Line #36 Creator/MainframeStudios


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mainframe_studios_logo.png]]
2
3	Mainframe Studios (formerly Mainframe Entertainment and Rainmaker Entertainment) is a UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}-based computer animation studio owned by Creator/GeniusBrandsInternational, specializing mostly in animated TV shows and DirectToVideo movies.
4
5	Established by Gavin Blair and Ian Pearson, both English born, the company was founded with the intent of creating the first computer animated show, ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''. Prior to that, the two were known mostly for providing the computer animation for the rock band Music/DireStraits music video "Money For Nothing." (If you look closely, one of the fictional videos is credited to the "Ian Pearson Band".)
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7	The production of ''[=ReBoot=]'' was troublesome because the amount of money going into a project like this required an entire animation studio to be built. This meant that they needed to start with a full season or nothing. Unlike other animated shows where they produce a concept pilot to try and sell the series, the money for equipment and business space was much higher. The animation may look primitive, especially considering Creator/{{Pixar}}'s groundbreaking work for ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' at the same time, but it should be considered that they were still the first people to get it [[UrExample out in the open]].
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9	When ''[=ReBoot=]'' became a hit, Mainframe became a hot item to produce MerchandiseDriven series, most notably reviving the then-struggling Franchise/{{Transformers}} brand with ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. ''Beast Wars'' was an even bigger hit because it came with a built-in fanbase; owing to the series' story, voice acting, and animation, many fans consider it to be one of the best incarnations of the franchise.
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11	Thanks to their success, the studio was able to [[UnCanceled continue]] ''[=ReBoot=]'' in 2001. When the show was cancelled again, Gavin Blair and Ian Pearson left the company to pursue other projects. This was one of the turning points when the company began to fall into trouble.
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13	The MerchandiseDriven shows fell into less competent hands and were not nearly as popular as ''Beast Wars''. They barely managed to stay afloat with Direct-To-Video franchises, such as [[WesternAnimation/{{Barbie}} films based on the]] ''Toys/{{Barbie}}'' franchise (which continue to this day as a studio mainstay), but in 2007, the company was ultimately bought out by the Rainmaker Income Fund and renamed Rainmaker Entertainment. They kept the Mainframe studio to use for entirely animated productions, while Rainmaker itself is known for doing special effects for LiveActionTV, until being bought by Creator/CompositeImageSystems and later Creator/MethodStudios.
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15	In October 2016, Rainmaker folded under WOW! Unlimited Media, a new holding company formed after the studio purchased the New York-based [[Creator/FrederatorStudios Frederator Networks]]. Following the merger, Rainmaker Entertainment would be consolidated into Mainframe Studios, which focuses on CGI-animated television series, and Rainmaker Studios, which develops feature-length animated films. The WOW-era not only continued the studio's decline, but saw their output overshadowed in quality and reception by that of the U.S-based Frederator Studios.
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17	In 2020, the Rainmaker name would be dropped, merging the television and film divisions under the Mainframe Studios branding, [[RevisitingtheRoots essentially rebranding the studio back to its original name]].
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19	----
20	!!Projects from Mainframe Entertainment (1991-2007) include:
21
22	[[index]]
23	* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''
24	* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''
25	** ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines''
26	* ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsWorldRace''
27	** ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsAcceleracers''
28	* ''WesternAnimation/ShadowRaiders / WesternAnimation/WarPlanets''
29	* ''WesternAnimation/WeirdOhs''
30	* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000''
31	* ''WesternAnimation/CaspersHauntedChristmas''
32	* ''WesternAnimation/MaxSteel'' (Third season only)
33	* ''TabletopGame/HeavyGear: The Animated Series''
34	* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheNewAnimatedSeries''
35	* ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Popeye's Voyage: The Quest For Pappy]]''
36	* Many (but not all[[note]]Some of the later ones were made by [[Creator/MovingPictureCompany Technicolor]] (an animation studio with only very loose ties to the original company behind the [[BrandNameTakeover Technicolor]] film process) and Creator/ArcProductions (best known for ''WebAnimation/BarbieLifeInTheDreamhouse''); before then, ''WesternAnimation/TheBarbieDiaries'' was done by [[WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor Curious]] [[WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity Pictures]], who had done ''Toys/MyScene'' and ''Toys/PollyPocket''-related projects for Mattel.[[/note]]) of the ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' DirectToVideo [[WesternAnimation/{{Barbie}} movies]].
