Montreal: Motion International’s youth and animation division is looking to quickly build its international branding with a slate of new shows including Xcalibur, a full 3D, motion-control animation series, and Third Eye, a spooky tween mystery drama. Closer to home, six series have been greenlit by the Canadian Television Fund.

Louis Fournier, newly named president of Motion’s youth and animation division, says the solid strategic partnership model with France will be extended to the u.s., the u.k., Germany and other territories. ‘We need to build with the u.s. and the Orient specifically,’ he says.

The division is projecting 27% growth this year and revenues of more than $20 million. Overall, Motion’s top-line revenues for fiscal 2000 are projected at $145 million.

Fournier, who recently moved over from Cinar Corp., where he was vp sales and coproductions, says the new strategy keys on creative initiatives, with the emphasis on building international partnerships; developing brands by pursuing alternate media extensions to traditional tv sales; and gaining greater control of exploitation rights. ‘And where we don’t control the rights,’ he says, ‘at least we should create a stream of revenues.’

Perhaps Motion’s most exciting new production is Xcalibur.

Andre Belanger, exec vp and veteran animation producer, and France’s Ellipanime are coproducing 26 half-hours of this full 3D motion-control series. Key animation, lighting and other effects, mapping and compositing are being done at Motion’s new Maya-based studio in Montreal. The show has been presold to ytv in Canada and to France 2.

‘Full 3D is a new market,’ says Belanger. ‘Broadcasters like it very much as do the preteens and teens. There is a big demand if the concept and look are right.’

Also in the 3D realm, Motion and France’s Chaman Productions are in advanced development on Axis (formerly Gaina), a feature film budgeted at us$8.5 million ($12.4 million).

Animation series production at Motion includes the jungle-based adventure Marsupilami, coproduced with France’s Marathon International, and a new round of Papyrus, with Editions Dupuis.

Michel Lavoie, vp children’s and youth programming, says Motion has a solid track record in magazines and preschool.

‘We’ve proven that we can do more,’ he says. ‘Our big challenge right now is drama, which is a little harder to get going.’

Two new live-action shows are aimed at the international market.

Third Eye (working title) is a scary, doc-style mystery drama with a hint of Blair Witch that’s in development with ytv. Lavoie says Third Eye should appeal to kids aged nine to 12 ‘and is the kind of property we think will work in the States.’

Mutual Funz taps into kids’ interest in collecting, trading and saving, says Lavoie, and is being developed as a hybrid game show with participation from tvontario and Lyrick Studios in the u.s.