Day 1: Shooting begins on “Long Goodbyes” at Wapos Bay Studio

monique.vezina | January 25th, 2011 | Process | 0 Comments »

The stop motion children’s animation series that has been going for five seasons and won numerous awards and screened at festivals around the world officially begins production on its movie today. The production team is also delighted to announce the launch of WaposBay.com and their production blog, as well as the development of a “Wapos Bay” video game.

Here’s a quick peak at the studio from yesterday:

“It’s been a long journey for us,” said producer Anand Ramayya of their start in 2003 with a pilot episode, the eventual development to a series that began airing in 2005, and winning their fourth Gemini award in 2010. “In the last five years we’ve done over $11 million dollars of production in Saskatoon, and we’ve employed over 50 people every single year. We’re proud to have built up the reputation we have [as being one of the top-rated stop motion studios in the country].”

“Long Goodbyes” will be the final installment of the TV series. In addition to regulars Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas) and Gordon Tootoosis (Legends of the Fall), expect to hear some new voices in the movie, including Canada AM’s Seamus O’Regan, Beverly Thomson, Marci Ien and Jeff Hutcheson. The movie will premiere in the fall on APTN with a limited advance theatrical release.

View an animatic teaser clip from the movie at:

Wapos Bay Series Now Playing in French on APTN

wapos | January 11th, 2011 | Press | 0 Comments »

January 10, 2011 (Saskatoon, SK) – The four-time Gemini award winning Wapos Bay series will now reach French-speaking audiences across Canada on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

The French version of Wapos Bay is now showing on APTN on Mondays at 9:00am ET (HD), 10:00am ET (East), 4:30pm ET (East & HD), Tuesdays at 4:30pm MT (West) and Sundays at 9:00am ET (HD) and 10:00am ET (East). Highlights of the series include a guest visit from Mike Holmes (Holmes on Homes) in “Self Improvement,” as well as film festival hits “Raiders of the Lost Art,” “Raven Power” and “The Hardest Lesson.”

Montreal-based DBCom Media versioned 13 of the 34 episodes with the financial support of the Canada Media Fund (formerly the Canadian Television Fund), National Film Board of Canada and APTN.

“We really fell in love with the show. Mainly for its wonderful characters, but also for the impressive craftmenship and the compelling, funny and intelligent stories. DBcom Media is happy and proud to have participated in presenting to the French speaking audience such a soulful and refreshing show.”

-  Dominique Lalonde, Directrice de production, DBCom.

Actors included great Quebec talents such as Guy Nadon (Mushom), Hugolin Chevrette (Devon), Élisabeth Chouvalidzé (Kokum Mary) and François-Nicolas Dolan (T-Bear), who also played Nemo in the French version of Finding Nemo.

View a clip and read about DBcom’s adaptation at:

(Francais) http://bit.ly/hYFi9l

(English) http://bit.ly/gGLGpg

L’adaptation de Wapos Bay

wapos | January 11th, 2011 | Process | 0 Comments »

De Dominique Lalonde, Directrice de la production, DBcom …

La création de la version française de Wapos Bay a été un vrai plaisir pour l’équipe de DBcom Media. Nous nous sommes très rapidement attaché à cette émission; surtout pour ses merveilleux personnages, mais aussi pour le très beau travail de conception et d’animation, ainsi que les histoires drôles et intelligentes. Nous avons eu très peu de temps pour réaliser l’adaptation, mais tout est tombé en place de belle façon. Plusieurs des choix de casting étaient évidents, et nous avons pu compter sur des acteurs chevronnés et talentueux tel que Guy Nadon (Mushom), Hugolin Chevrette (Devon), Élisabeth Chouvalidzé (Khokum Marie) et François-Nicolas Dolan (T-Bear), qui a notamment interprété Nemo dans la version française de Finding Nemo (Trouver Nemo). Nous nous sommes amusés tout au long du processus, et la collaboration avec la production a été des plus agréables. Nous avions leur pleine confiance et nous sommes efforcés de dépasser leurs attentes. DBcom Media est très fière d’avoir contribué à la présentation au public francophone de cette série attachante et rafraîchissante.

En espérant que vous aurez autant de plaisir que nous à la regarder!

DBcom Media est une boîte de création télévisuelle qui met l’accent sur l’originalité. Forts des 35 années d’expérience de notre président et de notre réputation de créativité et de fiabilité, nous avons créé dans plusieurs domaines. Nous avons produit tant des séries documentaires que des magazines, des campagnes publicitaires, des vidéoclips, des vidéos corporatives, des longs métrages et des captations de grands concerts et d’événements politiques. Notre plus récente série, Ports d’attache, a été présentée cet automne à TV5 et remporta un grand succès. Elle sera bientôt diffusée en version anglaise sur Discovery Channel et nous en sommes à produire une deuxième saison.

