March Entertainment

March Entertainment was a Canadian animation studio of digital animated entertainment for television and the World Wide Web. The company's properties include the television series Chilly Beach, Maple Shorts, Yam Roll, and Dex Hamilton.

Founded as Infopreneur in 1996 by Dan Hawes and Doug Sinclair as a producer of web content,{{cite web|url=https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/technology/animated-success-0404-363154|title=Animated success|first=Ian|last=Ross|date=2004-07-19|access-date=2024-06-16|website=Northern Ontario Business}}{{cite web|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37087135111|title=Dan Hawes|website=IEEE Xplore|access-date=2024-06-15}} March Entertainment's Chilly Beach Flash animation series{{cite web|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2000/05/15/29119-20000515/|website=Playback|title=Infopreneur showcases weird Canadians|date=2000-05-15|access-date=2024-06-12}} would be broadcast on CBC Television starting in 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/great-white-north-park/article1045060/|title=Great White North Park|website=The Globe and Mail|first=Rebecca|last=Caldwell|date=2003-09-03|access-date=2024-06-06}} The property also yielded two movies, The World is Hot Enough{{cite web|url=https://www.sudbury.com/lifestyle/chilly-beach-movie-the-world-is-hot-enough-makes-national-debut-218386|website=Sudbury.com|title=Chilly Beach movie, The World is Hot Enough, makes national debut|date=2007-12-31|access-date=2024-06-12}} and The Canadian President.{{Cite web|url=http://www.canadiananimationresources.ca/?p=4820|title=Press release: Chilly Beach on Hulu – CARTOON NORTH|website=Canadian Animation Resources|first=Mike|last=Valiquette|date=2011-05-09|access-date=2024-06-12}} In 2011, the series launched in the U.S. on the streaming video website Hulu;{{cite web|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2011/05/06/chilly-beach-heads-to-hulu/|title=Chilly Beach heads to Hulu|first=Emily|last=Claire Afan|date=2011-05-06|access-date=2024-06-12|website=Playback}} the series had also been available on iTunes.{{cite web|url=https://www.tv-eh.com/2009/08/22/updated-canadian-tv-on-itunes/|website=TV, eh?|title=Updated: Canadian TV on iTunes|date=2009-08-22|first=Diane|last=Wild|access-date=2024-06-12}} Their series Yam Roll also made it to Hulu via Catherine Tait's distributor Duopoly Inc, which also released Smiley Guy Studios' Odd Job Jack.{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2011/07/duopoly-brings-yam-roll-online-to-hulu/|title=Duopoly Brings 'Yam Roll' Online to Hulu|date=2011-06-18|access-date=2024-06-15|website=Animation Magazine}}

In 2007, the company co-produced the series Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist with Australia's SLR Productions.{{cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2012/04/10/march-entertainment-inks-deals-for-animated-feature-films/|title=March Entertainment inks deals for animated feature films|first=Danielle|last=Ng-See-Quan|date=2012-04-10|access-date=2024-06-15|website=KidScreen}}{{cite web|url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/dex-hamilton--alien-entomologist-2009/26518/|title=Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist|website=Screen Australia|access-date=2024-06-15}} The company also co-produced G2G: Got to Go, which aired on Australia's Nine Network in September 2008 and before airing on Canada's CBC-TV.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/g2g_got_to_go |title=Program Guide - Programs |publisher=CBC.ca |access-date=2012-01-04}}

In 2009, March produced its first and only animated movie for toymaker Playmobil, entitled The Secret of Pirate Island.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/40266|title=Playmobil: The Secret of Pirate Island|date=2009-10-21|first=Tyler|last=Foster|website=DVD Talk}} The company was in production for a second DVD movie, which has since been scrapped.{{cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/march-entertainment-co-produces-full-3d-movies-for-playmobil-539006551.html|title=March Entertainment Co-Produces Full 3D movies for Playmobil|publisher=Newswire.ca |date=2009-11-27 |access-date=2012-01-04}}

March animated season 1 of Mia and Me, an international co-production with Rainbow S.p.A., broadcaster ZDF and Lucky Punch.{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2012/06/mattel-makes-playdate-with-mia-and-me/|website=Animation Magazine|title=Mattel Makes Playdate with 'Mia and Me'|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|date=2012-06-07|access-date=2024-05-16}} The show, which mixes live action and CGI animation, was the most requested program at 2010s MIPJunior conference.{{cite web|author=TV |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/mia-and-me-is-mip-jr-%E2%80%99s-most-requested-show/ |title=Mia and Me is MIP Jr.'s Most-Requested Show |work=Animation Magazine |date=2010-10-06 |access-date=2012-01-04}}

March Entertainment was also responsible for the websites iLaugh and Edge of Toon.

The company went into decline in the early 2010s,{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiananimationresources.ca/2009/09/rumour-killer-march-entertainment-sudbury/|title=Rumour-killer, March Entertainment, Sudbury|first=Mike|last=Valiquette|date=2009-09-22|access-date=2024-06-15|website=Canadian Animation Resources}} despite an investment of provincial funds,{{cite web|url=https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/around-the-north/province-bolsters-sudbury-animation-studio-368081|title=Province bolsters Sudbury animation studio|website=Northern Ontario Business|date=2011-12-05|access-date=2024-06-15}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/nohfc-invests-25-million-in-animation-studio-237985|title=NOHFC invests $2.5 million in animation studio|first=Arron|last=Pickard|date=2011-12-02|access-date=2024-06-15|website=Sudbury.com}} and was ultimately succeeded by Toonrush.{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/stratford-school-of-interaction-design-and-business/profiles/dan-hawes|title=Dan Hawes|website=Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business|access-date=2024-06-15}}{{cite web|url=https://london.ctvnews.ca/vr-learning-pilot-project-captures-student-focus-in-clinton-1.5951192|title=VR learning pilot project captures student focus in Clinton|first=Scott|last=Miller|date=2022-06-17|access-date=2024-06-15|website=CTV News}}{{cite web|url=https://www.goderichsignalstar.com/news/central-huron-secondary-schools-virtual-reality-pilot-program-a-success-2|title=Central Huron Secondary School's virtual reality pilot program a success|first=Kathleen|last=Smith|date=2022-05-26|access-date=2024-06-15|website=Goderich Signal Star}}

The company's head office was in Toronto and it had an animation studio located in Sudbury,{{cite web|url=https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/made-in-sudbury-chilly-beach-207940|title=Made in Sudbury: Chilly Beach|website=Sudbury.com|first=Keith|last=Lacey|date=2006-03-20|access-date=2024-06-12}} before closing in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://portal.snoed.ca/history-changers/dan-hawes-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-sudbury-animation-studio-7041118|title=Dan Hawes: The rise and fall of a Sudbury animation studio|website=Sustainable Northern Ontario Economic Development|date=24 May 2023 |access-date=2024-06-15}}