Jam Filled Entertainment

Last updated
Jam Filled Entertainment
FormerlyJam Filled Toronto:
  • Dan Krech Productions (1985–2000)
  • DKP Effects (2000–2004)
  • DKP Studios (2004–2006)
  • Starz Animation (2006–2011)
  • Arc Productions (2011–2016)
Company type Subsidiary
Industry
FoundedMarch 16, 2007;18 years ago (2007-03-16)
Founders
  • Kyle MacDougall
  • Phil Lafrance
  • Jamie Leclaire
Headquarters65 Auriga Drive, ,
Canada
Parent
Divisions Jam Filled Toronto
Jam Filled Halifax
Website www.jamfilled.com

Jam Filled Entertainment is a Canadian animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario (with additional facilities in Toronto and Halifax), and is a subsidiary of Blue Ant Media.

Contents

The company is known for animating several Nicktoons series such as The Loud House and its spin-off The Casagrandes, and Pinky Malinky , as well as the Cartoon Network series DC Super Hero Girls and Final Space . Its Toronto version, formerly known as Arc Productions and Starz Animation, has worked on CGI films and series such as Chop Socky Chooks , Gnomeo & Juliet , Thomas & Friends, and VeggieTales.

History

Jam Filled Entertainment was founded in Manotick in 2007 by Kyle MacDougall, Phil Lafrance, and Jamie Leclaire. In January 2011, Jam Filled moved to a new location in Ottawa.

On August 3, 2016, Boat Rocker Media acquired Jam Filled Entertainment, with the company maintaining its management as a subsidiary. [1] [2] On August 22, Jam Filled then acquired the assets of Toronto-based Arc Productions out of receivership, reopening the studio as a subsidiary to expand the company into 3D animation. [3] [4] [5]

In September 2019, Jam Filled announced the opening of a new 10,000 square foot studio in Halifax, dedicated to 2D animation projects. [6]

On March 24, 2025, Blue Ant Media announced that it would acquire Jam Filled from Boat Rocker as part of a reverse takeover arrangement. [7] [8] The reverse takeover was completed on August 1st, 2025.

Filmography

Jam Filled Entertainment

Television series

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Almost Naked Animals 2011–13 9 Story Entertainment
Crash Canyon Breakthrough Entertainment
Camp Lakebottom 2013–14pre-production to rough-cut; season 1 9 Story Entertainment
The Day My Butt Went Psycho! 2014–15season 1 episode 20; season 2 Nelvana
Studio Moshi
Numb Chucks 2014–16 9 Story Media Group
The Loud House 2016–presentanimation services Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Thomas & Friends 2016–21series 20–24; continued from Arc Productions HiT Entertainment
The Bagel and Becky Show 2016–17pre-production to rough-cut Radical Sheep Productions
Rusty Rivets 2016–20continued from Arc Productions Spin Master Entertainment
WellieWishers 2017season 2 Mattel Creations
Kody Kapow Zodiak Kids
Final Space 2018–21animation services ShadowMachine
Pinky Malinky 2019Nickelodeon Animation Studio
DC Super Hero Girls 2019–20season 1 and shorts Warner Bros. Animation
The Polos2019Boat Rocker Media
Bubble Guppies 2019–23seasons 5–6Nickelodeon Animation Studio
The Casagrandes 2019–22animation services
Kingdom Force 2019–20Boat Rocker Media
Dino Ranch 2021–24
A Tale Dark & Grimm 2021Boat Rocker Media
Netflix Animation
Inside Job 2021–22animation servicesNetflix Animation
What If...? 2021additional effects for season 2; "What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?" Marvel Studios Animation
Rubble & Crew 2023–presentSpin Master Entertainment
Clone High 2023–24animation services; season 2–3ShadowMachine
MTV Entertainment Studios
Praise Petey [9] 2023Animation services 20th Television Animation
Vida the Vet2024–presentSpin Master Entertainment
Rock Paper Scissors animation servicesNickelodeon Animation Studio
X-Men '97 2024additional effects for 2 episodes; "Tolerance Is Extinction: Part 2", "Tolerance Is Extinction: Part 3"Marvel Studios Animation
Exploding Kittens Animation services; post-production Bandera Entertainment
Chernin Entertainment
Wylde Pak 2025–presentanimation servicesNickelodeon Animation Studio