À travers nos productions originales ainsi que nos services de production, de postproduction et d’adaptation et doublage auprès d’autres producteurs et entreprises, nous sommes impliqués dans plus de 300 productions annuellement. Nos projets ont été vus sur les ondes de la majorité des télédiffuseurs du Canada : TV5, ASTRAL (Canal D, Historia, Canal Vie, Z télé), SRC/CBC, APTN, TFO,TVO, Musimax, Bravo, Global, CTV, TVA et ARTV. Nous sommes aussi diffusés en Europe et en Afrique.
Doublages récents:
La 11e heure (The Eleventh Hour)
Haiti au coeur du désastre (Inside Disaster, Haiti)
Wapos Bay Saisons 3 et 4
Le cosaque de la rue Saint-Urbain (Mordecai Richler, the Last of the Wild Jews)

Adapting Wapos Bay

wapos | January 11th, 2011 | Process | 0 Comments »

From Dominique Lalonde, Directrice de production, DBcom…

Making the French version of Wapos Bay was a real treat for the DBcom Media team. We really fell in love with the show. Mainly for its wonderful characters, but also for the impressive craftmenship and the compelling, funny and intelligent stories.

We had a very short period to produce the French version, but everything came together beautifully. Most of the casting choices were evident as we resorted to great Quebec talents such as Guy Nadon (Mushom), Hugolin Chevrette (Devon), Élisabeth Chouvalidzé (Kokum Mary) and François-Nicolas Dolan (T-Bear), who also played Nemo in the French version of Finding Nemo. The whole process was a lot of fun, including the collaboration with the original production team. We had their full confidence and worked to exceed their expectations. DBcom Media is happy and proud to have paticipated in presenting to the French-speaking audience such a soulful and refreshing show.
Enjoy!


DBcom Media is a TV production company that likes to stand out. Strenghtened by the 35 years of experience of our president and our reputation of creativity and reliability, we have created in many fields. We have produced documentary series, magazines, promotional campaigns, music videos, corporate videos, feature films and captations of concerts and political events. Our most recent production, the documentary series Ports d’attache, had great success on TV5 this fall, and the English version will be airing this year on Discovery. We are now producing the second season in French and English. With our original productions, as well as through our production, post-production, adaptation and dubbing services for other companies, we are involved in over 300 productions each year. Our projects have been seen on all major Canadian networks: TV5, ASTRAL (Canal D, Historia, Canal Vie, Z télé), CBC/SRC, APTN, TFO, TVO, Musimax, Bravo, Global, CTV, TVA and ARTV. We are also broadcasted in Europe and Africa.

Recent adaptations:
Wapos Bay Seasons 3 and 4
Mordecai Richler, the Last of the Wild Jews

Season Premiere of Wapos Bay with David Suzuki

wapos | September 30th, 2010 | Press | 0 Comments »

September 30, 2010 – The three-time Gemini Award winning Wapos Bay is kicking off this season with a special guest star that many fans will recognize. T-Bear, Talon and Devon travel to the future and the past with The Nature of Things’ David Suzuki in order to save the Earth from environmental disaster.

‘Time Management” will launch the fifth and final season of the children’s stop motion animated TV series. The broadcast premiere is Wednesday, October 6th at 2:00 p.m. MST (4:00 p.m. EST) on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

Wapos Bay Receives Five Gemini Nominations

wapos | September 29th, 2010 | Awards, Press | 0 Comments »

1 September 2010 – The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced that Wapos Bay, the stop motion animated children’s series broadcast on APTN and SCN, has received five Gemini Award nominations. The 25th Annual Gemini Awards ceremony will be held in Toronto November 2nd and 3rd, 2010.

Wapos Bay is among five productions nominated for Best Animated Program or Series. DerRic Starlight, the voice behind the character of Devon, received a nomination for Best Performance in an Animated Program or Series. Trevor Cameron earned two nominations; one for Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series, and one for Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series, both for the episode, The Hardest Lesson. Ross Nykiforuk joins the list of nominees for Best Original Music Score for an Animated Program or Series (The Hardest Lesson).

The announcement comes on the eve of the broadcast premiere of Season 5 on APTN, the September launch of the digital media properties, and pre-production for the Wapos Bay Movie commencing in October.

Producer/ writer/ director Melanie Jackson comments: “Working on Wapos Bay has been a wondrous experience. The cast and crew have had such faith in the production since we began, that we’ve built a family. I’m very honored and ecstatic with this years nominations and I know with unwavering confidence they are well earned. I offer my congratulations and appreciation to the nominees, cast and crew of Wapos Bay for their hard work and undying enthusiasm for the little show that could!”

Wapos Bay season five premieres Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) with special guest star David Suzuki (The Nature of Things). Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN) broadcasts seasons three and four. Wapos Bay Productions is currently in pre-production for the Movie of the Week.