WildBrain Entertainment, Inc. (commonly referred to as WildBrain Animation Studios, Inc., stylized formerly as W!LDBRAIN, formerly known as WildBrain Productions, Inc. until 2006, and later as WildBrain Animation, Inc. from 2008 to 2015) was an internationally recognized entertainment company and animation studio renowned for its development, production, and distribution of television programming, motion pictures, television advertisements, and licensed merchandise. Established in 1972, the company had operational bases in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, as well as a satellite studio in Thailand.
Among its notable film productions were Cats Don't Dance, Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie, The Iron Giant, The Adventures of the StoryBots: The Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Its television portfolio included popular series such as Bubble Guppies and Yo Gabba Gabba! for Nick Jr., Higglytown Heroes for Disney Channel, and the acclaimed animated series Total DramaRama for CBS, along with Bad Dog for Fox Family Channel.
They have produced national commercials for clients like McDonald's, Disney, Mattel, Kimberly-Clark, General Mills, Lego, Church's Chicken and Chuck E. Cheese's. Their ad work has won Clio Awards, Addy Awards, BDA Awards, and Annie Awards.
A subsidiary, Kidrobot, creates limited edition toys, clothing, artwork, and books. It had stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
History[]
In June 1972, animator Russ Edmonds founded "Wild Brain Productions" in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. The new company initially relied on contract work from various companies, including HBO and OFF! Insect Repellent, to bootstrap its operations. By 1978, WildBrain Productions had expanded significantly, relocating to a spacious 26,000 square foot facility in Downtown Toronto.
In 1983, Edmonds made a substantial investment of nearly $500,000 in WildBrain Productions, demonstrating his commitment to the company's growth and development. This investment likely played a crucial role in expanding the studio's capabilities and further establishing its presence in the animation industry.
Over the following two decades, WildBrain experienced remarkable growth, expanding its staff from approximately 15 employees to around 300. This significant increase in personnel underscores the company's success and growing reputation within the animation industry. As WildBrain continued to produce high-quality content and secure notable contracts, its workforce expanded to meet the demands of its growing portfolio of projects and clients.
Around the late 1990s, WildBrain initiated a strategic partnership with Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, marking the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. Their inaugural project together was providing additional animation for the 1996 film Green Eggs and Ham. This collaboration signified a significant milestone for WildBrain, as it enabled the studio to expand its reach and leverage the expertise of Disney's animation division to enhance its productions.
By this time, AKOM (Animation KOrea Movie) emerged as a popular outsourcing destination for WildBrain. The studio's partnership with AKOM facilitated the efficient production of animated content, allowing WildBrain to meet the demands of its expanding workload while maintaining high standards of quality. AKOM's reputation for skilled animation production and reliability made it a preferred outsourcing hub for WildBrain, enabling the studio to effectively manage its projects and continue delivering engaging content to its audience.
Around this period they produced the series Oggy and the Cockroaches and Total DramaRama.
In 2006, WildBrain transitioned away from using traditional cel paint techniques for their animated films. This shift marked a significant technological advancement for the studio, as they embraced digital animation methods, which offered greater flexibility, efficiency, and creative possibilities in the production process. By adopting digital animation techniques, WildBrain could streamline their workflow, enhance visual quality, and keep pace with evolving industry standards. This decision reflected the studio's commitment to innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in the animation industry.
The final two features produced by WildBrain to utilize traditional cel animation techniques were "Migration" and "Noah's Ark: The Movie." These films represent a notable era in the studio's history, as they marked the culmination of WildBrain's work with cel animation before transitioning to fully digital production methods. "Migration" and "Noah's Ark: The Movie" likely showcase the studio's proficiency in traditional animation while also serving as a testament to the evolving landscape of animation technology during that time.
While WildBrain officially transitioned away from using cel paint in 2006, the studio had been experimenting with digital ink and paint techniques since their involvement in the production of "The Iron Giant."
This suggests that WildBrain was proactive in exploring and adopting digital animation technologies well before fully integrating them into their production pipeline.
"The Iron Giant," released in 1998, is recognized for its pioneering use of digital animation techniques, and WildBrain's involvement in the film likely provided valuable experience and insights into the potential benefits of digital workflows. This early experimentation laid the groundwork for WildBrain's eventual transition to fully digital production methods in the years that followed.
