Jam Filled Entertainment

Canadian animation studio

Jam Filled Entertainment

Formerly| Jam 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|

* Harmony
* CGI animation

Founded| March 16, 2007; 18 years ago (2007-03-16)
Founders|

* Kyle MacDougall
* Phil Lafrance
* Jamie Leclaire

Headquarters| 65 Auriga Drive,

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada

Parent| Jam Filled Toronto:
Starz Media (2004–2011)
Jam Filled Entertainment (2016–present)
Jam Filled Entertainment:
Boat Rocker Media (2016–2025)
Blue Ant Media (2025-present)
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 a subsidiary of Blue Ant Media.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Jam Filled Entertainment

[edit]

#### Television series

[edit]

Title  | Year(s)  | Notes  | Client

|
|
|

Almost Naked Animals | 2011–13 |  | 9 Story Entertainment
Crash Canyon |  | Breakthrough Entertainment
Camp Lakebottom | 2013–14 | pre-production to rough-cut; season 1 | 9 Story Entertainment
The Day My Butt Went Psycho! | 2014–15 | season 1 episode 20; season 2 | Nelvana
Studio Moshi
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
Numb Chucks | 2014–16 |  | 9 Story Media Group
The Loud House | 2016–present | animation services | Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Thomas & Friends | 2016–21 | series 20–24; continued from Arc Productions | HiT Entertainment
The Bagel and Becky Show | 2016–17 | pre-production to rough-cut | Radical Sheep Productions
Rusty Rivets | 2016–20 | continued from Arc Productions | Spin Master Entertainment
WellieWishers | 2017 | season 2 | Mattel Creations
Kody Kapow |  | Zodiak Kids
Final Space | 2018–21 | animation services; seasons 1–3 | ShadowMachine
Pinky Malinky | 2019 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio
DC Super Hero Girls | 2019–20 | season 1 and shorts | Warner Bros. Animation
The Polos | 2019 |  | Boat Rocker Media
Bubble Guppies | 2019–23 | seasons 5–6 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio
The Casagrandes | 2019–22 | animation services
Kingdom Force | 2019–20 |  | Boat Rocker Media
Dino Ranch | 2021–present |
The Snow Ball | 2021 | short film |
A Tale Dark & Grimm |  | Boat Rocker Media
Netflix Animation
Inside Job | 2021–22 | animation services | Netflix Animation
What If...? | 2021 | additional effects for season 2; "What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?" | Marvel Studios Animation
Nickelodeon Intergalactic Shorts Program | 2022 | "Rock Paper Scissors", "Wylde Pak" | Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Reindeer in Here |  | CBS Eye Animation Productions
We Lost Our Human | 2023 |  | Netflix Animation
Rubble & Crew | 2023–present |  | Spin Master Entertainment
Clone High | 2023–24 | animation services; season 2–3 | ShadowMachine
MTV Entertainment Studios
Praise Petey[9] | 2023 | Animation services | 20th Television Animation
Vida the Vet | 2024–present |  | Spin Master Entertainment
Rock Paper Scissors | animation services | Nickelodeon Animation Studio
X-Men '97 | 2024 | additional 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–present | animation services | Nickelodeon Animation Studio

#### Films

[edit]

Title  | Year(s)  | Notes  | Client

|
|
|

Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor | 2017  |  | Mattel Creations
The Great Northern Candy Drop |  | Boat Rocker Media
Thomas & Friends: Big World, Big Adventures! | 2018  |  | Mattel Creations
No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie | 2024  | animation services  | Nickelodeon Animation Studio

### Jam Filled Toronto

[edit]

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]

#### Dan Krech Productions

[edit]

* Eve of Destruction (1991) (post-production)
* High Tide (1994) (title design & graphics)
* Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995) (special effects)
* National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995) (special effects)
* Bogus (1996) (special effects)
* The Siege (1998)
* The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999; with Columbia TriStar Home Video)
* X-Men (2000)
* CyberWorld (2000)
* Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) (3D effects)
* Picture Claire (2001) (main titles)

#### DKP Effects

[edit]

* Space Station 3D (2002)
* The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest (2002) (special effects)
* 3-2-1 Penguins! (2002; with Big Idea Productions)
* Scourge of Worlds: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure (2003) (special effects)

#### DKP Studios

[edit]

