Bardel Entertainment

Bardel Entertainment
Bardel Entertainment · Public domain · source
Name	Bardel Entertainment
Type	Private
Industry	Animation
Founded	1987
Founder	Frank and Bernie Van Beuren
Headquarters	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Key people	Trevor Bentley, Lisa Doucet
Products	Animated television series, feature animation, visual effects

Bardel Entertainment

Bardel Entertainment is a Canadian animation studio based in Vancouver, British Columbia, known for producing and collaborating on a wide range of animated television series, feature films, and visual effects projects. The studio has worked with major studios, broadcasters, and streaming platforms across North America, Europe, and Asia, contributing to franchises and original properties. Bardel's output spans collaborations with companies such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Netflix (service), Amazon Studios, and Warner Bros. Animation.

History

Founded in 1987, Bardel emerged during a period of growth in the Canadian animation sector alongside studios like Nelvana, DHX Media, and Atomic Cartoons. Early work connected Bardel with producers from Hanna-Barbera and Filmation, while later expansions aligned the company with international distributors including Studio Ghibli-linked partners and Toei Animation allies. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s Bardel collaborated on projects that involved companies such as DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. Leadership changes and strategic partnerships during the 2010s paralleled movements in entertainment by entities like Disney Television Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, and Lionsgate. In the 2020s, Bardel's corporate trajectory intersected with streaming-era shifts involving Hulu (streaming service), Apple TV+, and Paramount Global.

Productions

Bardel's production credits include work on television series, miniseries, and feature-length animation for broadcasters and streamers including Netflix (service), Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel (US), and PBS. Notable series associated with Bardel collaborations or services include properties connected to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series), Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, The Dragon Prince, and The Simpsons-adjacent projects produced by Gracie Films. Feature and franchise work ties Bardel to projects from DreamWorks Animation, Illumination (company), Blue Sky Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio has also contributed to projects based on intellectual property from Hasbro, Mattel, LEGO Group, and Sanrio.

Services and Operations

Bardel provides animation production services including character animation, storyboarding, rigging, compositing, and visual effects for clients such as Nick Jr., Discovery Channel, BBC Studios, and Sony Pictures Television. The company operates within production pipelines compatible with standards used by Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, and Weta Digital, offering services aligned with software from Autodesk, The Foundry, and Adobe Systems. Project management and delivery have interfaced with international supply chains involving partners like Crunchyroll, Aniplex, and Studio Mir, while working on co-productions with broadcasters like Teletoon, Cartoon Network Studios, and Television New Zealand.

Notable Collaborations and Partnerships

Bardel has worked closely with distributors and studios including Netflix (service), Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, Disney Television Animation, Lionsgate, and Amazon Studios. The studio collaborated with creators and production companies behind franchises such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, The Powerpuff Girls, Looney Tunes, and Scooby-Doo. Industry partnerships extended to post-production houses like Technicolor, VFX vendors like DNEG, and international animation outfits including Studio Pierrot, MAPPA, and Bones.

Facilities and Technology

Bardel's Vancouver facilities include studios equipped for 2D and 3D animation workflows, green screen compositing, and motion capture stages compatible with systems used by Vicon, OptiTrack, and Xsens. The studio leverages pipelines based on tools from Autodesk Maya, Pixar RenderMan, Houdini, Nuke (software), and Unity (game engine), facilitating cross-compatibility with partners such as Epic Games and realtime production efforts used in projects for Netflix (service) and Apple TV+. Infrastructure investments mirror those at larger facilities like Image Engine, MPC (company), and Framestore, supporting collaboration across time zones with offices and vendors in cities like Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, and Seoul.

Awards and Recognition

Bardel's work has been associated with projects nominated for and awarded honors from organizations including the Emmy Awards, Annie Awards, Canadian Screen Awards, and Daytime Emmy Awards. Productions involving Bardel have also appeared in festivals and markets such as Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and SXSW. The studio's collaborations with licensors and broadcasters have contributed to accolades linked to franchises recognized by the BAFTA Awards and industry guilds like the Animation Guild.

Category:Canadian animation studios Category:Companies based in Vancouver