After Walt Disney Feature Animation laid off most of it's former 2D animators and artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, WildBrain Productions seized the opportunity to expand its operations and provide employment opportunities for former studio management and alumni.
WildBrain would later do the animation for the animated feature film Clifford's Really Big Movie, which was the first project for the new staff, working alongside the studio's previously hired employees.
It was also the first service project done by WildBrain not to use hand painted cells, instead opting to use CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) for the ink and paint and compositing work, after WildBrain Productions bought CAPS for $2 million from The Walt Disney Company in mid 1999. Disney continued to use it until 2004 for their own animated features.
In 2005, WildBrain welcomed Barry London, former founder of Destination Films, as its president and CEO. London's extensive experience and leadership skills played a pivotal role in guiding WildBrain through a period of growth and innovation. Under his leadership, the studio embarked on ambitious projects, including the creation and development of the "StoryBots" franchise. This multimedia franchise, encompassing educational content for children across various platforms, became a cornerstone of WildBrain's offerings, showcasing the studio's commitment to producing engaging and educational content.
Additionally, Barry London spearheaded the development of a new feature animation slate, signaling WildBrain's expansion into the realm of animated feature films. This strategic initiative aimed to diversify the studio's portfolio and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the entertainment industry. London's vision and leadership were instrumental in shaping WildBrain's trajectory and solidifying its position as a prominent player in the animation landscape.
In April 2007, Russ Edmonds, one of the founders of WildBrain, made the decision to depart from the company to pursue opportunities with Disney and freelance work. Edmonds' departure marked the end of an era for WildBrain, as he had been instrumental in the studio's establishment and early growth. His contributions to the animation industry and his leadership at WildBrain had helped shape the studio's identity and reputation.
In August 2007, WildBrain made the decision to close down its Thai studio. The closure marked the end of an era for WildBrain's operations in Thailand, where the studio had maintained a satellite facility.
"Tom and Emily's Wild Ride" served as the final production to come out of the Thai studio before its closure.
Despite Edmonds' departure, WildBrain continued to thrive under the leadership of its remaining team members and executives.
As of May 2007, the original founder of WildBrain had indeed left the company. The studio had undergone significant changes in its ownership and expansion efforts leading up to this point. In July 2006, WildBrain expanded its animation studios to Vancouver, marking a strategic move to broaden its production capabilities and geographical reach.
WildBrain's status as an independent company changed in 2006 when it was acquired by CiNAR Productions. This acquisition signaled a new chapter for WildBrain, as it became part of a larger entertainment conglomerate.
Additionally, prior to being acquired by CiNAR Productions, Universal Pictures had purchased WildBrain's feature animation division, which was subsequently renamed WildBrain Feature Animation. This acquisition occurred following the success of WildBrain's 1997 film, Cats Don't Dance, highlighting the studio's early achievements and its appeal to major entertainment industry players.
WildBrain had a significant role as an animation provider for Movie Land Animation Studios, beginning with their collaboration on Stickman: The Movie. Their partnership extended to various projects, including providing additional animation for Space Jam: A New Legacy. Additionally, WildBrain contributed 2D sequences for films such as Wonder Park and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
In addition to their collaborations with Movie Land Animation Studios, WildBrain also created original films that were not under the WBFA label. These films included Total DramaRama: The Movie and Jonah: A Go! Go! Cory Carson Movie. These original productions showcased WildBrain's creativity and versatility in producing engaging animated content across different genres and formats. mentioned:
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WildBrain Feature Animation/WildBrain Animation Studios[]
WildBrain Animation Studios is WildBrain's feature animation studio unit headed by Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser. Animated movies such as Cats Don't Dance, Total DramaRama: A Trip to Sir Splashalot's, Total DramaRama: The Movie and Jonah: A Go! Go! Cory Carson Movie were all produced under this unit.
