Big Idea Entertainment

Big Idea Entertainment, LLC
Subsidiary
Founded 1989 (1989) (GRAFx Studios)
1993 (1993) (Big Idea Entertainment)
Founders
Headquarters Franklin, Tennessee, United States
Key people
  • Mike Nawrocki
  • (Executive Vice President)
  • Leslie Ferrell
  • (General Manager)
  • Tim Hodge
  • (Director)
Products VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins! and other faith-based products
Owner Comcast
Parent

Big Idea Entertainment (simply known as Big Idea, formerly known as Big Idea Productions and Big Idea, Inc.) is an American Christian animation studio best known for its computer-animated VeggieTales series of Christian-themed family home videos.

It is a subsidiary of DreamWorks Classics, which in turn is owned by DreamWorks Animation, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast.

Company history

Big Idea was founded in 1989 under the name GRAFx Studios by Phil Vischer to create graphics in television commercials. That same year Vischer created a 12-second short film called Mr. Cuke's Screen Test. This short inspired him and Mike Nawrocki to create VeggieTales in 1993. The company's first video, Where's God When I'm S-Scared?, was released the same year. Rapidly running out of office space, Big Idea relocated to the Chicago suburbs in 1997 with the purchase of the DuPage Theater in Lombard, Illinois.[1] However, renovation delays, unforeseen building conditions, and lengthy zoning battles resulted. In the interim, the company was guided by City of Lombard officials to rent space at the Yorktown Center, a local mall.

In 2003, after management and financial issues and a lawsuit by Lyrick Studios, Big Idea declared bankruptcy and was auctioned off to Classic Media.[2][3] After purchase by Classic Media, the company relocated to Nashville in 2004.

In March 2009, Entertainment Rights sold its UK- and US-based subsidiaries, including Big Idea and Classic Media, to Boomerang Media.[4] As of 2011 Big Idea, Inc. has been repackaged officially as Big Idea Entertainment, LLC. In July 2012, Big Idea's parent company, Classic Media, was acquired by DreamWorks Animation and renamed DreamWorks Classics.

On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal announced it would be acquiring DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion.[5] The sale was completed on August 22, 2016.[6][7]

VeggieTales history

Main article: VeggieTales

VeggieTales is a series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables and conveying moral themes based on Christianity, spliced with joking references to pop culture and current events. VeggieTales was created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, who also provide many of the voices. VeggieTales has also been released as books, games, and many other branded items such as toys and clothing. Additionally, the series has been adapted for television broadcast on Qubo (where it aired from September 9, 2006, to September 5, 2009)[8] and on Netflix where the DreamWorks Animation Television-produced VeggieTales in the House[9] premiered on November 26, 2014.

Productions

Direct-to-Video programs

  1. VeggieTales: 1993–present
  2. 3-2-1 Penguins!: 2000–2003, 2006–2008
  3. Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures: 2002–2003

Internet

  1. VeggieTales in the House: 2014–present

Feature-length films

  1. Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002) (co-production with FHE Pictures)
  2. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008) (co-production with Universal Pictures and Starz Animation)

References

  1. ↑ "Big Idea Productions, Inc. -- Company History". Funding Universe. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ↑ http://www.philvischer.com/phil-news/what-happened-to-big-idea-part-10
  3. ↑ Hertz, Todd. "Big Idea Loses Suit". Christianity Today. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Boomerang buys Big Idea". ChristianCinema.com. April 6, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Comcast's NBCUniversal buys DreamWorks Animation in $3.8-billion deal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Comcast Completes Its $3.8B DreamWorks Animation Purchase". Deadline.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Comcast's NBCUniversal completes purchase of DreamWorks Animation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Munoz, Lorenza (September 23, 2006). "NBC Issues New Explanation for VeggieTales Cuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  9. ↑ Brian, Matt (March 13, 2014). "Netflix's three new originals include 'Shrek' and 'Madagascar' spin-offs". Engadget.com. Retrieved April 5, 2015.

External links

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