Vancouver: The value of Mainframe Entertainment’s library of ReBoot characters and backgrounds ­ reputedly the world’s largest catalogue of computer-generated images ­ is quickly becoming apparent as the computer animator embarks on two peripheral projects based on the ReBoot franchise.

The Vancouver-based company ­ renowned as the world’s first producer of a computer-generated series ­ is collaborating on two Imax Ridefilms and one Electronic Arts Canada computer game.

In each case, the new projects use images already created for ReBoot, which is designed for kids and focuses on characters Bob, Dot and villainous Megabyte in the computer land of Mainframe.

‘This is the spin-off of working in the digital domain,’ says Mairi Welman, Mainframe’s director of communications.

The digitally created images are reusable and the reanimation cost drops since they are not being created from scratch, she adds. And with 23 ReBoot episodes in the can and a third season of 16 episodes nearly complete, there is a wide variety of base images from which to choose.

Then there is the considerable audience that comes with the ReBoot brand.

ReBoot is seen in 50 countries (including Japan and throughout Europe), is syndicated in 112 stations in the u.s. and is a consistent top-five finisher among ytv’s most-watched shows, all of which works to build the cross-marketing momentum and brand recognition needed to give these ReBoot-inspired products a head start with consumers.

There is little anxiety about maintaining the high standards set by the series in the new ventures, says Welman, explaining that the models and images are set in-house. ‘The stuff we send out can’t really be changed,’ she says.

The five-minute Imax Ridefilms are being produced in Vancouver for the seven operational Ridefilm locations around the world (such as the Sega City ride at Toronto’s Playdium) that thrill audiences by mixing the big-screen viewing experience with choreographed motion simulators. There will be 30 locations by early 1998.

The first ReBoot film ­ called Countdown to Chaos ­ involves a high-speed chase in which Megabyte and his minions pursue Bob and Dot through Mainframe. It will be delivered this spring.

The second, so-far-untitled film is based on a roller-coaster theme and will be delivered in the summer.

Welman d’esn’t underestimate the impact the ReBoot Ridefilms will have on Mainframe’s overall business plan. ‘We look at this as our entree to motion picture work,’ she says. ‘Imax is a well-known name and a good partner for us to start out with.’

Mainframe has committed eight people to the production of the Ridefilms, says Welman, which represents a fraction of the company’s 170 staff members. The Ridefilm team is designing the look, writing the scripts and choreographing the platform motion, a hands-on approach that is consistent with Mainframe’s philosophy of involving its animators in as much of the creative process as possible, she adds.

Part of that process included the Mainframe team traveling to the Imax test base in Massachusetts to ride the existing games and see how the films are created with the motion simulator in mind.

Christian Jorg, senior vp and coo of Imax Attractions, says the ReBoot films will be the first fully cgi films undertaken by Imax, the first Ridefilms to be created from another media property, and the first produced by a Canadian filmmaker.

He adds that Imax approached Mainframe because of the company’s expertise in cgi production and the popularity of the ReBoot series that has its own built-in audience.

Imax has four Ridefilms in its library and four more (including the ReBoot shows) in production.

‘The films will offer a different level of experience [for Imax-g’ers],’ says Jorg, adding there was little concern that ReBoot’s characters and stories would lend themselves to the ride. ‘I’ve seen some of the early images on the 180-degree wraparound screen and it’s really something to be immersed in a completely computer-generated world.’

Jorg hasn’t decided where the ReBoot films will open, but the first should be in operation by April.

The video game ­ also called Countdown to Chaos ­ is scheduled for a fall release and is being designed initially for the Sony PlayStation platform, with Sega and cd-rom versions to follow.

Peter Royea, a product manager of Electronic Arts, says the ReBoot game is the first character-driven, action-class video game to come out of the Burnaby, b.c.-based studio, which is more known for its sports games and the racing video The Need for Speed.

‘[ReBoot] is a natural fit,’ he says. The show is about characters in a computer game while eac is making a game out of the show, he explains.

‘We’ll use that licence to the best of our ability.’

While eac has purchased the rights to the ReBoot images, the game maker has permitted an unusual amount of input from Mainframe animators. ‘We’ve relied heavily on Mainframe to keep the feel of the show,’ says Royea.

Mainframe has created new linear footage (to work with the retooled images from the library), worked on the scripts and worked with the regular ReBoot voice talent. The game has been two years in development.

The focus of the problem-solving game ­ for players aged 12 to 19 ­ is Bob who must mend tears in Mainframe to prevent leaks to the Net. Of course, he is at all times thwarted by Megabyte.

‘It’s an exceptional relationship,’ says Royea, of the Mainframe-eac partnership. ‘We’re both in Vancouver, we’re similar companies culturally and work in the same [demographic] segment.’

Mainframe’s Welman says similar spin-off plans for the Mainframe-produced Beasties/ Beast Wars Transformers series are not being considered since the show is owned by toy maker Hasbro. The first season of Beasties ­ airing since September ’96 ­ is 26 episodes and another season has not yet been secured.