Канадалық Mainframe анимациялық компаниясының тарихы

Canadian animation company
the Canadian animation company
In 1994, ReBoot launched on ABC in the United States and YTV in Canada. The series intermittently ran for four seasons with production ending in 2001. The company's second project was produced for American toy company Hasbro. Beast Wars (known in Canada as Beasties), a relaunch of the Transformers brand, debuted in 1996 and concluded in 1999. A follow up, Beast Machines was produced between 1999 and 2000. Both ReBoot and Beast Wars were produced with Alliance Communications, who had taken a 50% ownership of Mainframe. In 1996, Mainframe paid $17 million to reduce Alliance's share to 15%. Mainframe became a publicly traded company with a listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange on June 17, 1997. In conjunction with the public offering, Alliance sold 700,000 shares in the company, lowering their ownership to 7.8%. Christopher Brough became the CEO, Pearson the president, Blair as director of operations and Mitchell as Blair's assistant/vice. In its first year on the stock exchange, Mainframe posted an $11 million loss despite producing hit multi award winning computer animated shows during this period. Mainframe opened its American division in Los Angeles on 17 April 1998 to be led by Dan DiDio and oversee content development, production and local distribution. DiDio previously worked with Mainframe through his stint as executive director of children's programming at ABC. After having earlier produced two ReBoot themed rides for the company, the IMAX Corporation made a $16 million investment in the company in 1999, which gave IMAX roughly 30% ownership of Mainframe, included the creation of a new joint venture meant to facilitate the creation of animated films based on Gulliver's Travels and Pied Piper, with a third project titled Pandora’s Box. The films were intended to be stereoscopic, 3D feature length releases, though none of the three saw completion. At the end of the 1999 fiscal year, the company reported a $17 million loss. Thanks to episode deliveries for Beast Machines, Beast Wars, Shadow Raiders and Weird Oh's the company posted its first profit of $1.4 million in fiscal 2000. Buoyed by Heavy Gear, Action Man and their first direct to video film, Casper's Haunted Christmas, Mainframe posted another profit of $2.4 million for fiscal 2001. Despite the success, the company faced a major management shakeup that year. Pearson had stepped down as president in June and left the company shortly after, with fellow co founders Blair and Mitchell also leaving in 2002 and 2005, respectively. In 2001, American toy maker Mattel partnered with Mainframe to produce Barbie in the Nutcracker. The direct to video feature sold more than million units in its first year. The success of the release led to a longstanding relationship between Mattel and the animation studio. Mainframe (and its successors) would later produce the majority of the franchise's direct to video films, as well as a television series. Following financial losses of $18.9 million and $7.5 million in fiscal 2002 and 2003, the American IDT Corporation announced it would purchase 56% of Mainframe for $14 million on September 16, 2003. After the cancellation of Spider Man: The New Animated Series that same year, the company moved away from producing television series. While a number of projects were announced they ultimately did not see fruition, including a pre school oriented ReBoot spinoff called Binomes as well as Mainframe's first live action production, an adaptation of Harriet the Spy. In 2005, the company acquired the distribution rights to the live action/CGI animated television series Zixx. Mainframe also provided animation for the show's second and third seasons in conjunction with Thunderbird Films. The bulk of the company's work now consisted of direct to video projects and television specials. After producing the visuals for the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, Mainframe started a creative services division to produce video game animation, graphic design, motion graphics, titling, show opening sequences and branding in 2005. This branch of the company worked on a number of projects, including cut scenes for Prototype, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand and Ghostbusters: The Video Game, as well as the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.

Finding itself under new ownership, IDT sold its 62% stake in Mainframe to Vancouver based post production firm Rainmaker Income Fund on 20 July 2006 for $13.8 million. The next month Rainmaker announced it would acquire the remaining 38% of Mainframe. On January 30, 2007 Mainframe was renamed to Rainmaker Animation. Later that year, Rainmaker sold its visual effects and post production divisions to Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, leaving only the animation business. In June 2012, Chinese animation studio Xing Xing Digital announced its intent to purchase Rainmaker, with the company willing to pay off Rainmaker's $7 million debt. The purchase was called off after Rainmaker and Xing Xing were unable to finalize the sale by September 14, 2012. In 2013, Rainmaker completed its first theatrical feature film, Escape from Planet Earth. Directed by Cal Brunker, it received mixed reviews from critics but was a success at the box office, grossing around $75 million worldwide. On 7 October that same year, Rainmaker launched a television production division and revived the "Mainframe Entertainment" brand for its title, starting with a CG animated incarnation of Bob the Builder. Rainmaker released its second theatrical feature film, Ratchet & Clank based on the video game series of the same name by Insomniac Games, in the first quarter of 2016 to financial failure. This poor reception to the film caused Rainmaker to take a $10 million impairment charge on their investment in the production and was later cited as the reason the company abandoned plans to adapt the Sly Cooper video game franchise into a theatrical film. Later that year on 25 October, Rainmaker announced their intent to acquire and merge Erzin Hirsh Entertainment and American based Frederator Networks (and its main division, Frederator Studios) and consolidate them under its then new holding company, WOW! Unlimited Media Inc. (TSX:WOW. A). At that time, the company changed the names of its home base divisions to Rainmaker Studios and Mainframe Studios. Since the reorganization, the company has been heavily involved in television production animating ReBoot: The Guardian Code, a live action/CGI animated re imagining of the ReBoot brand, Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures, the first ever full length TV series in the "Barbie" media franchise and Spy Kids: Mission Critical, the animated reboot/spin off of the Spy Kids (franchise) in 2018. In 2019, the studio released its first traditionally animated production, a pilot based on Knowledge Network mascots made in Toon Boom Harmony.

