When The Salvation Poem Project envisioned a feature-length animated film about the life of Jesus, they faced a monumental challenge. They needed a partner capable of translating a deeply cherished, historically significant narrative into a visually stunning, 91-minute cinematic experience. They needed an animation studio for film production that could handle everything from initial visual development and scriptwriting to post-production management, all while operating within a strict independent budget. This was not merely a technical exercise; it was a creative undertaking that required deep reverence for the source material paired with cutting-edge production techniques.
They found their answer in Epipheo.
As a full-service animation studio, Epipheo was tapped to help develop the film’s unique “children’s storybook come to life” aesthetic. The result is Light of the World, a beautifully crafted 2D animated feature that hit theaters in September 2025 to widespread critical acclaim and audience adoration. This project demonstrates exactly what is possible when you combine Hollywood-level talent with the agility, efficiency, and innovative pipeline management of an independent production studio. The animation industry is currently undergoing a massive shift, and massive, quarter-billion-dollar budgets are no longer a strict requirement for achieving theatrical-quality results.
If you are looking to hire an animation studio for a feature film, the production of Light of the World serves as a masterclass in how independent animated film production can rival major Hollywood studios in quality, heart, and execution—at a fraction of the cost. From managing international teams to maintaining a unified artistic vision across tens of thousands of individual frames, the success of this film provides a blueprint for future independent animated features.
(Image: Epipheo Films / The Salvation Poem Project)
The Epipheo Approach to Independent Animated Film Production
Epipheo has spent over 15 years turning complex ideas into clarity through visual storytelling. When the studio launched its Epipheo Films division, it brought that same ethos of creating “epiphanies” to the big screen. We understand that an animated film is more than just moving pictures; it is a complex orchestration of narrative, design, performance, and sound that must all work in perfect harmony to move an audience. Every single frame is an opportunity to communicate emotion, and managing the thousands of details required to build a feature film requires an airtight production pipeline.
For Light of the World, Epipheo assembled a crew of over 80 industry professionals to handle development, pre-production, and production management. The project required a delicate balance: honoring the historical and spiritual weight of the subject matter while creating a vibrant, engaging, and accessible world that would appeal to modern audiences, particularly children and families. We brought together top-tier talent with experience on projects at Netflix, Disney, Paramount, and Sony to ensure the highest level of craft at every stage of the process.
To achieve this ambitious vision, Epipheo delivered comprehensive animation production services across seven critical stages. We managed the entire pipeline, ensuring that every phase fed seamlessly into the next, eliminating the friction, wasted resources, and miscommunication that often plague large-scale productions.
01. Script: Starting with a Solid Foundation
Every great film starts with a strong script. The narrative architecture must be fundamentally sound before a single frame is drawn or a single voice actor is cast. Epipheo provided vital story development support through early drafts, punch-up passes, and the final polish. We worked alongside the client’s initial concept team to turn a compelling idea into a tightly structured, emotionally resonant feature-length screenplay that would sustain a 91-minute runtime.
The scripting phase is where the core emotional beats are established, and we ensured that the pacing, dialogue, and character arcs would translate effectively to the screen. Our collaborative approach meant that the client’s vision remained central, while our narrative expertise helped refine the storytelling for maximum impact. A script for animation must also account for visual gags, non-verbal acting, and set pieces that take advantage of the medium.
What we delivered in the Script stage:
- Writers Engaged: 4 (including head writer, punch-up support, and polish passes)
- Revisions Managed: 9 full script revisions from early outline to final locked script
- Structure Development: Act structure, scene planning, and pacing maps built collaboratively
- Timeline: 4 months from concept to production-ready script
- Script Process Management: Writer contracts, feedback loops, and client approvals coordinated entirely by Epipheo
02. Story: Planning the Action with Storyboards
Once the script was locked, the visual storytelling began in earnest. Epipheo built and led a dedicated story team to bring Light of the World to life—visually, emotionally, and structurally. Our team handled all storyboarding, sequence pacing, and iterative revisions, translating the written word into a dynamic visual narrative that directors and animators could follow. This transition from text to visual representation is where the movie truly begins to take shape, allowing the directors to see the flow of the narrative for the very first time.
