Having honed their skills on a variety of genres of projects from commercials to all manner of long-form service work, and having worked all over the geographical and stylistic map, Canadian animation companies are flourishing.

Many animation shops are now expanding in size and capacity, taking on new forms of work and high-profile jobs, with many stepping up to the production plate as independent producers. Herewith, a sampling of some of Canada’s new cartoon coconspirators.

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Another of Toronto’s high-end commercial shops spawned a long-form player recently; this one comes from a cg specialist parent and is developing a combination of live-action and animated shows. Red Giant is the undertaking of Chris Wallace, head of Toronto commercial effects shop TOPIX Computer Graphics and Animation, and Stephen Price, a former associate of Wallace who had most recently acted as executive producer at Toronto-based C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures.

The new company is building on the success of its Splat! series, the production, creative and deal-making expertise of its founders, and relationships cultivated with many of the industry’s established players to launch its own long-form projects.

Before Red Giant existed as an official entity, Price and Wallace, together with Peter Hayman of l.a. and Toronto-based Torch tv, had developed the beginnings of the Splat! animation magazine series, now in its third season. The show airs in over 100 countries on Discovery International, teletoon and Canal+, covering the spectrum of animation production in a half-hour format.

Price says Red Giant is now leveraging the success of Splat! to develop a number of other properties including two animated one-hour specials designed as pilots as well as 12 proposed one-hour specials on animation.

The animated pilots are based on a Canadian children’s book and comic book, and Price says Red Giant is currently in negotiation with production partners and broadcasters to develop the shows.

Price describes the first property as Dr. Seuss meets The Nightmare Before Christmas, a show written in rhyme with a 3D look and edgy characters. The other special is an action-detective thriller. Both projects will be a combination of 2D and 3D animation. Price says it is not certain if topix will be involved in the animation production of the shows, citing the widely varying frameworks of commercial versus long-form producing, but says much of the design and direction of the shows could come out of the parent shop.

Price says u.s. broadcasters have expressed a desire for animation specials; as well, teletoon has invited Red Giant to submit one-hour special concepts, which are currently being developed by the shop.

One of the strengths of Red Giant in gaining financial and production support derives from the solid broadcaster relationships created by the success of Splat!, says Price. As well, the nature of the show means the company is in close contact with the world’s animation players.

Red Giant is also currently in development with a proposed multi-season, 13-episode, live-action, half-hour series called Beauty, aimed at the coveted upscale female audience. The show is being developed with Salon Magazine, a financial partner which is also aiming at bringing sponsors to the show. The pilot has been produced in England and Canada. Price says the show brings a new, broader perspective to hair, cosmetics and skin-care information and has gained early interest from broadcasters.

*Also in this report:
Post/SFX showcase:
Collideascope injects hip B2
Gajdecki: body parts R us B4
Big Bang graduates from Dog’s World to Lost World B4
Lost Boy’s extraterrestrial experience B6
Spin in the series race B7

Animation shops to watch:
Bardel gets Dreamworks nod B10
Dynomight’s Net direction B11
Sargent York kids’ 3-pack B12
Canuck evolves from studio flicks to in-house picks B13
Canadian prodcos plotting boffo toonflick projects B15
Animation House, Lightbox both hit 15 B16, B21
B.C. post shops winning more of the U.S. visual effects B18