For close to thirty years, Epitome Pictures and related companies have been producing award-winning television and educational programs. CEO Linda Schuyler co-created and executive produced the multi-award-winning original Degrassi series, including The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and Degrassi High. These series have won two international Emmys, 9 Gemini Awards, two Prix Jeunesse and countless other honours from festivals around the world. The Degrassi series was continued in the telefeature School’s Out! and in a series of six documentaries called Degrassi Talks. Schuyler was awarded the Order of Canada in 1994 for her contributions to Canadian television.
President Stephen Stohn has worked in the entertainment industry for over 30 years as a performing artist, songwriter, executive producer and as an entertainment and copyright lawyer. He is a founding member in the entertainment law firm, Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP.
In 1993, Epitome Pictures produced the movie of the week X-Rated, which later inspired creation of 26 episodes of the dramatic series Liberty Street. The program, about young twenty-somethings struggling to establish grownup lives, was broadcast on CBC and in more than 40 countries around the world. In 1996 Epitome Pictures bought a 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse, converting it into a digital single-purpose studio. The studio is used as a home for the company’s productions as well as a rental property. From 1997 to 2000 the studio was home to Riverdale, Canada’s first English primetime soap opera. Created by Schuyler and her longtime collaborator, writer Yan Moore, Riverdale was broadcast on the CBC and followed the lives of four families, separate in temperament, background, values, generation and social standing but united by the neighbourhood they share. The studio is now home to the youth oriented, multi-platform series Degrassi: The Next Generation. The series has received numerous accolades including 11 Gemini Awards, 7 DGC Awards, 2 Teen Choice Awards and the Television Critics Award.
Building on its strength in youth programming, Epitome launched the half-hour teen drama Instant Star in 2004. Now wrapped after four seasons, Instant Star followed the story of a teenaged girl who went from high school obscurity to a life as a notorious singer. The program is currently airing in over 150 countries around the world .
In 2011 Epitome started another half-hour drama called The L.A. Complex which follows a group of young people living in an apartment style motel in Los Angeles with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. The L.A. Complex wrapped in 2012. In 2014 Epitome Pictures Inc. was acquired by DHX Media for $33 million Canadian. Later in 2014 Epitome announced the beginning of production on a show called Open Heart for YTV in Canada and Teennick in the U.S. Open Heart is described as “a gripping mystery series, folded into a sprawling family saga, set against the high-stakes workplace and relationship drama of a hospital.”
Published
University of Toronto Media Commons
4 accruals:
2008.008
2009.008
2012.003
2013.007
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Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
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Published
Fonds consists of material pertaining to three seasons of production of the 1hour television series Riverdale. The show ran from 1997 – 2000, and all 47 episodes were broadcast on CBC television. The collection consists of 207 boxes of material spanning all three seasons of the show. The fonds is divided into two series: Corporate Records and Post-Production Records.
The first series, Corporate Records, consists of 49 boxes. These include correspondence/memos, fan mail, budgets, scripts, promotional materials, financial and banking records, sponsor files, production and continuity stills, character files, legal documents, insurance documents, music cue sheets, and architectural drawings.
The second series, Post-Production Records, consists of 158 boxes. These include raw shoot tapes, raw audio tapes, audio stems, voiceovers, music, master mix audio, edits, various masters, interview tapes and promo reels. There is also a complete set of both VHS and DVD screening copies of each episode. Textual documents include sound notes/charts, editing/mix notes and credits.
The material has retained its original arrangement.
This fonds includes textual material relating to the following productions:
Riverdale (Television, 1997 – 2000)
This fonds also includes audiovisual material relating to the following productions:
Riverdale (Television, 1997 – 2000)
One of four accruals.
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.
Published
Fonds consists of material pertaining to the production of the television pilot film X-Rated and the subsequent 11-episode series Liberty Street. The show ran from 1993 – 1995, and all 11 episodes were broadcast on CBC television. The collection consists of 157 boxes of material spanning all 11 episodes of the show. The fonds is divided into 2 series: Corporate Records and Post-Production Records.
The first series, Corporate Records, consists of 36 boxes. These include correspondence/memos, fan mail, budgets, scripts, promotional materials, financial and banking records, sponsor files, production and continuity stills, character files, legal documents, insurance documents, music cue sheets, and architectural drawings.
The second series, Post-Production Records, consists of 121 boxes. These include film negative, film transfers, raw shoot tapes, raw audio tapes, audio stems, voiceovers, music, master mix audio, edits, various masters, interview tapes and promo reels. There is also a complete set of both VHS and DVD screening copies of each episode. Textual documents include sound notes/charts, editing/mix notes and credits.
The material has retained its original arrangement.
This fonds includes textual material relating to the following productions:
X-Rated (Television movie, 1993)
Liberty Street (Television, 1994 – 1995)
This fonds also includes audiovisual material relating to the following productions:
X-Rated (Television movie, 1993)
Liberty Street (Television, 1994 – 1995)
One of four accruals
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.
Published
Fonds consists of material pertaining to first four short films that grew into the series and the subsequent season of production of the half-hour television series The Kids of Degrassi Street. The show ran from 1979 – 1984, and all 4 short films and 22 episodes were broadcast on CBC television. The collection consists of 121 boxes of material spanning all episodes of the show. The fonds is divided into 2 series: Corporate Records and Post-Production Records.
The first series, Corporate Records, consists of 15 boxes. These include correspondence/memos, resumes and bios, fan mail, budgets, scripts, promotional materials, teaching aids, financial and banking records, sponsor files, production and continuity stills, character files, legal documents, insurance documents, music cue sheets, and architectural drawings.
The second series, Post-Production Records, consists of 20 boxes. These include 16 mm original negative, interpositive, A&B rolls, optical soundtrack, music, master mix audio, edits, various masters, and promo reels. Textual documents include sound notes/charts, editing/mix notes and credits.
The material has retained its original arrangement.
This fonds includes textual material relating to the following productions:
The Kids of Degrassi Street (Television, 1979-1984)
This fonds also includes audiovisual material relating to the following productions:
The Kids of Degrassi Street (Television, 1979 - 1984)
One of four accruals.
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.
Published
Fonds consists of material pertaining to three seasons of production of the half-hour television series Degrassi Junior High. The show ran from 1987 – 1989, and all 42 episodes were broadcast on CBC television. The collection consists of 148 of material spanning all 3 seasons of the show. The fonds is divided into 2 series: Corporate Records and Post-Production Records.
The first series, Corporate Records, consists of 29 boxes. These include correspondence/memos, fan mail, budgets, scripts, promotional materials, financial and banking records, sponsor files, production and continuity stills, character files, permits, legal documents, insurance documents, and music cue sheets.
The second series, Audiovisual Records, consists of 119 boxes. These include original negative, interpositive, A&B rolls, optical soundtrack, raw shoot tapes, raw audio tapes, audio stems, voiceovers, music, master mix audio, edits, various masters, and promo reels. Textual documents include sound notes/charts, editing/mix notes and credits.
The material has retained its original arrangement.
This fonds includes textual material relating to the following productions:
Degrassi Junior High (Television, 1987-1989)
This fonds also includes audiovisual material relating to the following productions:
Degrassi Junior High (Television, 1987 – 1989)
One of four accruals.
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.