Canuck prodco Perfect Circle Productions has joined forces with US-based film sales company Shoreline Entertainment, forming a new entity solely dedicated to acquisition and production of feature animation.

Called Straightline Animation, the new company will be headed up by Perfect Circle’s Dean English.

“We’re looking to pick up four to seven projects, including acquisitions of finished films, as well as films that may just be a script and some art,” English tells Playback Daily. “We’re looking to work at all stages of production.”

The idea to launch Straightline was hatched when English and Perfect Circle partner Karen Powell were producing animated feature Edison & Leo in 2008.

“When we were looking for a foreign sales company, we realized many of them had just one or two animated features [in their slates],” he explains. “I think if producers and directors knew there was a company solely dedicated to this, it’d be a natural place for them to go.”

Straightline will work directly with Shoreline under the new partnership, which will handle foreign sales for all of Straightline’s projects. English notes that because of the newly formed relationship, Shoreline will be able to weigh in at an earlier scripting stage of the project and explain where it’ll find a good home, also making note of where it may not sell well.

“We’ll be able to get accurate market information to share with producers, so everyone knows where we’re at,” says English.

Straightline will be working in all genres of feature animation and is interested in smaller, independent films. Its headquarters will be based in Paris, along with an office in L.A.

Also as part of its launch, Straightline has launched an open competition to design its logo, with the prize being a first-look deal on the winner’s next feature film.

Perfect Circle will continue to operate as a separate entity in Canada.