Calibre Digital Pictures has completed a deal to purchase Nerve F/X Inc., an animation shop specializing in nt-platform visual effects for film and television.

Calibre, which is 50% owned by Alliance Atlantis Communications, is known as a producer of high-end animation and effects based predominantly on an sgi platform. Neil Williamson, president of Calibre, says the buyout gives Calibre access to lower end, more cost-effective nt services.

‘We felt at Calibre that there was a need to expand the range of services we can offer to producers, particularly in terms of live-action visual effects,’ Williamson says.

Gemini-nominated Nerve created effects for Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, FX: The Series and Total Recall 2070.

Current projects include Beastmaster: The Legend Continues, for aac, being shot in Australia, and a tbs movie called Thrill Seekers, which Nerve has been working on independently. Calibre is also currently working on bringing the rain forest to life in Peter Benchley’s Amazon, an aac series being shot entirely on a Toronto soundstage.

The Nerve buyout is part of Calibre’s goal to begin producing its own products in addition to providing services in the visual effects arena, Williamson says.

‘We are definitely aggressively pursuing getting into producing our own product, which is, at the moment, all animated product,’ he says.

Calibre, with $5 million in projected 1999 revenues, recently added 1,800 square feet to its facility to make way for the expansion of its services and the addition of the nt group.

Nerve’s 10-person staff, including Anthony Paterson, the company’s founder, have set up shop at Calibre’s Pardee Avenue offices. Calibre’s staff now stands at nearly 40, Williamson says. Paterson has been given the title of senior effects designer and nt solutions manager.

With Nerve’s expertise, Calibre will be able to offer its clients an expanded package of services including on-set services, computer playback, simulated computer animation and computer visuals, says Paterson.

‘Part of the mandate of the nt group is to try and find more cost-effective solutions for producing the visual effects that Calibre does now,’ says Paterson. ‘An example of that would be taking some of the Maya [3D] rendering that we are doing now and developing cross-platform solutions for doing the rendering that would save money for the company in the long run.’

The deal also gives Nerve’s clientele access to high-end services such as Discreet Logic’s Flint, Inferno and Flame as well as Alias’ Maya 3D character animation, Paterson says.