Mainframe Studios

Mainframe Studios is a Canadian animation production studio focused on long-form character animation, series, features and intellectual-property development. Founded in 1993 as Mainframe Entertainment, it became an early force in computer-generated television with ReBoot, identified as the world’s first fully CG-animated half-hour television series.

The Vancouver-headquartered studio develops and produces work across 3D/CGI and 2D animation. Its capabilities span creative concept and script development, character design, modelling, rigging, layout, animation, and full production from pre-production through post-production. Mainframe also works with real-time and Unreal Engine production workflows, alongside 2D pipelines using Toon Boom Harmony.

Production focus

Mainframe’s work is centred on children’s and family entertainment, including preschool series, television productions, direct-to-video films and theatrical projects. It supports co-production, IP development, production-pipeline integration, remote studio management, commercial strategy and international co-financing.

Its credited productions include ReBoot, Beast Wars: Transformers, Beast Machines: Transformers, the Barbie film series, Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, The Octonauts, Octonauts: Above & Beyond, SuperKitties, Unicorn Academy, CoComelon, Madagascar: A Little Wild, Spy Kids: Mission Critical, Team Zenko Go, ReBoot: The Guardian Code, Phoebe & Jay, Andrew the Big BIG Unicorn, Escape from Planet Earth and Ratchet & Clank.

Company history

The business has operated through several names: Mainframe Entertainment, Rainmaker Animation, Rainmaker Entertainment and Rainmaker Studios. On March 16, 2020, the studio consolidated its operations under the Mainframe Studios name. It operates as Mainframe Studios Inc., with WOW! Unlimited Media Inc. as its immediate corporate parent and Kartoon Studios, Inc. as ultimate parent.

Mainframe maintains a Canadian production presence in Vancouver and Toronto, serving broadcast, streaming, feature-film, digital-content and branded franchise markets.