Who are we?
EXECUTIVE PRESENTATION
Since 1995, we, at St Thomas Productions, have developed, produced and distributed story-driven factual shows for all possible screens, formats and uses, from VR to giant screens, but mostly wildlife and science films for international TVs and VOD platforms. Since 2009, all our shows are produced in UHD. Many incorporate a high proportion of visual effects, thanks to our in-house VFX company, 3D from Mars. Thanks to a network of camera talents, a broad collection of UHD camera gear and lenses, we can afford long shoots which bring unique and compelling visuals to our evergreen films.
THE EARLY YEARS
THE EARLY YEARS (1995-2012): INTERNATIONAL TV
Saint Thomas Productions was founded in 1995 in Paris by Frédéric and Bertrand LOYER, and moved to Marseilles in 2000.
In the early years, Saint Thomas Productions focused on the production of documentaries for the international TV and Home Video markets in “standard definition”. The company’s core business is science and wildlife filmmaking. Saint Thomas Productions has oriented its editorial choices towards innovative, international and high quality documentaries. The company has gained its reputation thanks to its ambitious, evergreen and international projects.
Saint Thomas productions has maintained itself as one of the leading French factual production companies in terms of quantity, average budget per episode and, consequently, quality. All its films are funded on the international market through co-productions or, thanks to its reputation, through pre-sales. As a direct consequence of their quality, Saint Thomas films (or series) have a long life span on the market and have been sold in numerous territories worldwide. Saint Thomas Productions has been awarded more than a hundred times at international festivals. International recognition has allowed Saint Thomas to develop partnerships with major French and International TV networks (Canal+, France 2, France 3, ARTE, M6, and France 5 for its national market, National Geographic Channels, Discovery, PBS, BBC, TVE, UKTV, RAI, NDR, WDR, NHK, ORF for the international market) and major international distributors.
STP pioneering spirit is reflected in its evergreen films: from “Animal Homosexuality” or “Animals Like Us” to “Life on Fire” and “Building Green”, the company’s ability to create innovative, commercial, revelatory or taboo-breaking films is recognized as a quality brand.
Such brand has a value, indeed too good to be missed: in 2003, Saint Thomas Productions started to distribute its films and other catalogues on the international market.
Saint Thomas Productions started in 2002 shooting in High Definition and, since 2009, Ultra High Definition, and diversified its activities to :
a) distribute its archives. It owns a vast library, containing more than 12,000 hours of classified footage, including the largest HD and 4K image bank of volcanoes in the world ( almost 50 different active volcanoes covered).
b) produce feature films based on the company’s unique know how or, more simply, on engaging and universal stories.
c) reflect the urge to tackle global warming and environmental issues by producing films showcasing the state of our planet and green initiatives.
THE RECENT YEARS
AFTER 2013: TV, UHD, VOD, S3D AND IMMERSIVE FILMS
Since 2013, STP has regionalized its international sales department with several experienced sales representatives to oversee media sales in dedicated territories. Its back catalogue has been made available online on AVOD and SVOD services.
In 2014, we have delivered our first S3D (stereoscopic 3D) series, “Hurricane, the anatomy”, produced by Jacqueline FARMER, after 4 intensive and challenging years amongst these forces of nature. We co-produced (with Ouragan Films) the associated feature called “Hurricane” which has been released in theaters in 2016, both in 2D and S3D. The show still runs in immersive theaters today
In September 2014, STP acquires the special effects company 3DFromMars and hosts it in its headquarters in Marseilles. Since then, the joined forces have created innovative digital imagery and artificial intelligence tools.
The digital innovations and expertise of 3DfromMars, plus years of unique experience, gave us access to the next level: on the one hand, the big and giant screens; multi-media releases on the other hand. In 2017, we released our first VFX driven series called “A NEW PREHISTORY” in all possible medias: Immersive theaters, TV, books, Home Video, Web. It paved the way for many more VFX driven shows such as ” Space Smash”, “Asteroid Rush”, “Marine mammals: champions of the Deep” (aka Whales of the Deep) or “The Mystery of the Giant Birds” which have been seen in more than 160 countries worldwide.
From 2018 until today, Jacqueline FARMER and Bertrand LOYER produced several science and wildlife shows for immersive theaters, streaming platforms (Curiosity Stream, Disney+, etc…) and traditionnal TV channels. Every single shows now incorporates VFX and new workflows are being tested. We keep pushing the boundaries of visual effects to tell unusual but factual stories. The majority of our most ambitious shows are designed, from day 1, for a multi-media release, ranging from platforms to giant screens.
In 2022, we have acquired, designed and moved into our new offices overlooking the harbor of Marseilles. Such facilities have been specially designed to meet both STP and 3dfromMars workflows for VFX, to deal with equipment and to edit/grade/store our shows.