* Game Over (2004)
* The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
* Nerf N-Strike (2004; with Hasbro)
* VeggieTales (2004–2005; with Big Idea Productions)
* Shoebox Zoo (2004–2005; with Blueprint Entertainment, BBC Scotland, and Alberta Filmworks) (TV)
* Surly Squirrel (2005) (short film)
* The Happy Elf (2005)
* Everyone's Hero (2006; with 20th Century Fox)

#### Starz Animation

[edit]

Logo of Starz Animation

* VeggieTales (2006–07; with Big Idea Productions)
* The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008; with Universal Pictures and Big Idea Productions)
* Space Chimps (2008; with 20th Century Fox and Vanguard Animation)
* Chop Socky Chooks (2008; with Aardman Animations and Decode Entertainment) (TV)
* 9 (2009; with Focus Features and Relativity Media)
* Yes, Virginia (2009) (TV)
* Gnomeo & Juliet (2011; with Touchstone Pictures and Rocket Pictures)
* Camelot (2011) (visual effects)
* The Simpsons ("Condiments" sequence) (2011)

#### Arc Productions

[edit]

Logo of Arc Productions

* Matt Hatter Chronicles (2011)[20]
* Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
* Dolphin Tale (2011)
* Snack Attack (2012) (short film)
* Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012–15)
* Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012) (visual effects)[21]
* Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload (2013)[22]
* Pixie Hollow Bake Off (2013)
* Robosapien: Rebooted (2013)
* Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale (2013)
* Thomas & Friends: Series 17–20 (2013–16, with HiT Entertainment)[23]
* Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway (2013, with HiT Entertainment)[23][24]
* Thomas & Friends: Tale of the Brave (2014, with HiT Entertainment)
* Thomas & Friends: The Adventure Begins (2015, with HiT Entertainment)
* Little Boy (2015; with Open Road Films and Metonia Films)
* Lost in Oz (pilot; 2015)
* Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015, with HiT Entertainment)
* Barbie & Her Sisters in The Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
* Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled (2015)[25]
* Before I Wake (2016) (special effects)
* Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016)
* Thomas & Friends: The Great Race (2016, with HiT Entertainment)
* Elena of Avalor (2016)[5]
* Barbie: Star Light Adventure (2016)
* Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016)[5]
* Tarzan and Jane (2017)[5]

## References

[edit]

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. ^ a b "Jam Filled completes Arc transaction". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
5. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b 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.

## External links

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

Animation industry in Canada

Active
companies|

* 9 Story Media Group
* Brown Bag Films
* Portfolio Entertainment
* 10th Ave. Productions
* a.k.a. Cartoon
* Animal Logic
* Arcana Studio
* Atomic Cartoons
* Bardel Entertainment
* Big Bad Boo
* Boat Rocker Media
* Jam Filled Entertainment
* CinéGroupe
* Cinesite
* Cinesite Animation
* Nitrogen Studios
* Image Engine
* L'Atelier Animation
* Clyde Henry Productions
* Corus Entertainment
* Nelvana
* Cuppa Coffee Studios
* Fresh TV
* Frima Studio
* Global Mechanic
* Guru Studio
* Heroic Television
* Image Entertainment Corporation
* Lionsgate Canada
* Blue Ant Media
* Look Mom! Productions
* Mercury Filmworks
* National Film Board of Canada
* PiP Animation Services
* Rodeo FX
* Scanline VFX
* Sinking Ship Entertainment
* Skycron
* Slap Happy Cartoons
* Smiley Guy Studios
* Sony Pictures Imageworks
* Spin Master Entertainment
* The Embassy Visual Effects
* Toon Boom Animation
* ToonBox Entertainment
* Walt Disney Animation Studios Vancouver
* WildBrain
* House of Cool
* WildBrain Studios Vancouver
* Wow Unlimited Media
* Mainframe Studios
* Yowza! Animation

Defunct
companies|

* Arc Productions
* Atkinson Film-Arts
* Breakthrough Entertainment
* C.O.R.E.
* CCI Entertainment
* Collideascope
* FatKat Animation
* Funbag Animation Studios
* Gordon Stanfield Animation
* Krantz Films
* Lacewood Productions
* March Entertainment
* Meteor Studios
* MokkoStudio
* Phoenix Animation Studios
* Pixar Canada
* Radical Sheep Productions
* WildBrain
* Cookie Jar Group
* Decode Entertainment
* Nerd Corps Entertainment
* Studio B Productions
* Tooncan
* Walt Disney Animation Canada

Related topics|

* Canadian comics
* Quebec comics
* Independent animation

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template