Global entertainment company marblemedia nominated for 14 Canadian Screen Awards
While their creative journey began during their time at the RTA School of Media program, it was only in 2001, after quitting their day jobs, that Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg decided to take a chance on what now is a world renowned entertainment company. Since then, marblemedia has become a leading production company based in creating original series highlighting Canadian storytelling, across varying genres.
Bishop and Hornburrg’s success is reflected in the 14 nominations they received for the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards. Their nominations in the category of Best Reality/Competition Program or Series’ include, Blown Away, A Cut Above, and Best in Miniature, making them the only production company in the nomination list with original IP’s. Additionally, they received a nomination for All-Round Champion, for the ‘Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series’ category.
Co-founder of marblemedia Mark Bishop
Co-founder of marblemedia Matt Hornburg
You may recognize the fan favourite shows produced by marblemedia, including Netflix Original Series Restaurants on the Edge, and award-winning family game show Just Like Mom and Dad. Currently, marblemedia is working on producing a feature-length documentary about children’s media icon Mr. Dressup.
Bishop and Hornburg first met in residence at Pitman Hall and in their third-year, and worked together to produce the annual RTA TARA Awards together, sparking their affinity for production Fast forward to present day, the two have built a global entertainment company that develops, produces, and distributes compelling TV and interactive digital content for audiences of all ages, across all media platforms.
“It felt fantastic to be nominated for these awards. It’s truly an acknowledgement to our entire company and a lot of the freelancers and creative talent in the community that we work with,” said Hornburg. “It’s a very proud moment for us and the company and it’s definitely a milestone we’ll remember.”
Sharing a vision for innovation
Although they graduated and went on to pursue their individual roles at separate companies, Bishop and Hornburg never left each other's side, and continued to work on production projects together. However, what brought them to the decision to create marblemedia and pursue a career in production was their shared vision and passion to create never before seen entertainment.
“We were just energized by the friendship and the drive to create something for ourselves. It was a true, classic startup that began in a dining room in Mark’s apartment,” said Hornburg. “Thankfully, he had very patient roommates!”
marblemedia is a gloabl entertainment company founded in 2001 by two alumni from the RTA School of Media
Their initial success was found in their innovative take on entertainment access and distribution. At a time when internet content was not the popular choice for entertainment viewing, they took a chance and produced a high definition short film, filming on only their mobile phones.
“We were saying that in the future, people are going to be able to watch content on their phones, which was so far-fetched at the time. We believed storytelling would be ubiquitous on all platforms,” explained Bishop. “We really believed, and still do, in the idea of telling stories and finding new ways to do so. We were building marblemedia as a progressive content company that isn't limited by old school thinking and that was very forward looking in how we were telling stories.”
Their use of innovative techniques, along with their belief in the future is what has landed them to being one of the most influential production companies worldwide.
Investing in the future
As former students themselves, Bishop and Hornburg commonly emphasize the importance of giving back to the community and investing in student’s looking to break into the industry. marblemedia hosts an active internship program and currently has 15 interns from various post-secondary institutions. The company also generously donates to awards within The Creative School, most notably the Innovative Storytellers Award, given to an outstanding graduate student in an RTA Media program.
“For us, it really is about investing in the future. We believe in nurturing talent in new voices and giving students the opportunity to grow their careers and share their stories,” said Bishop. “There were a lot of people who helped Matt and I when we were first starting out and our desire to give back is from that. We want students to see that if you work hard, your goals can be achieved.”
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.