Michel Lemire is executive VP, creative affairs, CineGroupe, heading up the company’s animation studio in Montreal. A graduate of the animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, ON, Lemire began his career 20 years ago as an animator and key assistant on such well-known projects as Heavy Metal the Movie, The Flintstones and Scooby Doo.

Just 20 years ago, animated television programming was reserved for weekend mornings, and Disney dominated the feature film arena with its enchanting 2D classics. Animation was still in its infancy – far from the burgeoning force it is today. But, while the world of animation was still dominated by major studios, we began to see an emergence of new talent and new technology on an international scale that would take this exciting medium to a whole new level – and deliver it to a whole new audience.

Animation has presented itself as one of the most malleable forms of production, and as one not restricted to a single medium or audience. Not just for kids anymore, animation has a universal appeal and is now a staple of the primetime schedule – in North America and around the world.

The Simpsons broke ground with its appeal to the unexplored adult market; Beavis and Butthead touted irreverence; Angela Anaconda bowed with a novel form of digital cut-and-paste animation; and Pokemon introduced a Japanese style of animation that put quality of movement second to design and concept. All are examples of the radical and diverse innovations hitting today’s increasingly sophisticated market. If it looks different than anything that’s been done before, it has a greater chance of being a success.

Creativity and innovation became – and continue to be – increasingly important. Where we once relied purely on ‘drawing power,’ innovative production techniques have now been added to the mix. With the increased demand of shows in digital formats such as Flash, 3ds max and high-end 3D software, we continue the trend by adding to it a twist of new technology.

The affordability and accessibility of the new user-friendly technology has taken the creative control out of the hands of just a few and placed it squarely into those of smaller companies and individuals. We now stand poised to see a whole new explosion of high-caliber animated productions from an even greater variety of non-traditional sources.

When CineGroupe began producing its first animation series, Ovide and the Gang, in 1985, it took close to three years to complete 65 13-minute episodes. The company now produces between 36 and 50 hours of animation per year, including 2D animated shows with attitude like What’s with Andy (Teletoon, Fox Family); Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension (YTV, Fox Kids Network), a live-action series blended with 3D backgrounds and computer-generated imaging; and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat (TVOntario, Knowledge, Radio-Canada, PBS), a richly animated series told in the classic storytelling tradition.

One of the greatest tests facing this industry is in staying at the forefront of creativity and innovation, using the technologies at our disposal as opposed to letting the technology dominate our development. While we may employ a wide range of animation techniques ranging from traditional 2D to innovative 3D animation, and we push the envelope in our integration of live action with computer-generated imaging, it is still the content that captures audiences.

With the proliferation of new channels around the world, the demand for quality animation continues to grow, and we have seen the number of hours of animation swell from four hours per week on conventional television to more than 150 hours per week on specialty networks. The Internet also offers unlimited possibilities for this medium, and has whetted the appetite for original, branded content.

The challenge now lies in the marketing and distribution of this abundance of new product, and it’s one that’s sure to redefine the traditional relationship between the large studios and the independent creator.

Doubtless, technological accessibility and a voracious market place the boundless future of animation firmly in the hands of the creators. *

-www.cinegroupe.com