What NORMAAL does

NORMAAL is an independent French animation production studio founded in 2002 by writer and director Alexis Lavillat. The company produces animated television series for youth and family audiences, operating under two content brands: NORMAAL ORIGINAL (in-house created IP) and NORMAAL CLASSIC (adaptations of recognized cultural properties such as Peanuts, Gaston, and Barbapapa). Its catalog spans 21 named series and approximately 1,500 episodes representing over 120 hours of programming, distributed internationally to broadcasters across five continents.

The studio's core technology combines 2D and 3D digital animation, traditional hand-drawn techniques, and volume animation, with full in-house control from writing and R&D through storyboards, digital animation, 3D animation, and sound production. Sound is handled by wholly-owned subsidiary STANDAARD, located 30 meters from the main Paris studio, providing voices, music, sound effects, editing, and mixing for both French and English versions. NORMAAL operates production studios in Paris (headquarters, ~40 staff) and Angoulême (~60 staff, opened 2008), with STANDAARD contributing approximately 20 additional personnel for a total headcount of roughly 120.

NORMAAL's business model is B2B and project-based, generating revenue through animation production fees and international licensing royalties paid by broadcasters and distributors. The company benefits from French public funding mechanisms including CNC (Centre national du cinéma) support, tax credits, broadcaster investment obligations, and regional cluster partnerships (Pôle Image Magelis in Angoulême). NORMAAL claims to be the only French producer that successfully manages large-volume in-house production while most European and U.S. competitors outsource to Asia — a positioning that is both a quality and cost-control lever. Customers include French public broadcaster France 3, while IP licensors include Peanuts Worldwide, the André Franquin estate, HarperCollins, and JUNGLE éditions.

Name

NORMAAL

Legal name

Normaal

Website

https://normaal.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NORMAAL is an independent French animation studio producing 2D/3D youth television series, including original IP and classic adaptations (Peanuts, Gaston, Barbapapa), with in-house sound production via subsidiary STANDAARD, licensing to international broadcasters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids’ General Entertainment Channels (Ages 6–11) (MPABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Edutainment & Learning-Through-Play Channels (MPABAKAE)

Keywords

• Animation production services
• Animated television series
• IP adaptation production
• Children's animation studio
• Broadcast content licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animation Production and Licensing: NORMAAL produces original animation series (N O R M AA L O R I G I N AA L) and adaptations of pop culture classics (N O R M AA L C L AA S S I C), licensing these to broadcasters internationally.
2. Broadcasting Rights: TV broadcasting deals with French and international networks for youth programming, such as France 3 for France Truc.
3. Sound Production Services: STANDAARD subsidiary provides sound production services including voices, music, sound effects, editing, mixing for French and English versions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

NORMAAL is an independent French animation studio that produces original animated television series and adaptations of pop-culture classics for youth and family audiences. The company handles 100% in-house production from writing and directing through digital/3D animation and sound, operating studios in Paris and Angoulême alongside its sound subsidiary STANDAARD. It licenses its catalog of 15+ series (nearly 1,500 episodes) to broadcasters and IP licensors globally.

Product overview

NORMAAL is a French independent animation studio founded in 2002 by writer and director Alexis Lavillat. The company produces animated TV series under two brands: NORMAAL ORIGINAL (original creations) and NORMAAL CLASSIC (adaptations of popular culture works). With over 15 series and nearly 1500 episodes produced (120+ hours of programming), NORMAAL operates production studios in Paris (est. early 2000s) and Angoulême (opened 2008), with approximately 40 and 60 people respectively. The company also maintains a sound production subsidiary called STANDAARD. The portfolio includes 21 named animated series spanning comedy, adventure, educational, and musical genres for target audiences ranging from ages 3-9 (e.g., Barbapapa, Woolly Woolly, Ella Oscar & Hoo) to youth and family (e.g., Peanuts by Schulz, Gaston). The company emphasizes 100% in-house French production as a differentiator against industry offshoring to Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• N O R M AA L O R I G I N AA L: Original animation series created by Normaal
• N O R M AA L C L AA S S I C

