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Mercury Filmworks is a Canadian independent animation studio based in Ottawa, Canada. The studio was originally founded in 1997 in Vancouver by current CEO, Clint Eland.
| File:Mercury Filmworks logo.svg | |
| Industry | Animation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[1] |
| Founder | Clint Eland[1] |
| Headquarters | , Canada[1] |
Key people | Clint Eland (CEO, President)[2] |
Number of employees | 250[1] (2016) |
| Divisions | Lighthouse Studios (50%) |
| Website | mercuryfilmworks |
Mercury Filmworks animates premium animation features and TV shows for a variety of companies including Disney, Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Universal, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, 20th Century FOX, SONY, Warner Bros, and more.
Recent Mercury Filmworks projects include Kid Cosmic, Hilda, Mickey Mouse, Tangled the Series[3], The Lion Guard, Give A Mouse A Cookie, Atomic Puppet, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Wander Over Yonder, and more.
Mercury Filmworks is a multi-award-winning studio, with many Emmy wins in many different categories, most recently an Emmy for the Netflix Series, Hilda[4].
The studio has over 340 employees employed at its Ottawa location and continues to show steady growth[5]. In 2020, Mercury Filmworks was named as one of the Best Offices in Ottawa by The Ottawa Business Journal[6].
History
Mercury Filmworks was founded in 1997 in Vancouver by Clint Eland, the current Chief Executive Officer. The studio started with a small investment from friends and family including Reg Eland, who became a partner overseeing finances from 1997 to 2002 and managing partner of the Vancouver studio from 2003 to 2006.
In the late 1990’s, technology was evolving to allow artists to paint and render images at a much faster pace and with greater and more consistent results. Mercury Filmworks was one of the first companies in North America to specialize in digital ink and paint services in Canada.
In 2000, Mercury Filmworks opened a studio location on King Street East in Toronto to satisfy a multi-year output deal for its services. Meanwhile, in its Vancouver studio, they produced D’Myna Leagues using digital ink & paint plus CG integration, creating the first Canadian animated television series to integrate 3D locations in a 2D series.
In 2004, Mercury Filmworks moved its Toronto studio to Ottawa where local animation director, Jerry Popowich, joined the company as a partner[7].
Mercury Filmworks was already a leader in the field of computer assisted traditional animation. However, in its Ottawa studio with the help of people like Director Christian Larocque, Rob Buchanan, Anthony Ng, Dave Merrit, Phil Lafrance, Graham Macdonald, Emma Gignac, and Craig Berry, Mercury Filmworks leveraged this to become one of the first companies in the world to produce an animated television series entirely in one studio using the beta version of Toon Boom Animation’s Harmony software. Using this software, they produced the series' “Mischief City” for Shaftesbury Films and YTV.
The following year, Mercury Filmworks animated “Gerald McBoing Boing”. This production was widely regarded as a new benchmark for quality in digital animation.
In 2007, the studio developed and co-produced “Toot & Puddle” with National Geographic for Nick Jr. This was the first use of advanced builds and rigging techniques resulting in a level of animation that was indistinguishable from hand drawn. This series set the new world bar for digital animation. Toot & Puddle was also one of Mercury Filmworks’s first proprietary series.
In 2008, Mercury Filmworks collaborated with Disney Television Animation on the series' “Kick Buttowski Suburban Daredevil." The series was the first full television series project with Disney Television Animation and one of Mercury’s first hybrid productions where characters were animated interchangeably and indistinguishably in both 2D and 3D. The series was one of the first examples of character-based CG Assists in a long form series..
The studio again collaborated with Disney Television Animation on “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” in 2009.The animation project pushed advanced builds and rigging techniques to a new level.
From 2012 to this day, Mercury Filmworks animates “Mickey Mouse” heritage shorts and television specials for Disney Television Animation[8]. They collaborated with Disney Television Animation and Director Paul Rudish on the award-winning reinvention of Mickey Mouse. The shorts have been widely regarded as the new benchmark when it comes to making digital animation look indistinguishable from the highest quality hand drawn animation.
