2D animation facility

The largest animation production facility in Canada just got bigger. In the first stage of expansion plans, Nelvana is investing about $1.5 million of the money raised in its initial public offering into the installation of the largest Animo center in the world, one of the largest 2D computer animation systems for tv series production in North America.

Nelvana has inked a software licence agreement with u.k.-based Cambridge Animation Systems for Animo, a computerized ink, paint and camera package launched at last year’s nab. Animo has garnered over 150 licences internationally among traditional studios, post houses and game developers.

Hardware is arriving this month, the studio will be operational in the next few months, and by summer, up to 40 creative and technical staff will be employed in the new facility located near Nelvana’s Toronto headquarters. Training of these painters and compositors is included in the start-up cost.

Initially, two series will be produced in the new digital production facility, the first being Rupert. The look of Rupert will not change; originally painted through cel, last year it was painted in France through the Pixie Box system.

While no savings as such are anticipated in the first year, Nelvana chairman Michael Hirsh expects to reap a ‘competitive advantage.’

‘It will allow us to do revisions early on – instead of taking a week or two to wait for revisions from overseas, we can do revisions in a matter of a day. And we think it will help us in selling new product.

‘Secondly, it repatriates to Canada some work being done overseas, so it will facilitate our ability to increase the amount of Canadian content production. And we’re going to be able to offer new looks, because the computer paint look is a different look.’

Once initial goals and a comfort level are achieved, the next phase of the expansion plan is to expand the facility, increasing the volume of series it can handle. ‘We’ll probably be adding to this facility, as it proves itself,’ says Hirsh. ‘We’ll be eventually hoping to paint more and more of our own shows. We think in the long run it will be efficient and result in cost savings.’

And there’s also the matter of profile. Hirsh says that as a leading supplier of traditional animated series to u.s. networks and the first company to deliver computer painting using outside facilities, this will enable the company to continue its industry leadership.

Nelvana started integrating digital production tools into the animation process in 1992, beginning with audio and video editing packages such as Pro Tools and Lightworks. And Bear Spots, Nelvana’s commercial division, produced Stickin’ Around, a series of animated interstitials, using Power PCs and Mac Quadras as the animation platform.