Filmography[]
Television series[]
- Thomas & Friends (1978-2020)
- Arthur (1996-2005) (custom animation)
- KaBlam! (1997) (The Brothers Tiki shorts)
- O Canada (1997) (opening title and bumpers)
- Acme Hour (1997) (opening, bumpers and closing)
- Total DramaRama (1997-2000)
- Oggy and the Cockroaches (1997-2015)
- Ned's Newt (1997-1999) ("Newt York, Newt York")
- Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1998) ("Fathead")
- Space is Dum (1999–2001)
- Pajama Party (2000) (opening title)
- Poochini (2000–2002)
- The Chuck Jones Show (2001) (opening title)
- The Adventures of the StoryBots (2004-2008)
- Horrid Henry (2006-2008) (character layouts)
- Phineas and Ferb (2007-2015) (storyboards and animation services for Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo)
- StoryBots: Answer Time (2009-2011)
- The Ricky Gervais Show (2010–2012)
- The Hard Times of RJ Berger (2010–2011)
- Monster High (2010–2012)
- Bubble Guppies (2011) (season 1)
- The Aquabats! Super Show! (2012–2014)
- UMIGO (2012–2014)
- Sheriff Callie's Wild West (2014) (season 1)
Films[]
WildBrain Feature Animation (1981-2023)/WildBrain Animation Studios (2024-present)[]
- The Christmas Tree (1987)
- Space Jam (1994)
- Quest for Camelot (1995)
- Cars (1996)
- Green Eggs and Ham (1996)
- Cats Don't Dance (1997)
- The Rugrats Movie (1997)
- Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie (1997)
- Paint World (1998)
- The Iron Giant (1998)
- Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (1999)
- Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (1999)
- The King and I (2000)
- Help! I'm A Fish (2000)
- Cars 2 (2000)
- The Hub (2000)
- Rugrats Go Wild (2001)
- The Peanuts Movie (2002)
- Epic (2003)
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Rio (2004)
- The Book of Life (2005)
- Ron's Gone Wrong (2006)
- Revolt Squad (2006)
- The Total DramaRama Movie (2006)
- Migration (2006)
- Noah's Ark: The Movie (2006)
- Tom and Emily's Wild Ride (2007)
- Coraline (2007)
- Elemental (2007)
- VeggieTales: Tale of the Brave (2007)
- The Loud House Movie (2008)
- The Rugrats' World Adventure (2008)
- The Dream PokeTeam's Wild Ride (2008)
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2009)
- The Adventures of the StoryBots: The Movie (2009)
- Heroball (2009)
- We Bare Bears: The Movie (2010)
- Seven Little Monsters Goes to the Movies (2010)
- My Little Pony: The Movie (2011)
- The StoryBots in Mexico (2011)
- Titan A.E. (2012)
- The StoryBots and the Lost Golden Treasure (2013)
- Ragsaka and Mayumi's Wild Ride (2023)
WildBrain Entertainment[]
- Thomas and the Magic Railroad (1995)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1997)
- FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue (1998)
- Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) (additional pre-production)
- Dudley Do-Right (1999) (animation)
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) (animation)
- Cats & Dogs (2001) (Egypt animation)
- Rat Race (2001) (opening title sequence)
- Osmosis Jones (2001) (additional animation)
- Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (additional animation)
- Dopamine (2003) (CGi animation)
- "Clifford's Really Big Movie" (2004) (animation production)
- WildBrain's The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2006)
- Curious George (2006) (additional animation)
- The Fairly OddParents: The Movie (2007) (additional animation)
- The Simpsons Movie (2007) (additional animation)
- Vegalywolds (2007)
- Thomas's Scary Stories (2008) (2D animation)
- Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2009)
- Dash and Dot's Wild Ride (2009) (additional animation)
- The Princess and the Frog (2009) (additional animation)
- Howl (2010) (2D animation)
- Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011) (television special)
