What Normal Studio does

Normal Studio is a Montreal-based, privately held full-service creative studio founded in 2009 (originally as Turbine, rebranded in 2015) that designs and produces immersive multimedia experiences for the entertainment, performing arts, museum, and corporate brand markets. The studio operates as an integrated offering across four service lines: Set Design, Visual Design, Technology & Innovation, and Production, delivered under three project categories: Public Installations, Entertainment, and Performing Arts. Its technical pipeline is built on real-time rendering and creative tooling including Unreal Engine, Notch, TouchDesigner, After Effects, Vertex media servers, and NDI workflows, paired with proprietary performer/object tracking systems and architectural projection mapping capability demonstrated on atypical surfaces including cathedrals, silos, and a custom 270° LED dome.

The studio is led by three founding partners, CEO Sébastien Grenier-Cartier (joined 2013), Chief Creative Officer Mathieu St-Arnaud (co-founder 2009, formerly at Geodezik), and Creative Director Philippe Belhumeur (co-founder 2009, formerly at Solotech), supported by a multidisciplinary team of over 30 professionals including dedicated CFO, HR, technical, and production leadership. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service project engagements on a turnkey, à la carte, or collaborative basis, with pricing set per project based on scope, scale, and complexity. The firm has produced more than 300 multimedia environments for nearly 200 clients, with marquee engagements spanning Cirque du Soleil, Disney, Ubisoft Montreal, National Geographic, Toyota, A24/HBO, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera, and Perlan Museum, delivered across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Normal Studio combines an artist-collaborative creative process with proprietary technical capability and an in-house production management function, supported by co-development partnerships with Michel Lemieux & Victor Pilon (4D Art), Paquin Entertainment Group, and Immersive Experiences. Notable large-scale productions include the Cité Mémoire exterior night walk in Old-Montréal (25 scenes, 80+ projectors), the Beyond King Tut touring immersive exhibition with National Geographic, the Perlan Museum 'Into the Volcano' 270° LED experience, and 360° silo projections in Shenzhen. The studio has no disclosed external institutional investment and is headquartered at 5333 av Casgrain in Montréal's Mile-End.

Name

Normal Studio

Legal name

Normal Studio

Website

https://normal.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Normal Studio is a Montreal-based full-service creative studio founded in 2009 that designs and produces immersive multimedia experiences, including projection mapping and real-time 3D installations, for entertainment, performing arts, museum, and corporate brand clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Experience Design

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Immersive experience design
• Projection mapping services
• Scenography and set design
• Visual content production
• Multimedia installation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project-based creative services: Normal Studio generates revenue through fee-for-service creative engagements. Services include set design, visual design (animation, motion graphics, illustration), technology and innovation (projection mapping, AV systems, interactive content, VR/AR), and full production management. Projects are delivered turnkey, à la carte, or in collaboration with other studios. Revenue is derived from client commissions across entertainment, performing arts, public installations, and corporate events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Normal Studio is a full-service creative studio that designs and produces immersive experiences, scenography, visual content, and live show productions for entertainment, performing arts, museums, and corporate clients. The studio bundles creative direction, real-time visual content creation, projection mapping, and on-site production under four service pillars: Set Design, Visual Design, Technology & Innovation, and Production.