In 2013, Mercury Filmworks produced “The Lion Guard” with Disney Television Animation. The Lion Guard is a television adaptation of the theatrical animated film “The Lion King”. The series involved advanced builds and rigging and heavy use of CG integration techniques for character and location assists. The Lion Guard set the standard for feature quality animation in long form television animation.
Two years later, the studio produced “Tangled the Series” with Disney Television Animation. A television adaptation of the theatrical animated film “Tangled”. The production methodologies used in the production were built upon the innovative techniques developed for The Lion Guard, and pushed animation and character performance levels to a new high.
Mercury Filmworks produced “Hilda” for Silvergate Media and Netflix in 2017. Hilda is one of the first series that didn’t push the bar in terms of process or technology. The artists involved focused on art, craft, and storytelling. The series has gone on to critical acclaim and is one of Netflix’s best and most successful animated series. It is widely referenced as a benchmark in storytelling.
Television series
Lighthouse Studios
| Show | Year(s) | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bug Diaries | 2019–present | Amazon Studios | |
| If You Give A Mouse A Cookie | 2019–present | Amazon Studios | season 2 |
| Little Ellen | 2021 | Warner Bros. Animation | |
| The Cuphead Show! | TBA | Netflix Animation |
Specials/shorts
| Feature | Year(s) | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Witch | 1999 | Sony Wonder | digital paint and effects |
| Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer | 2000 | Sony Wonder | digital ink and paint |
| Timothy Tweedle the First Christmas Elf | 2000 | Evening Sky | |
| Animated American | 2008 | James Baker and Joe Haidar | short film |
| Rapscallions | 2012 | Disney Television Animation | pilot |
| Shred Force | |||
| Thunderbeards | |||
| The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar | 2015 | ||
| Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special | 2016 | ||
| Tangled: Before Ever After | 2017 | ||
| The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular! | |||
| Oh Canada! A Coast to Coast Celebration of 150 Years | short film | ||
| The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar | Disney Television Animation | ||
| Canticos | 2018-present | Encantos Media |
Films
| Film | Year | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tigger Movie | 2000 | DisneyToon Studios | "Someone Like Me" sequence |
| Joseph: King of Dreams | 2000 | DreamWorks Animation | |
| The Kid | 2001 | Nelvana | |
| The Little Bear Movie | 2001 | Nelvana | |
| The Powerpuff Girls Movie | 2002 | Cartoon Network Studios | |
| Looney Tunes: Back in Action | 2003 | Warner Bros. Feature Animation | |
| Fat Albert | 2004 | 20th Century Fox | animation |
| Legend of Frosty the Snowman | 2005 | Classic Media | additional digital ink and paint, compositing |
| Curious George | 2006 | Universal Animation Studios | digital ink and paint services |
| Team Hot Wheels: The Origin of Awesome | 2014 | Mattel |
Theme parks
| Attraction | Year | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway[9] | 2020 | Walt Disney Imagineering | Animated sequences |
References
- ^ a b c d "Capital a tough draw for animation firms". Ottawa Business Journal. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (May 7, 2014). "Mercury Filmworks Opens Dublin Studio". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ Wit, Alex Dudok de (2020-08-05). "Here's The Biggest Animation News You Missed In July". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ "Streaming wars an exciting time for Ottawa's animation industry | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (2020-10-16). "Studio Spotlight: Mercury Filmworks". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ "Best Offices Ottawa: Beyond the walls". Ottawa Business Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2017-09-28). "Mercury Filmworks Makes Key Promotions, Management Hires". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ "Mercury Filmworks, Cartoon Saloon launch Irish studio". Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ "Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway has officially left the station at Disney's Hollywood Studios!..." Mercury Filmwork's Facebook. Retrieved September 30, 2020.