‘The world is getting smaller’ was the oft-repeated and demonstrated principle on the show floor and in seminar rooms at this year’s Showbiz Expo, held Sept. 7-8 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

As representatives of locations from Yellowknife to Palm Beach showcased their desirability as production centers, digital pioneers demonstrated cutting-edge technology and the shrinking dimensions of the production planet at a conference seminar entitled Advancing the Digital Frontier: Tomorrow’s Digital Studio.

Panelists, including Dan Krech, head of Toronto’s Dan Krech Productions, Stephen Price, executive producer at Toronto’s CORE Digital Pictures, and Ellie Rubin, president of The Bulldog Group, along with moderator Phil Keeling from dave (Dome Audio Video and Effects) addressed the technological basis and directions of facilities as well as the emerging issues of production without borders.

Krech, a pioneer of digital post in Canada, emphasized the disappearance of geographical limitations in providing post and effects for u.s. and international projects.

Krech provided a demonstration of dkp’s technological capabilities in a pair of commercials which employed dkp’s Infinity Optics network to connect the hardware, software and human power of multiple workstations and software options to one job.

dkp is also connected via isdn to associated facility Open Films in l.a., and Krech says a networked session, facilitated by In Person software, can accomplish in two hours what would take two days without the hookup.

Krech says dkp plans to establish connections with other major production centers in the next six months. He points to the added benefit of enabling access to remote animators; seeking out the best person for the job wherever they may reside and allowing the artist to handle a project from home after preproduction meetings.

Price also discussed the dismantling of borders as well as office walls – noting that one of CORE’s top talents flew away home to work after the volume of hours necessary to do the job threatened the sanctity of his family.

For the past year, CORE has devoted much of its efforts to producing effects for Salter Street’s tv series Lexx: Tales from the Dark Zone for which the shop is connected via isdn line to its German production office set up for the show.

Price says the facility regularly uses a ‘remote approval system’ whereby rendered files are sent via isdn to l.a. or other production destinations. For a feature project in the works, Price says CORE will employ ‘on-set animation’ where an animator will be present on set to work with the film’s director to block out every shot and thermal prints from the video feed will be sent to animators on set who will construct a basic interpretation of necessary cg work.

Panelists agreed that Canada has seen just the beginnings of the computer animation industry and that opportunities for growth are abundant.

While new animation talent traditionally has been lured to sunny California, Krech says about half the young Canadian graduates these days want to stay at home to work. Keeling also notes the process of repatriation as seasoned talent return to breathe clean air and raise families.

In terms of infrastructure, Price says there is still progress to be made in the provision of network infrastructure, like high-speed T1 lines to support the transfer of enormous files for digital coproductions.

He points to the example of Sprint’s Drums system in the u.s., which is dropping in price in response to the demands of an unregulated market. In Canada, he says installing a T1 line is still a hassle-ridden and expensive undertaking, costing facilities roughly four times as much as their u.s. counterparts.