[1] The company was founded in 1995 as Termite Art Productions by Erik Nelson, initially producing reality and documentary television shows and specials including Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Unsolved History, Incredible Vacation Videos and More Than Human.
On June 19, 1998, Lions Gate Media, the division of the upstart Canadian entertainment company Lions Gate Entertainment acquired Termite Art for $2.75 million.
[2][3] In 2002, Termite Art formed a new division, the Format Farm.
[4] On March 22, 2004, the company spun-off from Lions Gate and renamed as Creative Differences Productions, Inc., the company expanded into film production in 2005 with Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man, and followed this up in 2007 with the Oscar nominated Encounters at the End of the World.
[5] Despite the 2004 spin-off and renaming as Creative Differences Productions, Lionsgate retained the rights to some Termite Art and Creative Differences television shows and specials.