Storyboarding is the true blueprint of the animated film. It dictates camera angles, character blocking, emotional timing, and the overall rhythm of the picture. By managing this process entirely in-house, we maintained strict quality control and ensured that the visual pacing perfectly matched the emotional intent of the script. This phase is critical for catching pacing issues before they become expensive animation mistakes.
What we delivered in the Story stage:
- Team Members: 14 storyboard artists and revisionists
- Storyboard Panels Created: Over 30,000 individual panels drawn
- Runtime: 83-minute feature film
- Timeline: 9 months from story launch to final animatic (approximately half the industry average for a feature film)
- All Story Management: Pay structure, contracts, deadline management, quality control, and review cycle planning. All taken care of in one place to streamline the process.
03. Art & Character Design: Defining the Look and Feel of the World
The visual identity of an animated film is its signature. Epipheo led the art direction and character design process, crafting the unique visual identity of Light of the World. From initial concept art and color scripts to final turnarounds and prop sheets, we managed the pipeline to create a consistent and appealing visual style that served both the story and the practical needs of the animation production team. The art style needed to evoke the warmth of a classic storybook while providing enough depth and detail to sustain a feature-length cinematic experience on the big screen.
Designing a massive cast of characters that includes Mary, Nicodemus, Jesus, John the Baptizer, Pontius Pilot, and many others required meticulous attention to historical context blended with an accessible, stylized aesthetic. Our team ensured that every environment—from bustling Jerusalem markets to quiet desert landscapes—and every prop contributed to the “children’s storybook come to life” vision that the directors sought.
What we delivered in the Art & Character Design stage:
- Team Members: 30+ artists specializing in concept, characters, environments, and props
- Character Designs: 110+ original character and prop designs fully realized
- Environment Concepts: 120+ scene-defining location and mood illustrations
- Final Art Deliverables: 500+ production-ready model sheets and backgrounds
- Timeline: 16 months from first visual exploration to final handoff to the animation teams
- Full Art Pipeline Management: Style exploration, approvals, feedback loops, asset versioning, and delivery coordination—all streamlined in one central team.
04. Edit: Assembling the Film with Precision
Editing in animation is unique because it begins long before the final frames are rendered. Epipheo managed the entire editing pipeline from the very first animatic to the final cut. Working in AVID, our editorial team handled timing, pacing, and storytelling through the edit process, effectively building the movie before it was actually animated.
We provided robust remote review pipelines, coordinated edit feedback across multiple departments, and locked picture for all 83 minutes of the film. This early editing process is crucial for identifying pacing issues, tightening dialogue, and ensuring that the narrative flows smoothly before the expensive and time-consuming animation phase begins. Every frame cut here saves thousands of dollars down the line.
What we delivered in the Edit stage:
- Editors & Assistants: 3 Person editorial team
- Edit Software: AVID with remote workflow review via Louper and Frame.io
- Total Runtime Managed: 83 minutes of content
- Edit Timeline: 15 months from first story reel to locked picture
- Editorial Management: Weekly edit reviews, notes tracking, pipeline integration, and turnover coordination with sound and post-production departments
- Final Output: 4K locked picture with multiple deliveries to the DI House (including theatrical, streaming, and festival cuts)
05. Animation: Bringing the Boards to Life
With the blueprint set and the animatic locked, it was time to breathe life into the characters. Epipheo led the animation team for the specialized “Papercut” segments in Light of the World, turning static boards into expressive movement with handcrafted charm. We managed all rigging, timing, cleanup, and motion across multiple scenes with a hybrid team of specialized talent.