Products and services

• Filip & Fairy 78 x 7' animated cartoon series for 6-9 year olds following young hero Filip and his fairy companion on adventures through a labyrinth, facing knights, monks, and monsters.
• Kat & Cats 52 x 11' action comedy series for ages 6-9 about Kat and her three adopted kittens who transform into ninja-cats when danger appears.
• Woolly Woolly 52 x 11' comedy series for ages 4-6 featuring five little yarn elves created by Lila and Marco, with adventures involving snowmen and sheep.
• Zouk 52 x 11-minute episodes about Zouk, a little witch-apprentice with a big personality navigating adventures in the big city with her friends.
• Barbapapa 52 x 11-minute episodes bringing back the legendary Barbapapa family created by Annette Tison & Talus Taylor for a new generation of children.
• Ella, Oscar & Hoo 52 x 11min series based on picture books by Théo de Marcousin & Michael Dudok De Wit, following a girl, a boy, and a young cloud on daily adventures.
• Peanuts de Schulz 500 x 1 min 30 + 104 x 7 min episodes adapting Charles M. Schulz's comic strips featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the Peanuts gang.
• Hello World! (Bonjour le monde!) 10 x 9-minute naturalistic animation series with paper sculptures showing the birth and life of different animal species, an artistic view of the natural world.
• Tangerine & Cow (Mandarine & COw) 156 x 7-minute comedy series about a zany family including an inventor mom, a cell-phone dad, and a cow with a colorful vocabulary.
• Ninoo's Speaking (Allô c'est Ninou) 39 x 3-minute series about a 4-year-old who makes phone calls with spontaneous cheek, leading to playful adult interactions.
• A.R.T. Investigation 52 x 13-minute investigation series where a team discovers art history mysteries across five continents, featuring Miss Yu and student agents.
• Copy Cut Series following Ari, Mac, Yuyu and Puk, teens passionate about cosplay who embark on a costumed road trip to Japan's big cosplay contest.
• Welcome to la Maison (Comme à la maison) 52 x 4-minute reality-animation series featuring a toy family in a doll's house, parodying domestic life with characters like Inaction-Man and Barbie-Tuates.
• ONN-OFF

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNC (French National Center for Cinema)coreOthersFrench public funding body for cinema and animation. NORMAAL receives support from CNC, along with broadcaster investment obligations, tax credits, and local support for French animation production.
• Pôle Image MagélisminorOthersLocal animation industry development organization in Angoulême that has worked for 20 years to establish the region as an animation hub alongside its world-renowned schools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ankama: Roubaix-based French studio producing animation (Wakfu, Dofus) and games. Comparable French animation producer with in-house creative teams targeting youth audiences.
• A Productions: Annecy-based French animation studio producing series such as Sammy & Co. and Lili & Lola. Comparable independent French animation house with similar B2B broadcaster-licensing model.
• Xilam Animation: Paris-based independent animation studio (Euronext-listed) producing original and adapted kids' series such as Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko. Most direct comparable in scale, catalog breadth and French in-house production model.
• Cyber Group Studios: Paris-based animation studio producing and distributing kids' series (Gigantosaurus, Zorro). Closely comparable French animation house with similar licensing-led revenue model and international distribution.
• TeamTO: Paris and Valence-based animation studio producing CGI kids' series including Miraculous Ladybug partner content and Angelo Rules. Directly comparable French animation producer with similar in-house studio footprint.
• Futurikon: French animation producer known for Kids Emmy-winning series such as Molang and Louis & Luca. Comparable as a mid-sized French studio producing original and adapted kids' IP for international broadcasters.
• Mondo TV Group: Italian-listed kids' animation producer/distributor with properties including MeteoHeroes and YooHoo. Comparable mid-sized European animation house focused on licensing and international broadcaster sales.

Broad incumbents

• Mikros Animation: Paris-based animation studio, part of the Technicolor/MPC group, producing feature and episodic animation including SpongeBob and Paw Patrol. Larger incumbent with broader feature and VFX footprint but overlapping kids' TV production capabilities.
• Gaumont Animation: Animation arm of the historic French studio Gaumont, producing series such as Belle and Sebastian and Disenchantment-adjacent content. Larger incumbent operating across live-action and animation with global distribution.
• Studio 100 Animation: Belgian/German-based European animation group behind Maya the Bee, Heidi and Blinky Bill. Comparable as a European kids' animation producer with comparable IP-rights-driven catalog and international licensing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/n-o-r-m-aa-l

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 NORMAAL