Film Roman

Film Roman is an American animation studio currently owned by Waterman Entertainment producer Steve Waterman. The company was founded in early 1984 by Phil Roman. It is best known for producing the source animation for The Simpsons, (from 1992 to 2016, replacing Klasky Csupo), Gabriel Garza, Hatty, Planetokio, (including Planetokio Rules!), TeenV, The Bad Life of Daniel (from 1992 to 2011) as well as The Derrick Jackson Show, Garfield & Friends, King of the Hill, Bobby's World, and the 2011 revival of Beavis & Butt-head among others.

Background
Phil Roman, veteran alumnus of MGM Animation/Visual Arts and Bill Melendez Productions, founded Film Roman in 1984 as a means to continue the production of the Garfield television specials, since Melendez's own studio was unable to work on both the Peanuts and Garfield specials. Peanuts executive producers Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez and their aforementioned studio had produced the first two Garfield specials, but due to both Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz' and Garfield creator Jim Davis' concerns about conflicting interests in allocating production priority at Melendez's boutique studio, the production had to be moved. While he was leaving him and Melendez for his already-established studio, Roman was offered the opportunity to produce the next Garfield prime time special, Garfield in the Rough (1984), for CBS by Mendelson, which he accepted and went on to produce and direct all by himself, winning an Emmy in the process.

Formation
In 1985, CBS' head of children's programming Judy Price had commissioned an animated television series based on the Garfield prime time special series, later ultimately titled Garfield and Friends, which took three years for Roman to decide developing and producing the program before it eventually aired on the network's Saturday morning time slot, premiering on September 17, 1988. The aforementioned show was Film Roman's first regular series. In 1986, in an effort to expand and diversify the studio, Roman hired Marvel Productions VP of Business Affairs and his own personal attorney, Michael Wahl, as President and Bill Schultz, Marvel's Director of Development, to join in the company as the fledgling studio's VP of Production and Development. Garfield and Friends was expanded to an hour on CBS' number one rated Saturday Morning block and the studio grew to increase its capacity.

In 1988, the new management team developed, sold and produced a new series, Bobby's World, to the brand new Fox Kids Network, headed up by former Marvel Productions president Margaret Loesch. In 1990, Film Roman had a three-year first look producing deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Alan Perkins, former employee of Michael Wildshill Productions brought on board to join the studio, and applied Perkins to direct, wrote and animate The Lost Cat in Paris. In 1992 to 2016, Film Roman took over the source production of 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons from Klasky-Csupo who had produced the one-minute teaser cartoon shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show as well as the animation for the first three seasons and the first two episodes of the fourth season (in total 61 episodes). The studio went on to grow and produce many popular animated series now seen all around the world.

Waterman Entertainment ownership
In 2015, Film Roman was acquired from its parent company Starz Distribution by Waterman Entertainment, the production company of executive producer Steve Waterman. As such, it now does business with Starz, which owns the company's catalogue. When Waterman Entertainment closed on December 24, 2015, Film Roman became independent again.

On November 22, 2016, the company formed a joint venture based in Tijuana, called Film Roman Baja J.V. (also known as Film Roman Baja Productions), with Boxel Studios, a Baja California-based animation facility.

Location
The original studio was located on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, California, where Roman was also joined by Melendez producer Lee Mendelson. Years later, the studio moved to a new location on Chandler Blvd. in Studio City, before settling into another location at Starz Plaza on Hollywood Way in Burbank, which it shared with the former Hub Network and Hasbro Studios, and finally settling into its present location in Woodland Hills.

Television series

 * This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow (TBA)
 * Heathcliff (TBA)
 * The Untamed (TBA)

Subcontracted from others:

for 20th Television/Animation: for Marvel Animation:

with other studios:
 * Klutter (1995–1996) (as part of Eek! Stravaganza)
 * The Critic (1994–1995)
 * Mission Hill (1999–2002)
 * The Man Show (1999–2002) (animation)
 * The Oblongs (2001–2002)
 * Law & Order (2006) (visual effects)
 * The Goode Family (2009)
 * Beavis and Butt-Head (2011)

Puppet/CGI shows:
 * The Mr. Potato Head Show (1998)
 * Tripping the Rift (2004–2007)

