Starz Animation
Encyclopedia
Arc Productions, formerly known as Starz Animation Toronto, is a Canadian
animation
and visual effects
studio based in Toronto, Ontario. It is majority owned by a Canadian investor group, with former owner Starz Media
as a minority stakeholder. The studio is best known for its work on animated feature films 9 and Gnomeo and Juliet
, and it is currently working on an upcoming animated feature OZ3D (working title), an adaptation of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
".
sold in Canada along with Alias PowerAnimator software. After retiring from active 3D work, it served as the webserver for many years. The company started doing video post and then moved into special effects and film work, culminating in effects work for the Seigfried & Roy 3D IMAX
vehicle The Magic Box
and the full CG feature The Nuttiest Nutcracker
.
In 2004, U.S. animation producer IDT Corp.
purchased the studio from the founders. IDT had already acquired in 2003 controlling interest of Film Roman
and Anchor Bay Entertainment Group
. After the purchase by IDT, the studio moved again to 230 Richmond Street East.
On May 26, 2006, Starz Media
's parent company Liberty Media
bought IDT Entertainment from IDT, including Anchor Bay Entertainment and Film Roman. Under its new management in 2007, the studio began a "Starz Shortz" program which has produced Bundle of Joy, Enter the Sandbox, Ormie and Lovebirds. In 2007, Starz Animations took over animating Shane Acker
's feature 9 from Attitude Studio, Luxembourg. In 2010, the studio opened a major VFX wing to create all the effects for the new Starz Channel/Graham King Productions miniseries, Camelot
, Alcon Entertainment's Dolphin Tale, and producer Avi Arad's family feature, Robosapien: Rebooted.
In April 2011, the studio was sold to a Canadian consortium, and renamed itself to Arc Productions. Under the new owner, the studio plans to do more proprietary production.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
studio based in Toronto, Ontario. It is majority owned by a Canadian investor group, with former owner Starz Media
Starz Media
Starz Media is the motion picture, animation, television, and home video subsidiary of Liberty Media.-Subsidiaries:Starz Media's subsidiaries include:*Anchor Bay Entertainment - distribution division for DVDs and videos....
as a minority stakeholder. The studio is best known for its work on animated feature films 9 and Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
, and it is currently working on an upcoming animated feature OZ3D (working title), an adaptation of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
".
History
The studios was founded in 1985, by Dan Krech and Jackie Lynette, and it went under various names during its history: Dan Krech Productions, DKP Effects and DKP Studios. The first offices were three Victorian style semi-detached houses (equal to one and a half houses) at 48 River Street in Toronto. The company later moved to 489 Queen Street East. DKP purchased the first SGI CrimsonSGI Crimson
The IRIS Crimson, code named Diehard2, is a Silicon Graphics computer released in the early 1990s. It was the world's first 64-bit workstation....
sold in Canada along with Alias PowerAnimator software. After retiring from active 3D work, it served as the webserver for many years. The company started doing video post and then moved into special effects and film work, culminating in effects work for the Seigfried & Roy 3D IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
vehicle The Magic Box
The Magic Box
The Magic Box is a fictional magic shop in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon. It is located in Sunnydale and was last owned and operated by Rupert Giles, and served as the primary headquarters of the Scooby Gang for seasons five and six.-Ownership history:The shop went...
and the full CG feature The Nuttiest Nutcracker
The Nuttiest Nutcracker
The Nuttiest Nutcracker is a 1999 direct-to-video Christmas film loosely based on the classic tale The Nutcracker, directed by Harold Harris, starring the voices of James Belushi, Cheech Marin, and Phyllis Diller...
.
In 2004, U.S. animation producer IDT Corp.
IDT Corp.
IDT Corporation is a telecommunications and energy company headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.-History:IDT was founded by entrepreneur Howard Jonas in August 1990...
purchased the studio from the founders. IDT had already acquired in 2003 controlling interest of Film Roman
Film Roman
Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
and Anchor Bay Entertainment Group
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
. After the purchase by IDT, the studio moved again to 230 Richmond Street East.
On May 26, 2006, Starz Media
Starz Media
Starz Media is the motion picture, animation, television, and home video subsidiary of Liberty Media.-Subsidiaries:Starz Media's subsidiaries include:*Anchor Bay Entertainment - distribution division for DVDs and videos....
's parent company Liberty Media
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation is an American media conglomerate and the control is exercised by company Chairman John C. Malone, who owns a majority of the voting shares....
bought IDT Entertainment from IDT, including Anchor Bay Entertainment and Film Roman. Under its new management in 2007, the studio began a "Starz Shortz" program which has produced Bundle of Joy, Enter the Sandbox, Ormie and Lovebirds. In 2007, Starz Animations took over animating Shane Acker
Shane Acker
Shane Acker is an American film-maker known for directing 9, which is based on his 2005 Academy Award-nominated film, 9. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.- Background :...
's feature 9 from Attitude Studio, Luxembourg. In 2010, the studio opened a major VFX wing to create all the effects for the new Starz Channel/Graham King Productions miniseries, Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
, Alcon Entertainment's Dolphin Tale, and producer Avi Arad's family feature, Robosapien: Rebooted.
In April 2011, the studio was sold to a Canadian consortium, and renamed itself to Arc Productions. Under the new owner, the studio plans to do more proprietary production.
Arc Productions
- An unnamed animated feature based on The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
- A Dolphin's TaleA Dolphin's TaleDolphin Tale is a 2011 family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi and a book of the same name...
(2011) - Robosapien: Rebooted (TBD)
- CamelotCamelot (TV series)Camelot is a historical-fantasy-drama television series which premiered on April 1, 2011. It was co-produced by the Starz cable network and GK-TV which began production during the summer of 2010...
(2011) (TV) - Gnomeo and JulietGnomeo and JulietGnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
(2011) - Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
Starz Animation
- Yes, VirginiaYes, Virginia, there is a Santa ClausIs There a Santa Claus? was the title of an editorial appearing in the September 21, 1897, edition of The New York Sun. The editorial, which included the famous reply "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", has become an indelible part of popular Christmas folklore in the United States and...
(2009) (TV) - 9 (2009)
- Chop Socky ChooksChop Socky ChooksChop Socky Chooks is a British animated television series produced by Aardman Animations and DHX Media that debuted on 7 March 2008. It was created by animator Sergio Delfino, a prominent animator at Aardman. It currently airs only on Teletoon . For now, it airs on Cartoon Network, previously aired...
(2008) (TV) - The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales MovieThe Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales MovieThe Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie is a 2008 American animated feature-length family adventure film directed by Mike Nawrocki and written by Phil Vischer. Produced through Big Idea Productions animation studio and the animation by Starz Animation, it is the second film featuring...
(2008) - VeggieTales (2006-2008)
IDT Entertainment
- VeggieTales (2006) (video series)
- Everyone's HeroEveryone's HeroThe soundtrack, released on the Columbia Records/Sony Music Soundtrax labels, features tracks by the star of the film Raven-Symoné, Grammy-winners Wyclef Jean, Brooks & Dunn, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and various other artists....
(2006) - Shoebox ZooShoebox ZooShoebox Zoo is a children's fantasy TV series made in a collaboration between BBC Scotland and various Canadian television companies. It is mostly live-action, but with CGI used for the animal figurines. It was first broadcast in 2004 by CBBC...
(2004-2005) (TV)