts franchise. 5518 Studios has also generated a successful partnership with Gamblit Gaming in creating characters and animations for a casino game based on a leading game-show brand:
“The experience of working with them was as good as anyone could hope for,” said Edvard Toth, Creative VP of Gamblit, “they were extremely responsive throughout the entire project, they delivered everything on time, and most importantly their quality of execution was outstanding. This effectively eliminated the need for time-consuming iteration, and the assets they created became a signature element of the game.”
5518 has created a partnership approach centered on building business relationships that create added value and support the long-term success of partners’ businesses and projects. New firms are finding that 5518 extensive experience in the industry is enabling them to avoid issues that growth-phase companies encounter in their development. The founders monitor all activities to produce quality artwork consistent with the mission of the studio and its partners.
We are a strategic outsourced partner that delivers on quality, with passion, at a very fair price. We’re building content not just for our partners, but for the millions of people who download the content. We want to deliver an exhilarating and unique experience.
A sign of the shift towards mobile in the entertainment and gaming industry, about 80% of the studio’s customers are mobile focused. The firm is flexible in its capabilities to deliver artwork for any style and application; however, it excels in applying its rich experience in project management to fully serve clients in the mobile industry.
One of the most interesting aspects of 5518’s startup story is the selection of its name. The name represents the distance between its Los Angeles and St. Petersburg offices. It serves as a symbol of the effective collaboration possible between cultures across such distances using modern technology and project management tools. 5518’s value proposition is built on the benefits in cost reduction and speed of project delivery through a business model that allows around-the-clock project development and prompt communication with clients in any time zone.
For more information visit: 5518studios.com