Garfield specials

 * Garfield in the Rough (1984, the studio's inaugural production)
 * Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)
 * Garfield in Paradise (1986)
 * Garfield Goes Hollywood (1987)
 * A Garfield Christmas (1987)
 * Happy Birthday, Garfield (1988)
 * Garfield: His 9 Lives (1988)
 * Garfield's Babes and Bullets (1989)
 * Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989)
 * Garfield's Feline Fantasies (1990)
 * Garfield Gets a Life (1991)

Other specials

 * The Pink Panther (1989) (unreleased live-action/animated pilot)
 * Nick & Noel (1993)
 * A Cool Like That Christmas (1994)
 * The Bears Who Saved Christmas (1994)
 * Izzy's Quest for Olympic Gold (1995)
 * The Story of Santa Claus (1996) (co-production with Arnold Sharpio and CBS Productions)
 * The Magic Pearl (1997)
 * Puss in Boots (1997)
 * Super Bowl XXXIII (1999) (The Simpsons short)
 * Johnny Tsunami (1999) (live-action)
 * Hairballs (2000) (Unsold TV series pilot created by Mr. Lawrence)
 * Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (2000)
 * Motocrossed (2001) (live-action)
 * The Santa Claus Brothers (2001)

Direct-to-video

 * The Happy Elf (2005, co-production with IDT Entertainment)(TV)
 * Weebles: Welcome to Weebleville! (2005)(CGI)
 * Weebles: Sharing in the Fun! (2005)(CGI)
 * Hellboy: Sword of Storms (2006)
 * Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007)
 * Turok: Son of Stone (2008, co-production with Classic Media and Starz Media)
 * Dead Space: Downfall (2008, co-production with Electronic Arts)
 * The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) (Planned for theatrical release)
 * Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic "Prologue", "The Arrival", "Entry to Hell" (2010, co-production with Electronic Arts)
 * Dead Space: Aftermath (2011, co-production with Electronic Arts)

Theatrical features

 * Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992, co-production with Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Miramax Films and LIVE Entertainment)
 * The Lost Cat in Paris (1992) (co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
 * My First Mister (2001) (co-produced with Total Film Group; distributed by Paramount Classics)
 * The Simpsons Movie (2007, produced by 20th Century Fox and Gracie Films, co-animation with Rough Draft Studios, AKOM, Rough Draft Korea and Rough Draft Feature Animation)

Special effects for other films

 * Second Time Around (2002)
 * Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
 * Daredevil (2003)
 * The Fallen Ones (2003)
 * I, Robot (2004)
 * Demon Hunter (2005)
 * All Souls Day (2005)
 * What's the Meaning of Love (2005)
 * Voodoo Moon (2006)
 * Slayer (2006)
 * Jackass Number Two (2006)
 * The Thirst (2006)
 * Haunted Prison (2006)
 * Sands of Oblivion (2007)
 * Rush Hour 3 (2007) (trailer)
 * Illegal Tender (2007)
 * Hairspray (2007) (trailer)
 * The Great Buck Howard (2008)
 * Sex and the City (2008) (trailer)
 * Speed Racer (2008)
 * Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)

Miscellaneous

 * Get in Line (Barenaked Ladies music video)
 * Frijolero (Molotov music video)
 * The Simpsons Game (2007, produced by Electronic Arts) (cutscenes only)
 * The Simpsons Ride (2008, amusement simulator ride film produced for the attraction of the same name at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood)
 * The Simpsons: Tapped Out (2012, freemium mobile game produced for Fox Digital Entertainment and Electronic Arts) (cutscenes only)

Commercials
 * Alpo
 * Ask Jeeves (2000) (five-minute branding reel)
 * Burger King (2001-2003)
 * Butterfinger (1992-1994, 1998-2001, 2007)
 * CC's (1998)
 * C.C. Lemon (2000-2002)
 * Embassy Suites Hotel
 * Expedia (2003)
 * Garfield Fruit Snacks
 * General Foods
 * Honey Nut Cheerios (1993) (Garfield ad only)
 * Matchbox (2002) (CGI sales presentation animated by Forum Visual Effects)
 * Microsoft (2003)
 * Mirinda (2005-2006, 2008)
 * Partnership for a Drug-Free America (2002)
 * RC Cola (1999)
 * SeaWorld (1998)
 * SHO Too (2002)
 * Toyota (1992-1993)
 * Trix (1991)

Web series

 * Charlie's Angels: Animated Adventures (2003)
 * Camp WWE (2016–present)