Buzzin’ along in Montreal

Buzzlab, the design division of Montreal’s Groupe Image Buzz, is currently collaborating with The Movie Network on new material, following the complete rebranding Buzzlab worked on for the pay-TV channel in 2004/05.

The shop also recently finished up working with Teletoon on rebranding the net with abstract and impressionistic graphics for new network IDs, lower thirds and endpages. It has also created show openings for major channels in the Quebec market, including TVA, TQS, Radio-Canada/CBC and CTV Montreal.

Buzzlab’s staff has grown to eight animators to handle its broadcast design and spot gigs.

www.buzzimage.com

Tracing a path down south

Executive producer Trisha Emerson of Toronto’s Trace Pictures reports her shop is ‘freakin’ busy.’ It is currently ensconced in a Primitive Entertainment series for History Television, and is in preproduction on a new children’s series airing in December on TVOntario.

Trace has recently created broadcast design packages for U.S. clients Showtime (for its Hollywood Blockbusters block), National Geographic Channel, OLN, Nickelodeon, WE: Women’s Entertainment, and, locally, TSN and VisionTV. Trace tackled its first network rebrand for OLN U.S. and is about to start a second rebrand for another U.S. broadcaster.

The firm is expanding its studio with extra space and additional editing and animation facilities.

www.tracepictures.com

Tango does the HD dance

Tango Media Group has noted a rise in its HD projects, with 80% of its doc work in the format. The Toronto studio has produced FX, design packages and cartoon animations for the likes of The Discovery Channel, Channel Four, National Geographic (U.S. and U.K.), Discovery HD, ARTV, RDI and The History Channel. It created an opener for the doc series Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation for Discovery Canada and Channel Four. Tango says it has also produced some commercial spots for HD playback in New York’s Times Square.

Noting the greater computing power needed for HD production and design work – especially in 3D – Tango has moved into a bigger loft space and is upgrading its HD facilities.

www.tangomediagroup.com

HD also found Upstairs

HD is also the focus at The Studio Upstairs, the design division of Toronto’s creativePOST. Upstairs recently completed an ID for TSN HD, as the sportsnet makes a big push towards HD content (see story, p. 2).

Other work that has gone on Upstairs includes a fully animated image promo for The Comedy Network entitled Comedy Presents, as well as show packages for Barna-Alper’s Mega Builders and Front Entertainment’s new red-carpet reality show RSVP.

Upstairs has added a Discreet Flame to its fleet of HD suites, which also includes Final Cut Pro, Avid Symphony and Quantel iQ.

www.thestudioupstairs.com

At the fore-Front

Toronto’s Front continues to draw diverse international clients. It worked on design for the U.S. gay and lesbian channel QTN, injecting its station images with the same sense of Hollywood glitter the channel’s programming aspires to.

The studio has also worked on the on-air look for Nickelodeon in Portugal, Russia and Africa, with what it describes as a ‘textless on-air campaign.’

Other recent clients include U.S. interactive cable channel Current TV, Discovery Asia, Rogers Television, CPAC and Larry Flynt’s Hustler TV. Front has also opened a new print and paper design division for its print jobs for TV networks.

www.front.tv

Loopmedia gone fishin’

Loopmedia has recently wrapped a number of diverse projects, including a broadcast graphics package for Insight Sports’ World Fishing Network, a promo for DIY Network featuring a 1962 T-bird, and a series of promos for Alliance Atlantis’ Fine Living channel.

Insight Productions has also returned to Loopmedia for the fourth consecutive year to develop a new look for the upcoming 2006 Juno Awards, to air on CTV. Loop has also recently completed an animated ID for Filminute, a festival of one-minute films in the U.K.

The Toronto-based Loop plans to take on new hires in the spring.

www.loopmedia.com

4stroke strikes balance between TV and spots

4stroke says it has completed numerous projects in recent months, including a new brand identity for CBC’s Royal Canadian Air Farce and a design sequence for the Ceeb’s Galaxie satellite music service.

The Toronto studio is currently focused on ad work, including campaigns for Fruitopia, Zellers and the Sick Kids lottery.

4stroke, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, is in talks for representation in Japan, Mexico and Russia, to add to its clientele at home and in the U.S. and Mexico.

www.4stroke.tv

Flying far from home

Montreal’s Fly Studio reports a busy 2005 providing design for top Quebec broadcasters, including Radio-Canada, Astral Media and sports specialty RDS. It previously provided SRC with graphics for a promo for its digital music service Espace Musique-Classique.

The new year is bringing an expansion of both Fly’s client base and the nature of its projects. The shop is currently developing broadcast packages for casters outside of its home province, including Global Television, and it has gone to the circus, providing motion graphics for Cirque du Soleil.

Fly says it has also secured new representation in New York with eyes to grow into the U.S. market.

www.flystudio.com