On 16 March 2020, the studio announced it would be rebranding as Mainframe Studios and consolidate Rainmaker Studios under the "Mainframe" branding and fully returning the studio to their original "Mainframe" name. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Mainframe Studios initiated remote work measures for its employees. On 24 June 2021, the company confirmed that it would develop a 2D animation pipeline in support of its first production in the medium, an animated series inspired by YouTube personality Guava Juice. The following August, Mainframe announced that it would open a virtual studio in Toronto in the east of the country, building upon its earlier remote work experience.

Title Years Network Co production with Notes as Mainframe Entertainment ReBoot 1994–2001 YTV (TV channel), YTV, American Broadcasting Company, ABC, Broadcast syndication, Syndication, Cartoon Network Alliance Communications, Shaw Communications, BLT Productions, ReBoot Productions, Claster Television, Zondag Productions Beast Wars: Transformers 1996–1999 Broadcast syndication, Syndication, YTV (TV channel), YTV Hasbro, Alliance Communications (seasons 1–2), Alliance Atlantis, , Claster Television, BLT Productions Based on the Hasbro toyline and the sequel to The Transformers. Shadow Raiders 1998–1999 YTV (TV channel), YTV, Broadcast syndication, Syndication Alliance Atlantis Based on the Trendmasters toyline War Planets. Weird Ohs 1999–2000 History of Freeform#Fox Family, Fox Family, YTV (TV channel), YTV Decode Entertainment, EM. TV & Merchandising AG, Testor Corporation, Testors Corporation Based on the Hawk Company toyline. Beast Machines: Transformers Fox Kids, YTV (TV channel), YTV Hasbro Based on the Hasbro toyline and the sequel to Beast Wars: Transformers. Action Man 2000–2001 Hasbro, Saban Entertainment Based on the Hasbro toyline. Heavy Gear: The Animated Series 2001–2002 Syndication Paradox Entertainment, Dream Pod 9, Adelaide Productions, Columbia TriStar Television Based on the video game published by Dream Pod 9 and licensed by Paradox Entertainment. Max Steel Cartoon Network Adelaide Productions, Columbia TriStar Television Season 3 only. Based on the Mattel toyline. Spider Man: The New Animated Series 2003 MTV Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Enterprises, Adelaide Productions, Sony Pictures Television Based on the characters by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Zixx 2005–2009 YTV The Nightingale Company, Thunderbird Entertainment Seasons 2–3 only. Originally produced as Mainframe Entertainment in season 2, then Rainmaker Animation/Entertainment in season 3. as Mainframe Studios Bob the Builder (2015) 2015–2017 Channel 5 HiT Entertainment, Mattel Television, Mattel Creations Animation services; Series 1–2 only. DHX Media took over for the final series. ReBoot: The Guardian Code 2018 Netflix, YTV (TV channel), YTV ReBoot Productions, Corus Entertainment Reimagined series based on ReBoot. Spy Kids: Mission Critical Netflix Dimension Television Based on the Spy Kids franchise. Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures 2018–2020 Mattel Television Based on the Mattel toyline. Octonauts 2019–2021 CBeebies Silvergate Media Based on the books by Meomi. Season 5 only. The Guava Juice Show 2021–present YouTube Studio71 First 2D animated series produced by the studio. Octonauts: Above & Beyond Netflix Silvergate Media Based on the books by Meomi and sequel to Octonauts. Barbie: It Takes Two 2022 Mattel Television Based on the Mattel toyline and the TV series follow up to the 2021 film Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams. Team Zenko Go DreamWorks Animation Television Based on the books by Chris Tougas. Barbie: A Touch of Magic 2023–present Mattel Television Based on the Mattel toyline. Unicorn Academy Spin Master Entertainment Animation services. Based on the books by Julia Sykes. SuperKitties 2024–present Disney Junior Sony Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Television Kids Animation production; Season 2–present. JumpScare TBA TBA Scholastic Entertainment, Man of Action Entertainment Made by Maddie Unaired Nickelodeon Silvergate Media