- Tad and Lily's Wild Ride (2011) (additional animation)
- 2011 Disney and WildBrain animated film (2011)
- The Breadwinner (2012)
- Dash and Dot's Next Adventure (2013) (additional animation)
- Stickman: The Movie (2014) (additional 2D animation)
- Reggie and the Penguin (2015) (animation)
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) (additional animation)
- Loppy the Dog (2016) (additional 2D animation)
- Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie: The Edited Version (2017)
- Nature Cat: The Movie (2017) (additional animation)
- Total DramaRama: The Movie (2018)
- The JH Movie Collection Movie (2018) (additional 2D animation)
- Wonder Park (2019) (2D animation)
- The JH Movie Collection Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) (additional animation)
- Jonah: A Go! Go! Cory Carson Movie (2020)
- Phineas and Ferb: Candace Against the Universe (2020) (digital paint)
- The JH Movie Collection Movie: The Fate of the Tour (2020) (animation services)
- LarryBoy: A VeggieTales Movie (2020) (2D sequences)
- Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) (additional animation)
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) (2D animation)
- The Brave Locomotive (2023) (additional production)
- The Strawberry Shortcake Movie (TBA)
Commercials[]
- 25th Annie Awards (1997) (Oggy Watson and Jack Holmes' appearance)
- Animax (1998) (with Mercury Filmworks)
- AMC Theatres (1979-1997, 2001, 2006-2009)
- Cap'n Crunch (2003–2007)
- Cartoon Network/Tennis Industry Association (1997)
- Cinemark Theatres (1988-1997/1998?, 2004-2005)
- Cheetos (2001)
- Chicago Transit Authority (2005)
- Chiclets (2004)
- Chips Ahoy! (1999)
- Chuck E. Cheese's (1997-2012; 2017-2021)
- Church's Chicken (1995-2004)
- Coca-Cola (1996, 1998, 2005)
- Sprite (1998)
- Dreyer's (2002)
- El Al (1995, 2009)
- Esurance (2004–2009)
- Ford Motor Company (1999, 2001)
- Green Giant (1999, 2003)
- Helados (1998) (with Mercury Filmworks)
- HBO (1975) (with Computer Image Corporation)
- Hershey's Kisses (1998–1999, 2002)
- Honda Element (2005–2008)
- KFC (1998–2000)
- Kraft Singles (2003)
- Jolly Rancher (2001)
- Kid Cuisine (2001)
- Lamisil (2003–2005)
- Levi's (1998-2001)
- Lego (1979-2000, 2005-2009, 2013-2016)
- Locomotion (1997)
- Lunchables (2004–2008)
- Mainstay Mutual Funds (1996) (with Little Fluffy Clouds)
- McDonald's (1993-1995, 1997-2008, 2013-2018)
- Nike (1996, 1999)
- NTB (1997–1998)
- Noggin (1999)
- Oreo O's (2002)
- Parfums de Coeur (1999, 2001)
- PBS Kids (2005)
- Pebbles (2002–2004)
- Puffs Tissues (1998-2006, 2015-present)
- Raid (1991-2004, 2008-2017)
- Rice Krispies (1998-1999, 2001-2003, 2005-2008)
- Ritz Crackers (2000–2001)
- Scandinavian Designs (2000)
- Secret Central (2003)
- Scrubbing Bubbles (1994-1997; 2007-2013)
- Sony Music Entertainment (2000-2003)
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
- STP (1991-2002)
- Target Corporation (2001-2008)
- Tropicana (2003-2005)
- The Wall Street Journal (2002-2006)
- UNICEF (1995-2009)
- The Willy Wonka Candy Company (1998–2000, 2006-2009)
- Winterfresh (2001-2003)
- Virgin America (2007-2014)
- Visine (2001-2018)
- Xerox Document Centre (1997-2000)
Short films[]
- Trail Mix-Up (1993)
- Runaway Brain (1995) (assistant animation)
- Out In Space (1997)
- A Dog Cartoon (1997)
- Humanstein (1998)
- El Kabong Rides Again (2000)
- Hubert's Brain (2001)
- Erin Esurance in "Carbon Copy (2007)
- Monkey Rag (2013)
- The Loud House Digital Shorts (2020-2022)
Video games[]
- Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) (layouts)
- Living Books: The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight (1995) (animation)
- Living Books: Green Eggs and Ham (1996)
- NeoHunter (1996) (character design and animation)
- Play-Doh Creations (1996) (animation)
- Flying Saucer (1997) (cutscenes)