Product overview

Normal Studio is a full-service creative studio that operates as a single integrated offering combining four core services: Set Design, Visual Design, Technology & Innovation, and Production. These services are organized into three main project categories: Public Installations (projection mapping, multimedia installations, exhibits), Entertainment (tours, television, special events, experiential marketing), and Performing Arts (theater, opera, orchestra, circus). The studio creates immersive experiences by fusing creativity and technology, collaborating with artists and producers. With a team of over 30 professionals, they have produced over 300 multimedia environments for nearly 200 clients worldwide, delivering turnkey, à la carte, or collaborative studio services for cultural and entertainment projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Set Design Set design service that conceives and creates the physical stage and scenic environments for live shows, exhibitions, and immersive experiences, including spatial design, materials, and integration with lighting, projection, and performers. Intended for entertainment producers, cultural institutions, and brand clients building immersive stage and exhibition environments.
• Visual Design Visual design service that creates motion graphics, animation, 2D/3D content, and visual identity for live shows, projections, and immersive environments. Intended for entertainment producers, cultural institutions, and brands that need high-quality visual content to accompany scenography and stage environments.
• Technology & Innovation Technology and innovation service that delivers AV, projection mapping, LED stage systems, interactive and immersive technologies, virtual reality, and real-time content powered by Unreal Engine, Notch, and TouchDesigner, including performer tracking and interactive content systems. Intended for live show producers, museums, public institutions, and brand clients requiring advanced immersive technology execution.
• Production Executive production and project management service that plans, coordinates, and executes immersive experience projects end-to-end, including scheduling, logistics, on-site delivery, and technical production oversight. Intended for clients who need a single accountable partner to deliver complex scenographic, visual, and technology-driven projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced over 300 multimedia experiences for nearly 200 clients across local and international markets
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paquin Entertainment GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer and creative partner for Celestia, an immersive architectural experience at Saint John's Cathedral in Denver. Paquin Entertainment Group partnered with Normal Studio to define the experience, format, creative direction, and production approach — representing a more integrated, creator-led engagement rather than a traditional service model.
• Simone RecordsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Hurtubise: Orchestrating Chaos, an immersive dome experience translating Canadian painter Jacques Hurtubise's work into an immersive format.
• HubblominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Hurtubise: Orchestrating Chaos, co-producing the immersive dome translation of Jacques Hurtubise's paintings.
• Ubisoft MontrealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Six Invitational 2019 eSports championship. Normal Studio designed immersive stage design and opening ceremony visuals. Previsualization tools were used to support Ubisoft Montreal in design and production of the giant scenography.
• Tribu ExpérientielminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent company collaborating with Normal Studio and Ubisoft Montreal on the Six Invitational 2019 eSports championship at Place Bell in Laval.
• DisneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisney partnered with Normal Studio and Cirque du Soleil for the Drawn to Life show at Disney's Riviera Resort in Orlando. Normal designed the projection system and visual content featuring custom animations of classic Disney characters integrated into the acrobatic performance.
• Cirque du SoleilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration spanning multiple projects including Sép7imo Día (Soda Stereo tour), Drawn to Life (with Disney), and Kurios VIP Experience (with Mastercard). Normal Studio provides visual design and video content production for Cirque du Soleil shows.
• National Geographic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created 'Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience' in partnership with National Geographic Society, Paquin Entertainment Group, and Immersive Experiences. Liaised with National Geographic to ensure historical accuracy in the multimedia museum exhibition.
• Immersive ExperiencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Immersive Experiences for 'Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience,' a touring museum exhibition produced and directed by Normal Studio.
• L&A GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with L&A Group to create an immersive Rapunzel experience within three historic silos in Shenzhen, China, using Unreal Engine real-time projection mapping.
• MastercardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium collaborator for Cirque du Soleil shows in Canada. Normal Studio created visual environments for the Kurios VIP tent, integrating Mastercard's brand identity creatively into the steampunk-inspired content.
• Perlan MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Perlan Museum's geologists to develop 'Into the Volcano,' a 270-degree LED immersion experience at the custom-built Reykjavik planetarium. Real geological data and drone footage shaped the Unreal Engine-built experience.
• MirariminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with Mirari for the 'Au bord du lac Tranquille' interactive skating rink at Esplanade Tranquille in Montreal. Mirari handled interactivity and technical direction while Normal Studio managed narrative development, video production, and creative direction.
• Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon (4D Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing co-production and development partnership with the acclaimed multidisciplinary artists Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon (4D Art), including the Icarus VR/MR project and Cité Mémoire. Normal Studio co-produces and develops original immersive experiences with the duo.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia studio that creates immersive experiences combining projection mapping, lighting, and interactive content for cultural institutions, airports, and entertainment projects. Direct competitor to Normal Studio in projection mapping and immersive installations, sharing the same Montreal Mile-End talent base and Cirque du Soleil client relationships.
• teamLab: Japan-founded interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale immersive digital art installations and museums globally. Competes with Normal Studio in the museum/cultural institution immersive-experience segment, though at meaningfully greater scale and with proprietary art IP.
• Obscura Digital: San Francisco-based immersive experience studio specializing in large-scale projection mapping and interactive multimedia installations for cultural and commercial clients. Directly competes with Normal Studio on architectural projection mapping and immersive storytelling for festivals, museums, and brands.
• Artechouse: U.S.-based operator of immersive art and technology exhibition spaces combining original art with emerging tech. Comparable business model to Normal Studio's museum-facing immersive work, with a focus on permanent location-based installations rather than touring productions.
• Cocolab: Mexico City-based multimedia studio producing immersive experiences, projection mapping, and interactive installations for museums, corporate events, and public spaces across Latin America. Directly comparable to Normal Studio in service offering and cultural-institution client base, with regional overlap in Latin American markets.

Broad incumbents

• Stufish Entertainment Architects: London-based architectural firm specializing in entertainment venue and show design for Cirque du Soleil, concerts, and theatrical productions. Overlaps with Normal Studio on the scenography and set design portion of large productions, but operates primarily in venue/show architecture rather than the full-service immersive content delivery.
• Dragone Entertainment: Montreal-headquartered theatrical production company behind large-scale resident shows (e.g., shows in Las Vegas, Macau, Dubai). Comparable client overlap with Normal Studio through Cirque du Soleil adjacent productions and large-format touring entertainment, though Dragone focuses on full show creation rather than visual content and projection design.

Emerging players

• Ideum: U.S.-based company developing interactive exhibits, multitouch tables, and immersive installations for museums and cultural institutions. Comparable to Normal Studio on the museum/cultural client segment but focused on hardware-and-software interactive installations rather than cinematic projection mapping.
• Playmodes: Barcelona-based audiovisual studio creating interactive installations, projection mapping, and immersive environments for cultural venues and brands. Comparable niche player to Normal Studio with similar architectural projection mapping capabilities, but at a smaller scale and with stronger European focus.

Others

• ShowPro: Toronto-based event production and staging company supplying AV, lighting, and show production services across North America. Adjacent to Normal Studio's Production and Technology & Innovation service pillars, often co-producing events where Normal Studio handles creative content and ShowPro handles staging infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/normalstudiomtl
• YouTubevimeo.com/normalstudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/NormalStudioMTL
• Instagraminstagram.com/normal_studio_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Normal Studio