OTTAWA and LOS ANGELES – Multi-channel commerce giant Shopify said today it has launched Shopify Studios, which is “a full-service TV and film content development and production house dedicated to inspiring entrepreneurship through entertaining, thought-provoking storytelling,” reads the company’s press release.
The new division will work with content partners to develop, produce, and finance an array of projects for streaming platforms and traditional networks, the first of which are with Anonymous Content, Spoke Studios, and Saville Productions.
Ottawa-based Shopify powers more than 600,000 merchants worldwide who use the company's services in designing and managing their businesses.
"Behind every product, system, and modern convenience that makes the world turn is an entrepreneur with an idea," said Jason Badal, head of Shopify Studios, in the release, explaining the thrust of the company’s original content strategy. "The entrepreneurial mindset has fueled discoveries, built industries, and led to every significant innovation that's shaped our society… Shopify Studios' content aims to inspire the next wave of creators and iconoclasts to embrace and manifest the possibilities before them."
(Ed note: Who talks like that, except in a press release?)
"Shopify is leading a path of innovation for how companies approach entertainment content, and we are very excited to partner with them to inspire entrepreneurship through storytelling,” said Saville Productions founder and executive producer Rupert Maconick, in that release. “Our mission has always been to create content that provides true entertainment value, and Shopify Studios' commitment to developing narratives that are thought-provoking and entertain viewers makes it a perfect synergy."
Shopify Studios also produces short-form content for Shopify's YouTube channel.
