Toronto-based Cinram, a manufacturer of prerecorded multimedia products, and Santa Monica, California-based Pacific Ocean Post have joined forces in the creation of the Cinram-POP DVD Center.

The new facility, located adjacent to pop’s film, video and audio post offices, will provide services for dvd authoring and multiplexing for motion picture clients, and will utilize pop’s audio and video encoding services and Cinram’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities.

The center, set to open in March 1997, will offer mastering and manufacturing using Cinram’s Anaheim, California, facility.

Joining the undertaking as executive vp of sales is Jaime Ovadia, former senior vp of Warner Home Video. Leading the technical charge is pop director of digital audio compression, Steve Thompson.

The Cinram-pop venture is also behind a new Web site devoted to dvd information, launched Jan. 7 at (www.dvdinfo.com).

-New SMPTE prez

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has chosen Canadian broadcast veteran David L. George as president for a two-year term effective Jan. 1.

George has 35 years’ experience in management and consulting in broadcast and technical operations; experience which includes designing, constructing and managing broadcast facilities in Canada and the u.s. He is senior consultant with IMMAD Broadcast Services in Toronto and ceo of George Consulting Group. George was formerly executive vp of smpte.

-IDMA calling

The International Digital Media Arts Foundation has announced the call for entry for the 1997 International Digital Media Awards. Multimedia publishers, developers and artists are invited to submit entries in categories including consumer and educational cd-rom titles, Web sites, multimedia applications for corporate clients, and commercial and non-commercial interactive installations and performances.

Awards will be presented at the idma gala May 7 at the Design Exchange in Toronto.

More information can be found at the idma Web site (www.multimediator.com/idma).

Speaking of which, the Multimediator site has recently been revamped and Multimediator progenitor Bill Sweetman is now running Hip Hype, an integrated online and offline public relations and marketing company.

-Show me the money

The International Teleproduction Society is sponsoring a three-day conference for chief financial officers, chief operating officers and all operations managers to discuss the multifaceted money side of running a post business.

Seminar topics include ‘Becoming a Better Financial Manager,’ ‘Government Influence on the Running of a Facility,’ which covers the new naics code and tax issues, and ‘Capital Concerns: Unusual Sources of Funding.’ Roundtable discussions will cover Worker’s Compensation, the Internet, banking and women in post.

The event will be held at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 6- 9. For more info, contact the its at (703) 641-8770.

-NAB speak

Apple Computer executive vp of research and development and chief technology officer, Ellen Hancock, is the keynote speaker at the 1997 NAB Multimedia World Conference during NAB 97, running April 5-10 in Las Vegas.

-Acura reps Accom

Toronto-based Acura Technology Group has been named exclusive distributor for Accom digital video products in the eastern and central regions of Canada. Menlo, California-based Accom makes wsd/xtreme digital disc recorders and elset virtual sets.

-Young and wired

Two Canadian entries are among the 27 student projects selected for the New Talent Pavilion, an exhibit within multimedia conference Milia, being held Feb. 9-12 in Cannes, France. The New Talent Pavilion was designed to recognize creative and technical up-and-comers in online and cd-rom work.

Alain Robitaille from the University of Quebec at Montreal was cited for Le Silence des Armes and Robert Geoffrion, also of uqam was picked for Portrait humoristique du Quebec.

Milia also features the Masters of Media Village and New Media Forum 97, which offers hands-on workshops in multimedia tools.

-R-C goes DVCPRO

Radio-Canada has bought into Panasonic’s dvcpro digital cameras and editing equipment for a large addition to the network’s national equipment stock. The network acquired AJ-D700 and AJ-D200 digital camcorders, AJ-D750 studio editing vtrs, AJ-LT75 laptop editors and AJ-D230 desktop vtrs, all of which will replace high-end analog equipment used nationally.

The dvcpro equipment, to be used for news gathering for regional and national news reports, was employed to cover the Team Canada Asian trade delegation.

-Cosmic rockets spots

Cosmic Inventions, an arm of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Post Production Services, has launched its entry into the video transmission game with Spot Rocket, a system aimed at commercial clients.

Spot Rocket is a two-point system which uses mpeg compression, tcp/ip transfer protocol and isdn lines, and promises to allow users to send ‘approval quality’ 30-second audio and video between parties anywhere in the world in about 10 minutes.

-Imagina

The 16th installment of Imagina, a major European digital imagery conference, takes place Feb. 19-21 in Monaco.

Sponsored by the Institut national De L’Audiovisuel in France and Le Festival de Television de Monte-Carlo, the event features sessions on all aspects of cgi, virtual reality, special effects and the Internet.

This year, 500 entries from 30 countries have been received for the Prix Pixel-ina, an award for new cg work.

Info is available at the ina Web site (www.ina.fr/INA/Imagina).