About Pio Studios
In early 2024, acclaimed animator and visual storyteller Chris Georgenes resurrected an idea for an animated short—a concept that first took shape in 2009 when he recorded his then six-year-old daughter recounting the whimsical tale of a chicken, a librarian, and a frog. The audio files remained untouched for 13 years, stored away on a hard drive in a desk drawer, until Chris rediscovered them and decided to bring the story to life as a passion project.
To bring the vision to fruition, Chris enlisted his friend and colleague, award-winning film and television composer Munk Duane Ciano, along with background artist Marisa Torres. Together, they crafted the charming adventure of Pio’s journey to the Public Library—a short film that would later be titled “Book!”
By 2025, Book! had been recognized in over 45 international film festivals, earning 10 awards and screening world wide.
Realizing their creative synergy had evolved into something greater, Chris and Munk are launching Pio Studios in mid-2025. Named after the sound a chicken makes in Spanish—and inspired by the beloved main character of Book!—Pio Studios was founded as a boutique production house dedicated to helping storytellers bring their ideas to life. The studio is now developing future projects, building upon the journey of the little chicken that started it all.
About Chris
Chris Georgenes has worked as an animator and designer for Adult Swim, Nick Jr., FX, and Soup2Nuts Studio, among others. A sought-after industry expert, he has been a featured presenter at conferences all over the world including the popular Adobe MAX. A go-to subject matter expert for the Adobe Creative Channel, and a live tutorial and demo host for Adobe Animate, Chris has also served as an Adobe Community Expert for well over a decade.
Chris was on the front lines of Macromedia Flash when it revolutionized the web browser landscape. He developed studio workflows using Flash for television broadcast before learning the benefits of Flash for the internet. Chris went on to write over ½ dozen books on designing and animating with Flash/Adobe Animate and became well known for his home-grown techniques and use of the software.
Beyond animation, Chris is also an accomplished professional musician and recording artist. He has performed live for a variety of bands across the US to the famed Abbey Road Studios in London. Chris enjoys collaborating and recording original music and has worked with Grammy award winning mixing/recording engineer Bob St. John. A recent album Chris helped record with Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, won the New England Music Awards Album of the Year in 2024.
About Munk
Award-Winning Composer, Producer, and Grammy®-Considered Recording Artist Munk Duane’s work spans the worlds of film, television, and commercial music composition. He has composed for Extreme Music (the production music arm of Sony/ATV Music), Bleeding Fingers (co-founded by Hans Zimmer & Russell Emanuel), and Pitch Hammer Music (trailer music for Disney, Marvel, and more). His compositions have been featured in campaigns for Bose Corporation and across major networks and streaming platforms, including ABC, CBS, NBC, A&E, Amazon Prime, Max, and National Geographic.
A passionate educator and speaker, Munk has served as a guest lecturer at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music, and as a keynote speaker at the Massachusetts DECA District 1 Conference.
In addition to his work in music, Munk has an extensive background in UX design and leadership, with over 15 years of director-level experience. Before transitioning full-time to composing, he played a pivotal role in shaping innovative products, building teams, and developing design practices for major companies such as Accenture and Cisco. Today, he channels that same creative vision and problem-solving expertise into his work as a composer.