- Nightmare Ned (1997) (cutscenes)
- Animaniacs: Game Pack (1998) (additional animation)
- Living Books: Arthur's Computer Adventure (1998) (animation)
- JumpStart Numbers (1998) (additional animation)
- Rugrats Adventure Game (1998) (additional art and animation)
- Star Wars: Jar Jar's Journey Adventure Book (1999)
- Pokemon: Puzzle League (2000) (cutscene animation)
- Rugrats in Paris: The Game (2000) (animation)
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge (2001) (character design)
- The Oregon Trail 5th Edition (2001) (character design)
- Jonah: A VeggieTales Game (2002) (cutscenes)
- Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003) (2D animation)
- The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer (2005) (cutscenes)
- Dash and Dot's Wild Ride (2009) (cutscenes)
- Phineas and Ferb Ride Again (2010) (cutscenes)
- Sideway: New York (2011) (animation)
- Cars 3: Driven to Win (2017) (package design)
Web animation[]
The studio was one of the pioneers of web-based flash animation series, which were offered to the public from their website in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Staff[]
Executives[]
- Richard Purdum
- Marc du Pontavice
- Kathi Castillo (2004-2008)
- Brad Bird (2008-2012)
- Fabian Luna (2004-2006)
- Toru Hara (1987–2009)
- Scott Petersen (1997-2000)
- Ron Myrick (1993-2005)
- Isao Takahata (2001–2006)
- Russ Edmonds (1979-2018)
- Ken Duncan (1983-2002)
Directors[]
- Chris Hauge
- George Evelyn
- Paul Fierlinger
- Denis Morella
- Scott Schultz
- Phil Robinson (March 1995–July 2009)
- John Hays
- Ed Bell
- Robin Steele
- Dave Marshall
- Dave Thomas
- Dave Feiss (2000–2002)
- Roque Ballesteros (2000–2001; 2006–2007)
- Denis Morella
- Konosuke Yoshihara (1999-2006)
- Cameron Hood (1972-2003; animation supervisor)
- Filmarrion Ferreira (1997-2008)
Animators[]
- Peter Huggan
- Osamu Dezaki
- Chris Prynoski
(1978-2006) (1989-2000) (1998–2003) (1996–present) (1997–2009) (1994-2008) 2011-2020) (2001-2007) (1997-2009) 2006-present) 2010-present) (1999-2004) 2021-present)
External links[]
- Official website
- Animation Insider Article
- SF Weekly "The Little Animation Company That Could" by Ryan Blitstein
| WildBrain |
|---|
| Divisions WildBrain Studios | WildBrain CPLG | DHX Brands | House of Cool Studios | WildBrain Spark | Sunset Animation Studio | Peanuts Worldwide (41%) 1 | Jay Ward Productions (Bullwinkle Studios) (75%) WildBrain Television Defunct/Former Notes |
v - e - d | |
|---|---|
| Active companies | 9 Story Media Group • a.k.a. Cartoon • Arcana Studio • Atomic Cartoons • Bardel Entertainment • Big Bad Boo • Breakthrough Entertainment • CinéGroupe • Cinesite Animation • Clyde Henry Productions • Cuppa Coffee Studios • Fresh TV • Frima Studio • Global Mechanic • Guru Studio • House of Cool • HOT Animation • Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment • Image Engine • Image Entertainment Corporation • Jam Filled Entertainment • Mercury Filmworks • MLDPS Canada • National Film Board of Canada • Nelvana • PiP Animation Services • Portfolio Entertainment • Rodeo FX • Skycron • Slap Happy Cartoons • Smiley Guy Studios • Snowball Studios Toronto • Sony Pictures Imageworks • ToonBox Entertainment • WildBrain (WildBrain Studios Vancouver) • Wow Unlimited Media (Rainmaker Studios/Mainframe Studios) • Yowza! Animation |
| Defunct companies | Arc Productions • Atkinson Film-Arts • C.O.R.E. • Collideascope • Cookie Jar Group • DIC Entertainment • Fatkat • Funbag Animation Studios • Gordon Stanfield Animation • Kennedy Cartoons • Krantz Films • Lacewood Productions • March Entertainment • Meteor Studios • MokkoStudio • Nitrogen Studios • Phoenix Animation Studios • Pixar Canada • Studio B Productions • The Embassy Visual Effects • Tooncan • WildBrain Entertainment |
| Related topics | Canadian comics • Quebec comics |