37	* ''WesternAnimation/ArthursMissingPal'' (with Creator/CrestAnimationProductions)
38	* ''Film/StuartLittle 3''
39	* ''Series/{{Zixx}}'' (Season one as Mainframe, seasons two and three under the Rainmaker name; series with Creator/ElliottAnimation)
40
41	----
42	!!Projects from Rainmaker include:
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44	* ''Series/StargateSG1''
45	** ''Series/StargateAtlantis''
46	* ''Film/Armageddon1998''
47	* ''Series/DeadLikeMe''
48	* ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}''
49	* ''Film/JackFrost1998'' (the family film, [[SimilarlyNamedWorks not the]] slasher film)
50	* ''Series/LosLuchadores''
51	* ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo'' (LiveActionAdaptation)
52	* ''Series/Millennium1996''
53	* ''[[WesternAnimation/OpenSeason Open Season: Scared Silly]]''
54	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995''
55	* ''Film/{{Supernova}}''
56	* ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp2Wavemania''
57	* ''Series/DarkAngel''
58	* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}''
59	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''
60	* ''Film/ThreeThousandMilesToGraceland''
61	* ''Film/BallisticEcksVsSever''
62	* ''Film/IRobot''
63	* ''Series/KingdomHospital''
64	* ''Film/TropicThunder'' (uncredited, last project under the ''original'' Rainmaker banner)
65	* ''Film/FredClaus''
66	* ''WesternAnimation/EscapeFromPlanetEarth'' (First theatrically-released film)
67	* ''WesternAnimation/RatchetAndClank2016'' (Second theatrically-released film)
68	----
69	!!Projects from Mainframe Studios include:
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71	* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieDreamhouseAdventures''
72	* ''WesternAnimation/BobTheBuilder'' (2015; Season 1 only)
73	* ''Series/ReBootTheGuardianCode''
74	* ''WesternAnimation/SpyKidsMissionCritical'' (with [[Creator/DimensionFilms Dimension Television]])
75	* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieDreamhouseAdventures''
76	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOctonauts'' (from Season 6 onwards)
77	** ''WesternAnimation/OctonautsAboveAndBeyond''
78	* ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarALittleWild'' (with Creator/DreamWorksAnimation)
79	* ''WesternAnimation/RatchetAndClankLifeOfPie''
80	* ''WesternAnimation/TonyHawkInBoomBoomSabotage''
81	[[/index]]
82	----
83	!!Post-production work (through Rainmaker) includes:
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85	* ''Manga/DragonBall'' (1995 dub)
86	* ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}''
87	* ''Series/SoWeird''
88	* ''Series/Millennium1996''
89	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995''
90	* ''Series/StargateSG1''
91	** ''Series/StargateAtlantis''
92	* ''Film/MissionToMars''
93	* ''Film/FinalDestination''
94	* ''Franchise/{{Patlabor}}'' (Movies only, dub)
95	* ''Series/DaVincisInquest''
96	* ''Film/BallisticEcksVsSever''
97	* ''Series/DeadLikeMe''
98	* ''Series/TruCalling''
99	* ''Series/ColdSquad'' (Several episodes)
100	* ''Series/MastersOfHorror''
101	----
102
103	!! Tropes:
104	* AnimatedMusicVideo: One of the most famous ever, their video for Music/DireStraits' "Money For Nothing" was the very first music video to feature fully CGI characters. It ended up beating a different animated video, Music/{{Aha}}'s "Take On Me," for a Best Music Video award at the 1985 Grammys. They would also handle the CG animation for Music/DefLeppard's "Let's Get Rocked" during the production of ''[=ReBoot=]''
105	* ArtEvolution: The progress of computer graphics took great effect on their later productions.
106	* CutShort: Post-''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', a LOT of Mainframe's serialized shows tend to [[LeftHanging end with no resolution]], [[DownerEnding or]] [[{{Cliffhanger}} worse]].
107	* InNameOnly: The Mainframe Studios division launched in 2013, which is Rainmaker's television unit.
108	* NoFlowInCGI: Very common in their works, and became even more evident post-2000.
109	* SignatureStyle: Their visual style is very easy to identify regardless of if it's an animated or VFX work. Especially with how metallic surfaces are rendered.
110	* SpiritualSuccessor: Nerd Corps Entertainment is considered this. ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'' isn't produced by Mainframe, but has some of the same talent working on it. Sadly, they were absorbed by Creator/DHXMedia in 2014.

Context Creator / MainframeStudios