ANIMATION and F/X house DKP Effects is settling into its three-month-old facility on Toronto’s Queen Street East, and is looking to re-establish itself in the Canadian commercial biz. For a while, much of the shop’s focus was directed south.

‘We had a very strong presence in both New York and L.A. for the longest time, and a lot of the work we were doing was coming out of the States – [something like] 90%,’ explains Chad Nixon, DKP creative director.

Some of the plum U.S. assignments DKP has handled include the annual Amerada Hess Christmas toy spots for Grey Advertising, New York, ads for other toy companies such as Fisher-Price, and Toyota spots for Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles. But, as a result, the local industry may have gotten the wrong message.

‘What happened was people didn’t think we were available to do Canadian work,’ says Nixon. ‘We have our regulars who have always been in here, but we’re recognizing the domestic market has as many opportunities as the American one.’

Nixon acknowledges that DKP’s goal to broaden its client base is based in part on economics. When there’s a downturn in the economy, advertising budgets sometimes take a cut, as do agencies’ travel budgets.

‘If we’re being supported primarily from the States, it means they’re not going to come up to Toronto anymore – some will, some won’t,’ he says.

Also, Nixon adds, agencies are more accountable for the dollars they spend in a so-called recession, and as a result would rather be in the room when decisions are being made as opposed to relying on the Internet for updates. The Canadian market, meanwhile, is a hop, skip and a jump away. But, Nixon says, it’s not all about proximity.

‘There’s a lot of good creative coming out of Toronto, and we would like to work with those people on those kinds of spots,’ he says.

F/X shops today are branching out from a ‘post’ mentality, and to this end DKP has equipped its new facility with a blue-screen studio that features a motion-capture suit from Toronto manufacturer Puppet Works. DKP has also spun off Big Curve, headed by veteran director of photography Ryan McMaster, which will take care of product shots and tabletop work in the room. DKP president and executive producer Dan Krech believes Big Curve will make a big impact within six months.

An integral part of DKP’s relocation was the desire to physically separate commercial and long-form clients, seeing as how the two types have different methods and expectations. Also, keeping staffers who are collaborating on a particular project in close quarters allows for greater communication during production.

DKP currently has a staff of 35, a number that can balloon up to 80 animators when big projects come along and freelancers are required. Because of the high turnover in the commercial world, Nixon says the shop finds it easier to bring in part-timers who specialize in spots.

The long-form area downstairs is still relatively empty, but the acquisition of more gear will come with the greenlight from several projects. Current long-form jobs include providing transitions and other effects for Serendipity Point Films’ Claire’s Hat, directed by Bruce McDonald. DKP says it also has its own feature-length 3D animated project in the works.

Although the shop is looking to increase its presence in the Canadian commercial market, it is also continuing efforts to expand its network in the U.S. It has secured creative representation with Illinois-based Vargo Bockos to make inroads into the acclaimed creative emerging from Chicago. DKP also recently announced it will be represented by the Artist Management Group to tap into the Hollywood market for F/X and animation jobs as well as hook up with talent for its own long-form projects.

Another area of diversification for DKP has been the application of its infrastructure to website creation, with the example of ad agency Bates Canada approaching the shop to redesign its site. DKP started off in this line when it built 3D cars for TV ads and realized that work done in the digital domain could be easily carried over to other media.

‘We just say, ‘Come to us, we’ll provide you with a complete solution,’ ‘ Nixon says, ‘that being a commercial, a Web campaign, and a print campaign.’

-www.dkp.com