Specials/shorts

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Nickelodeon Animated Shorts Program 2013–18"The Loud House", "Off the Shelf", "My Friend Pancake", "Robo Wonder Kid", and "Fur-Ever Family" Nickelodeon Animation Studio
The Snow Ball2021short film
Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program2022"Rock Paper Scissors", "Wylde Pak"Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Reindeer in Here CBS Eye Animation Productions

Films

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor 2017 Mattel Creations
The Great Northern Candy Drop Boat Rocker Media
Thomas & Friends: Big World, Big Adventures!2018Mattel Creations
We Lost Our Human2023Netflix Animation
No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie 2024animation services Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Jam Filled Toronto

Logo of Starz Animation Starz Animation logo.jpg
Logo of Starz Animation
Logo of Arc Productions Arc Productions logo 2016.png
Logo of Arc Productions

The Toronto branch of Jam Filled Entertainment was originally established as Dan Krech Productions on June 24, 1985, as one of the first visual effects companies in Toronto. In 1987, DKP became the first company in Canada to have an in-house digital suite. DKP had produced visual effects and animation for over 2,000 commercials and long-form projects by 2000, many of them for U.S. companies. DKP moved to a new facility on Queen Street East in March 2001. American telecommunications company IDT Corporation acquired DKP Effects on March 16, 2004, [10] leading to the company being renamed DKP Studios.

On May 26, 2006, Liberty Media bought IDT Entertainment from IDT, including Anchor Bay Entertainment and Film Roman, and merged it with the Starz cable network to form Starz Media. [11] 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. [12] In 2007, Starz Animation took over animating Shane Acker's feature 9 from Attitude Studio, Luxembourg. [13] 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, Liberty Starz sold Starz Animation to a Canadian consortium, and it was renamed Arc Productions. Under the new owner, the studio was planning to do more proprietary production. [14] [15] [16] [17]

On July 29, 2016, [18] Arc Productions entered receivership and closed down its studio, locking out 500 employees after telling them there was a payroll glitch and no one had been paid. At the time of closure, Arc had been working on the film Blazing Samurai . [19] On August 22, 2016, Jam Filled Entertainment acquired Arc's assets out of receivership, reopening its Toronto studio and rehiring most of its staff. [4] [5]

Television series

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Dan Krech Productions
High Tide 1994title design & graphicsFranklin/Waterman 2
DKP Effects
3-2-1 Penguins! 2002–03animation Big Idea Productions
DKP Studios
Game Over 2004animation The Carsey-Werner Company
VeggieTales 2004–05animationBig Idea Productions
Starz Animation
VeggieTales2006–07animation; continued from DKP StudiosBig Idea Productions
Camelot 2011visual effects Starz Entertainment
The Simpsons 2011"Condiments" sequence Gracie Films
20th Television Animation
Arc Productions
Matt Hatter Chronicles 2011–12animation; seasons 1–2 [20] Platinum Films
Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse 2012–15animation Mattel Television
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn 2012visual effects [21] Microsoft Studios
343 Industries
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload 2013animation [22] Marvel Entertainment
Thomas & Friends 2013–16animation; series 17–20 [23] HiT Entertainment

Specials/shorts

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
DKP Effects
Space Station 3D 2002 IMAX Corporation
DKP Studios
Surly Squirrel 2005short film
The Happy Elf 2005animation Film Roman
HC Productions
Starz Animation
Yes, Virginia 2009animation The Ebeling Group
JWT Productions
Arc Productions
Snack Attack2012short film
Pixie Hollow Bake Off 2013animation Disneytoon Studios