The animation phase requires incredible precision and coordination, as it is the most labor-intensive part of the process. By utilizing a global network of specialized artists, we maintained high quality while optimizing the budget. Our management ensured that the unique papercut style remained consistent across all scenes, delivering performances that were both subtle and emotionally resonant.
What we delivered in the Animation stage:
- Team Members: A small, highly skilled team of 5 animators and cleanup artists working across multiple countries
- Runtime Animated: 5 minutes of full 2D animation in a unique, labor-intensive papercut style
- Pipeline: Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, and Google Drive/Frame.io for a seamless review flow
- Production Management: Epipheo handled all team sourcing, training, revisions, and delivery review cycles, ensuring visual and emotional consistency across scenes
06. Post-Production Management: Keeping Everything on Track Through the Final Frame
The final assembly of an animated film involves bringing together thousands of disparate elements—picture, sound effects, dialogue, music, and final color. Epipheo managed the entire post-production process for Light of the World, from editorial lock to final delivery. We coordinated all vendors, supervised the final Edit, oversaw music scoring, and ensured every department delivered on time.
This phase is notoriously difficult and is often where projects experience severe budget overruns and delays. Our rigorous management approach, utilizing centralized communication and clear tracking systems, ensured that the film crossed the finish line smoothly and successfully, hitting every delivery milestone for its theatrical release.
What we delivered in the Post-Production Management stage:
- Editorial Oversight: 1 feature-length timeline meticulously managed across AVID and Frame.io
- Score Coordination: Composer liaison, Director Reviews, Orchestration, Recording, and mix supervision
- Graphics & Finishing: Main titles, End credits, and final color grading coordination
- Delivery: Coordinated final DCP, ProRes, and Atmos audio assets for theatrical and digital platforms
- Team & Timeline Management: Managed all contributors across sound, picture, and delivery workflows
- Centralized Communication: Weekly vendor check-ins, Slack-based progress tracking, and live cut reviews via Louper
07. Music: Composing, Orchestrating, Recording, and Mixing the Entire Score
A film’s score is its emotional heartbeat, and this is especially true for animated features. Epipheo oversaw the full music pipeline for Light of the World—from hiring the composer through orchestration, and collaborated closely with The Salvation Poem Project on recording, mix, and final delivery.
We built a custom music team, coordinated complex international production logistics, and managed cue deliveries. The sweeping, orchestral score elevated the visual storytelling, providing the epic scope required for a theatrical release. Managing a live orchestra recording is a massive logistical undertaking that we handled seamlessly.
What we delivered in the Music stage:
- Original Score: 83-minute original score composed and produced specifically for the film
- Composer: Alex McKenzie, who worked from the early animatic stage to final delivery to set the tone, move the story, and move the audience.
- Orchestration & Recording: Orchestrated and recorded across two continents, featuring the renowned Budapest Scoring Orchestra (68 players recorded over 2 days)
- Cue Management: 42 distinct musical cues tracked, versioned, and perfectly integrated with editorial cuts
- Session Oversight: Live direction of 2 full-day scoring sessions with real-time feedback and approvals
“We worked closely with our production designer, Luke Lehenbauer from Epipheo Studios in Cincinnati. On the big screen, you see the brush strokes, the patchwork. It feels unfinished, like a work in progress. That felt right to me, because spiritually, we’re all works in progress.”
— John Schafer, Co-Director of Light of the World [1]
Maximizing the Budget: Independent vs. Major Studio Economics
One of the most remarkable achievements of Light of the World is its profound financial efficiency. As an animated film production company, Epipheo helped prove that you do not need a quarter of a billion dollars to create a theatrical-quality 2D animated feature. In an era where major studio budgets continue to balloon out of control, demonstrating fiscal responsibility without sacrificing artistic integrity is a monumental accomplishment that is turning heads in the industry.
