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Annecy Winner ‘Christo: The Civilized Barbarian’ — Creator Shaddy Safadi on Independent Animation and the Origins of His Award-Winning Series
Last month, the CG-animated indie series Christo: The Civilized Barbarian took home the prestigious Annecy Cristal for Best TV Series with its pilot episode, “Hunting Party.” Created by Shaddy Safadi, creative director of the Santa Monica-based studio One Pixel Brush, Christo tells the story of a refined and thoughtful barbarian born into the wrong era — and the wrong clan. While his peers are driven by brute force and chaos, Christo dreams of instilling Roman-style order, civility, and hygiene in a world that couldn’t care less.
In a recent conversation with Animation Magazine, Safadi shared the story behind Christo, the tools that made its creation possible, and why he’s committed to independent production in an industry dominated by big studios.
A Concept Years in the Making
Safadi first conceived the idea for Christo in high school. “In video games, I noticed barbarian characters with ever-larger swords and ultra-masculine features,” he explained. “The concept of a barbarian who hated violence struck me as both funny and timely.”
On a deeper level, he was inspired by Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, which argues that much of human behavior is still deeply rooted in our prehistoric brains. “Christo reflects that tension between who we are now and who we’ve always been — part civilized, part primitive.”
A New Pipeline for Animation
Although it took time to find the confidence to start, Safadi eventually embraced a streamlined animation process using affordable tools like Rokoko, Quick Magic, iClone, and Character Creator. “We didn’t build everything from scratch — we licensed character packs and refined them using Blender,” he noted. “The goal wasn’t to make the most visually polished project, but to tell a strong story without relying on outside funding.”
This approach allowed Safadi to remain fully independent, financing the series through his concept art studio, One Pixel Brush. “It was still expensive, but dramatically cheaper than the traditional studio model,” he said. “We’re producing quality animation for under $5,000 per minute — that’s practically unheard of.”
The Road Ahead
Despite the success at Annecy, Safadi remains grounded. “We’ll keep making episodes. I have contacts at major studios, but the reality is, getting an animated project greenlit is one of the hardest things in the arts. So we’re forging our own path and sharing our process with others.”
A Democratizing Moment for Animation
Safadi believes the animation landscape in 2025 is both challenging and full of possibility. “Right now, it’s nearly impossible to get new projects made — especially original ones. That’s why we’re excited to show how Christo was produced. With the right tools, more creators can bring their stories to life without waiting for industry gatekeepers.”
For aspiring animators and storytellers, he has a clear message: “Check out the behind-the-scenes content on the Christosocials and our One Pixel Brush website. The tools are there. The opportunity is real. Now is the time to create.”