Films

TitleYear(s)NotesClient
Dan Krech Productions
Eve of Destruction 1991post-production Orion Pictures
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog 1995special effects 20th Century Fox
National Lampoon's Senior Trip 1995special effects Alliance Communications
Bogus 1996special effects Warner Bros. Pictures
The Siege 199820th Century Fox
The Nuttiest Nutcracker 1999 Columbia TriStar Home Video
DKP Effects
Joseph: King of Dreams 20003D effects DreamWorks Animation
Picture Claire 2001main titles design & visual effects Alliance Atlantis Releasing Ltd
The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest 2002special effects20th Century Fox
Scourge of Worlds: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure 2003special effects
DKP Studios
Nerf N-Strike 2004animation, lighting, & visual/animation effects Hasbro
Everyone's Hero 2006animation20th Century Fox
Starz Animation
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie 2008animation Universal Pictures
Big Idea Productions
Space Chimps 200820th Century Fox
Vanguard Animation
9 2009Special Effects Focus Features
Relativity Media
Gnomeo & Juliet 2011 Touchstone Pictures
Rocket Pictures
Arc Productions
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil 2011animation The Weinstein Company
Dolphin Tale 2011visual effects and animationWarner Bros. Pictures
The Amazing Spider-Man 2012additional visual effects Columbia Pictures
Robosapien: Rebooted 2013animation Anchor Bay Films
Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway 2013animation [23] [24] HiT Entertainment

Arc Productions

References

  1. Milligan, Mercedes (August 4, 2016). "Boat Rocker Media Acquires Jam Filled Entertainment". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  2. "Boat Rocker adds another animation studio". Kidscreen. August 3, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  3. Milligan, Mercedes (August 22, 2016). "Boat Rocker's Jam Filled Ent. Acquires Arc Assets". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Jam Filled completes Arc transaction". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Wolfe, Jennifer (August 22, 2016). "Jam Filled Entertainment Acquires Arc Productions". Animation World Network. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  6. Wit, Alex Dudok de (2019-09-24). "Canada's Jam Filled Entertainment Is Opening A New Studio In Halifax". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  7. "Blue Ant acquires Boat Rocker production assets and goes public via reverse IPO". C21media. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  8. Whittock, Jesse (2025-03-24). "Blue Ant Media Going Public Through Reverse Takeover Of Boat Rocker Media; Boat Rocker Studios Set For MBO". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  9. White, Peter (2021-12-09). "Annie Murphy, John Cho & Christine Baranski Star In Animated Series 'Praise Petey' From Anna Drezen For Freeform As Network Takes Another Crack At Genre". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  10. "DKP acquired by U.S. animator". Playback Magazine . 29 March 2004. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  11. "Liberty Media to acquire IDT Entertainment". IDT. May 16, 2006. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  12. Lacey, Liam (March 24, 2011). "Animation company aims for 3D without nausea and headaches". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  13. "New Starz studio busy on Burton's 9". Playback Magazine. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
  14. Vlessing, Etan (April 13, 2011). "Starz Animation Studio Renamed Arc Productions". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  15. DeMott, Rick (13 April 2011). "Starz Animation Toronto Rebrands as Arc Productions". Animation World Network . Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  16. Arrant, Chris (13 April 2011). "Starz Animation Toronto rebrands as Arc Productions Animation & Visual Effects". Cartoon Brew . Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  17. Vlessing, Etan (14 April 2011). "Starz Animation Toronto rebrands as Arc Productions". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications . Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  18. Milligan, Mercedes (August 22, 2016). "Boat Rocker's Jam Filled Ent. Acquires Arc Assets". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  19. "Samurai film delivered final blow to Toronto's Arc Productions: documents". The Globe and Mail. 2016-08-04. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  20. Vlessing, Etan (June 6, 2011). "Arc To Animate 3D TV For Platinum and Endemol". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  21. "Arc to Provide Visual Effects for 'Halo 4'". Animation World Network.
  22. "Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload". IMDb .
  23. 1 2 Zahed, Ramin (February 6, 2012). "Arc is on Board HIT's 'Thomas & Friends'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  24. "King of the Railway (Thomas and Friends)". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  25. Strom, Marc (November 12, 2015). "TV ULTRON CRASHES THE PARTY IN FIRST 'LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES: AVENGERS REASSEMBLED!' CLIP". Marvel. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.