Gladius Studios is an Emmy Award Winner animation studio located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The innovation and emerging technologies company is committed to develop superior quality projects such as content for advertising, educational purposes and entertainment.
To support and retain local talent in the industry of animation and technology, Heri Martínez de Dios founded Gladius Studios in 2013. Since then, the company has employed more than 115 professionals that didn’t have to leave the country to work abroad after graduating from the animation, video games and programming fields.
“I decided to bet on Puerto Rico, I noticed that our experts were being recruited from very prestigious movies and video games studios. The talent was ready; only the will was missing!,” remembered Martínez de Dios from the start of the multi award winning studio.
Since then, the Puerto Rican studio full of highly skilled and creative talent has been transforming ideas through Animation, Video Games, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Post-Production, Applications and Virtual Production for any kind of industry.
“There are plenty of possibilities to innovate and craft significant and memorable experiences. Puerto Rico was seeking a place with all these innovative possibilities for entertainment, education or advertising. I wanted to provide the proper equipment and technology to the most outstanding talent in the island so Puerto Rico can enjoy technology to the fullest,” emphasized Gladius CEO to explain the studio’s relevance.
Creating unforgettable experiences
As technology keeps evolving the team does so! Virtual reality experiences are one of the most requested in the studio. Experts at the studio make sure that every client gets a unique and memorable virtual reality experience.
The past years, the programmers had created from virtual tours to sports simulation experiences proving that the digital world it’s a great tool not only for entertainment but for educational purposes as well.
Creativity is the energy that feeds every artist in the studio, that is why in between commissioned projects our skills go to Gladius original content such as video games, animated TV series and movies.
Ese Pobre Lechón
Who said that video games couldn’t be love letters? Dedicated to the Puerto Rican diaspora, Ese Pobre Lechón marks another milestone for the Caribbean studio by becoming the first ever music generated mobile game in the endless runner category.
The mobile game available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store showcases local Puerto Rican holiday culture through the adventures of a little pig that collects folkloric musical instruments needed for a parranda; that traditional surprise visit in the middle of the night from friends and family to celebrate the holidays. Typical Puerto Rican food items to be collected in the game, such as to stones and mayo-ketchup, will serve as currency to purchase and unlock new features including skins, avatars and power-ups.
In January 2021, for the Ese Pobre Lechón project Gladius became the first studio in the island winning an Epic Mega Grant from Unreal Engine, a subvention that supports the creator community and promotes innovation. At that time it was the number one downloaded mobile game in Google Store.
“This beautiful and colorful mobile video game will bring joy and a sense of nostalgia to Puerto Ricans around the globe, as it features native scenes reminiscent of their country of origin. Simultaneously, we bring both the Latinx and a general audience worldwide a little more about our culture and traditions through this game,” ensured Martínez de Dios.
Slimies
The DIY show for the new generation it’s from Puerto Rico. Slimes is a 2D animated show with live-action segments that promotes parents to crafts along with their young ones.
This series for preschoolers promotes, through Nati’s experiences, how to deal with emotions while learning STEAM skills, like how to take measurements, following instructions in a lab, problem solving and expressing your creativity in a fun and approachable way.
Also, the show that takes place in Puerto Rico can be optimized for virtual reality. Which means that kids can explore with Nati and her slime-tastic friends colorful places such as El Viejo San Juan, El Yunque and Flamenco Beach.
Fantomville
Friends come from different places, backgrounds and.. through walls?! The 3D animated film by the studio is a story that promotes inclusion and, of course, to not judge a book by its cover. It is a comedy/mystery show about kids helping ghosts with their unfinished business.
Fantomville it’s about a Puerto Rican kid called Lucca that moves with his aunt to a faraway place where he meets Reggie, a big yellow friendly ghost, and a group of other colorful ghosts like La Llorona, the Ghost of the Karaoke, the Bodiless Horseman and more. All of them with unfinished businesses to be resolved. Hiding in an abandoned mansion, the ghosts are afraid of what people will do to them if they find them out. Now it is up to Lucca to help the ghosts solve their unfinished business, before Joe the Ghost Hunter hits town.
This story is a metaphor of how by being different people can treat you differently. The film emphasized to kids that if there is a chance to know others, you will understand that we’re not different after all. That is why in Fantomville the main protagonist, Lucca, moves to a place that is completely different from what he used to know. The kids’ neighbors are also a different cast including a deaf girl that uses American Sign Language to communicate with her friends.
“Born in Cuba, raised in Puerto Rico and visiting the United States regularly, I understand how important diversity is. As storytellers it is our responsibility to spread the message in a fun way for the future generation. I believe in the story, but more in the talent that we have here at Gladius Studios. We aspire that Fantomville will be the first 3D animated movie produced in Puerto Rico with the quality of a major studio in the USA,” concluded Martínez de Dios.
