Secret Location
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Secret Location was a content studio that won a Cannes Lion Award and multiple Emmy awards; spanned across web, mobile, tablet and other platforms such as Virtual and Augmented Reality; and, based in Toronto and LA.
Background
Secret Location was launched in 2009 by founders James Milward, Ryan Andal and Pietro Gagliano. It has content studios in Canada and the US.{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |last2= |date=February 12, 2015 |title=Secret Location makes key hire for new Los Angeles office |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2015/02/12/secret-location-makes-key-hire-for-new-los-angeles-office/ |access-date=2023-11-09}}
Secret Location staff have worked with clients including Samsung, Red Bull Canada, TELUS, Toyota, Cadbury, Air Canada, Mitsubishi, National Film Board of Canada, Stanfield's, War Child, Focus Features, Fox Studios, NBC, Warner Bros., Disney XD, BET, PBS/Frontline, Nickelodeon/Teen Nick, Family Channel, CBC, MTV UK, YTV, CTV, [https://www.teletoon.com/ TELETOON], City TV, Global TV, Showcase, OLN, MGM, Endemol, Sony Pictures / Television, eOne, Shaftesbury Films, and Temple Street.
In 2014, eOne made an equity investment in the studio.{{Cite web|title = Entertainment One Makes Strategic Investment in Leading Interactive Agency Secret Location|url = https://www.marketwired.com/press-release/entertainment-one-makes-strategic-investment-leading-interactive-agency-secret-location-lse-eto-1914463.htm|website = Marketwire|accessdate = 2015-11-11}}
, and in 2016, eOne fully acquired Secret Location.{{Cite web |last=Pinto |first=Jordan |last2= |date=August 17, 2016 |title=eOne acquires full stake in Secret Location |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2016/08/17/eone-acquires-full-stake-in-secret-location/ |access-date=2023-11-09}}
In 2019, eOne and Secret Location were acquired by Hasbro{{Cite web |title=Hasbro to Acquire Entertainment One Adding Brands and Expanding Storytelling Through Global Entertainment {{!}} Hasbro |url=https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-acquire-entertainment-one-adding-brands-and-expanding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205191317/https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-acquire-entertainment-one-adding-brands-and-expanding |archive-date=2023-02-05 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Hasbro}}
and in 2022, Hasbro announced the close of Secret Location and its merging into the larger Hasbro organization, along with laying off all studio employees.{{cite web | url=https://www.c21media.net/news/eone-owned-vr-studio-secret-location-closes-amid-hasbro-strategic-review/ | title=EOne-owned VR studio Secret Location closes amid Hasbro strategic review }}
Since then, they have partnered with VRSE{{Cite web |last=Haynes |first=Megan |last2= |date=January 27, 2015 |title=Secret Location signs with Chris Milk’s VRSE.works |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2015/01/27/secret-location-delves-into-vr/ |access-date=2023-11-09}} and LA talent agency UTA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/uta-signs-digital-content-studio-833181/|title = UTA Signs Digital Content Studio Secret Location (Exclusive)| website=The Hollywood Reporter |date = 20 October 2015}}
Awards
The company is a two-time Emmy{{Cite web |title=Television Academy |url=https://www.emmys.com/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Television Academy |language=en}} winner. Secret Location won its first International Emmy for an interactive episode og the Canadian TV Series Endgame.{{cite web | url=https://www.iemmys.tv/2012-international-digital-emmy-awards-winners-announced/ | title=2012 INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EMMY® AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED – International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences }} In 2015 they won a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award{{Cite web|url=https://uploadvr.com/taylor-swift-emmy-sleepy-hollow-vr/|title = Taylor Swift and Secret Location win the first two Emmys ever for VR| date=11 September 2015 }} in the User Experience and Visual Design category for a tie-in to the drama series Sleepy Hollow. It was the first time a virtual reality project had been awarded an Emmy.{{Cite web|title = 'Sleepy Hollow' wins first-ever Emmy award for a virtual reality experience|url = https://mashable.com/archive/sleepy-hollow-vr|website = Mashable|accessdate = 2015-11-11|first = Adario Strange2015-09-16 01:17:00|last = UTC|date = 16 September 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/15/9328673/virtual-reality-wins-first-emmy-sleepy-hollow|title=Virtual reality wins its first Emmy|last=McCormick|first=Rich|date=2015-09-15|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2019-10-06}}
The company is a three-time Webby Award winner, 13-time Canadian Screen Award/Gemini winner, and has won awards from AToMiC, Creativity International, CASSIES, the Marketing Awards, and Banff World Media festival.
References
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.secretlocation.com/}}
{{Entertainment One}}
Category:Companies based in Toronto
Category:Canadian companies established in 2008
Category:Canadian companies disestablished in 2022
Category:Entertainment companies of Canada