The film was produced on a budget of $20 million and remarkably came in approximately $250,000 under budget [2]. This level of financial discipline is exceedingly rare in the animation industry and speaks directly to the effectiveness of our pipeline management and rigorous planning phases. To understand just how impressive this is, it is helpful to compare it to the typical budgets of major studio animated films.
| Film Title | Studio | Release Year | Estimated Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangled | Disney | 2010 | $260 Million |
| Toy Story 3 | Pixar | 2010 | $200 Million |
| Elemental | Pixar | 2023 | $200 Million |
| Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Sony | 2018 | $90 Million |
| The Prince of Egypt | DreamWorks | 1998 | $70 Million |
| Light of the World | Salvation Poem Project | 2025 | $20 Million |
Operating at roughly 10% of the cost of a modern Pixar film, Epipheo utilized a highly optimized virtual production model. Co-directors Tom Bancroft (a Disney veteran known for his work on classics like Mulan and The Lion King) and John Schafer coordinated a global pipeline across four different studios [2]. This decentralized, highly efficient approach represents the future of independent animated filmmaking. It allows for specialized talent to be sourced globally while maintaining centralized creative control and strict financial oversight.
Critical Acclaim and Box Office Success
The meticulous planning, robust pipeline management, and gorgeous 2D artistry paid off immediately upon release. Light of the World opened in over 1,900 theaters nationwide—an unprecedented launch footprint for a non-profit studio’s debut film [3]. This wide release strategy demonstrated the distributor’s immense confidence in the film’s broad appeal and high production values.
The film debuted in the Top 10 at the domestic box office, earning $2.4 million in its opening weekend [4]. Beyond the impressive financial returns for an independent feature, the critical and audience reception was overwhelmingly positive, validating the immense effort poured into every single frame:
- CinemaScore: The film earned a rare and coveted “A” grade from audiences, with moviegoers aged 18 and under awarding it a perfect “A+” [3].
- Rotten Tomatoes: The film achieved a “Certified Fresh” rating, boasting an 85% Tomatometer from Approved Critics and a staggering 96% Popcornmeter from Verified Audience members [5].
Critics praised the film’s nostalgic, hand-drawn aesthetic, which stood out as a breath of fresh air in a theatrical market completely dominated by 3D CGI. Roger Moore of Movie Nation called it “a polished, kid-friendly and even lighthearted Life of Jesus animated film,” noting that “the animation is sharp and layered and the narrative just dashes by” [6].
Partner With Epipheo for Your Next Feature
Whether you are developing an original entertainment IP, an educational series, or a feature-length theatrical release, finding the right animation studio for film production is the most critical decision you will make as a producer or director. The production partner you choose will dictate not only the final visual quality on the screen but also the financial viability and stress levels of the entire endeavor.
The undeniable success of Light of the World demonstrates that with the right creative partner, you can achieve top-tier theatrical quality, manage complex global pipelines, and stay strictly within an independent budget. Epipheo’s comprehensive approach—handling everything from the first script draft and character sketches to the final musical cue and DCP delivery—provides peace of mind and guarantees a cohesive, beautiful final product.
Ready to bring your story to the big screen? Explore our production studio and see how Epipheo Films can help you build the team you need to take your project from the first storyboard to the red carpet premiere. We have the experience, the talent, and the proven pipeline to make your cinematic vision a reality.
References
[1] Cartoon Brew. “Light of the World Directors John Schafer And Tom Bancroft On The Joys And Challenges Of Making Their 2D Animated Epic.” September 5, 2025.
[2] Animation Magazine. “Light of the World Directors Discuss the Message and Magic of Their 2D-Animated Movie About Jesus.” September 8, 2025.
[3] PR Newswire. “Light of the World Celebrates Opening Weekend with an ‘A’ Cinema Score.” September 7, 2025.
[4] CBN News. “Light of the World: Animated Movie About Jesus Lands in Top 10 at Box Office.” September 8, 2025.
[5] Rotten Tomatoes. “Light of the World.” Accessed May 27, 2026.
[6] Roger’s Movie Nation. “Movie Review: An Animated Messiah Movie – Light of the World.” September 4, 2025.
