Following is an alphabetical listing of Canada’s Top Shops as determined by Playback’s first annual survey of audio production, audio post and post-production facilities across the country.

Post includes editing, transfer and effects and animation.

The Animation House

Tel.: (416) 364-3556

Fax: (416) 364-1664

Number of employees: 25

Senior staff:

Bob Fortier, president/creative director; Jo-ann Cook, gm/exec producer; Terry Godfrey, director; Debbie Cooke, exec producer/producer; Susie Rucska, producer

Primary business:

Traditional cel and mixed media, stop-motion and claymation for commercials.

Recent projects:

– America Heart Association (Evening Sky Productions) – Canada’s Youth psa ‘Unsafe Spider Sex’ (Taxi) – Tetley Tea (Harrod & Mirlin) – 3M ‘Dr. Concavex 1 & 2′(Toei Japan) – General Mills Cocoa Puffs (Saatchi usa)

Our philosophy:

The dictionary defines animation as ‘simulating life’ – I think the definition of modern animation with all of its technologies and applications should be ‘stimulating life.’ – Bob Fortier

Casablanca Sound & Picture

Tel.: (416) 461-2550

Fax: (416) 461-9709

Number of employees: 35 staff, 40 freelancers

Senior staff:

Steve Mayhew, president; David Evans, vp, sound editing; Tom Virostek, technical director; Samantha Dubiel, studio manager; Lou Solakofski, Dino Pigat, Orest Sushko – rerecording mixers

Primary business:

Sound editing and picture editing for features, mows, series.

Recent projects:

– Dog Park (Lions Gate/Accent Entertainment) – Crash (Alliance) – Afterglow (Moonstone Entertainment) – Babyface (Stable Films) – Major Crime (Salter Street) – Blackjack (Alliance) – Borrowed Hearts (Atlantis) – Tangle Wood – A Tale of Peter Grimes (Rhombus Media) – The Christmas Experiment (Rhombus) – Hong Kong Symphony (Rhombus) – Traders (Atlantis) – Psi Factor (Atlantis) – Cold Squad (Atlantis) – Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict (Atlantis) – The Adventures of Sinbad (Atlantis/All American)

Our philosophy:

To create and sustain an environment for employees and clients where creativity can flourish.

Command Post/TOYBOX

Tel: (416) 585-9995

Fax: (416) 979-0428

Website: www.compt.com

Number of employees: 68

Senior staff:

Andy Sykes, vp sales & marketing/partner; Steve Robinson, vp operations/partner; Mike Ellis, partner; Dennis Berardi, visual effects manager; Neil Durie, producer; Ray Joiner, sales; Derek Grime, director of animation; Paul Rigg, John Watson, Jeff Campbell – visual effects designers; Gary Chuntz, supervising colorist

Primary Business:

toybox offers a full range of visual effects, post-production and prepress services for feature films, long-form television and commercials.

Recent projects:

– Lost in Space (New Line) – The Game (Propaganda Films) – The Planet of Junior Brown (The Film Works) – Lexx: The Dark Zone (Salter Street) – ‘New Theatre Opening’ (Cineplex Odeon) – ‘Planet Toronto’ (Young & Rubicam) – Philadelphia Cream Cheese ‘Niagara Falls’ (J. Walter Thompson) – Labatt Blue ‘Street Hockey’ (Ammirati Puris Lintas) – A Little in Love, Paul Brandt video (Hoodoo Films)

Company philosophy:

We combine Canada’s best selection of visual effects toys with a creative team from around the world.

DAVE

Tel.: (416) 364-1422

Fax: (416) 364-7400

DAVE – Video

Number of employees: 35

Senior staff:

Bill Ferwerda, Ross Cole, Chris Dover – colorists; Ernie Mordak, editor; Mike Morey, Flame artist

Primary business:

Full post and effects for commercials, television series, mows.

Recent projects:

– Goosebumps (Protocol Entertainment) – F/X: The Series (Fireworks Entertainment/Rysher) – Once a Thief (Alliance) – Eerie Indiana (Power Pictures) – American Express (Ogilvy & Mather, u.s.) – Touchdown (Cormark Communications) – P.E.I. Tourism (Young & Rubicam) – Coca-Cola (MacLaren McCann) – Pontiac (MacLaren McCann)

Our philosophy:

We are not your cheapest alternative, but we do guarantee our work will meet or exceed your expectations. You will not be allowed to leave the building unhappy.

DAVE – Audio

Number of employees: 40

Senior staff:

Kevin Doyle, Scott Boyling, Bruce Fleming, Keith Ohman – commercial engineers; James Porteous, Steve Foster, Rick Ellis, Cory Mandel, Paul Shubat – long-form engineers

Primary business:

50% high-end commercial audio; 50% major television series, mows, imax films; plus audio and video duplication and distribution.

Recent projects:

– Hidden Dimension (imax) – Nutcracker (imax) – Mark Twain (imax) – Once a Thief (Alliance) – F/X: The Series (Fireworks Entertainment/Rysher) – Eerie Indiana (Power Pictures)

Our philosophy:

cbp – Rah Rah Rah

deluxe toronto

Tel.: (416) 364-4321

Fax: (416) 364-9340

E-mail: stan_ford@rank.com

Number of employees: 60

Senior staff:

Cyril Drabinsky, president; Tom Allwood, senior vp & gm, sound/video; Stan Ford, vp sales, post-production; Paul Norris, vp service, post-production; Rod Haykin, vp operations, video; Tom Berner, customer service manager; Allen Ford, sound department manager

Primary business:

Feature and television post-production sound recording in all digital formats sr, srd, dts, and sdds magnetic and film-to-tape transfers.

Recent projects:

– The Hairy Bird (Alliance) – Fast Track (Alliance) – Due South (Alliance) – The Sweet Hereafter (Alliance) – La Femme Nikita (Fireworks Entertainment) – Shattered Image (Fireworks) – The Big Hit (Grand Slam) – Knock Off (Knock Films) – Goosebumps (Protocol Entertainment) – Conquest (Shaftesbury Films) – Wind At My Back (Sullivan Entertainment)

Eyes Post Group

Tel.: (416) 363-3073

Fax: (416) 363-6335

E-mail: edit@eyespost.com

Number of employees: 25

Senior staff:

Izhak Hinitz, president; Diane Cuthbert, vp; Gary Robichaud, sales; Judy Paul, Joanne Rourke, Sue Chambers, Arlene Moelker, Stephen Kent – colorists; Frank Biasi, Fred Lenchner, Ed Rafferty, Darren Labaree – editors

Primary business:

Full post and effects for commercials, tv series, mows, features, documentaries, music videos, corporate videos.

Recent projects:

– Lay’s Potato Chips (bbdo) – Soy Milk ‘Cow Confession’ (Saatchi & Saatchi) – Blackjack (Alliance) – Ned’s Newt (Nelvana) – Blazing Dragons (Nelvana) – The Sweet Hereafter (Alliance)

Flashcut Editing

Tel.: (416) 977-2401

Fax: (416) 977-4910

Number of employees: 16

Senior staff:

Marybeth Odell, gm; Norm Odell, Bob Kennedy, Mick Griffin, Tim Kirkwood, Chris Parkins, Brian Noon – editors; Stephen Cam, creative director, Storm Digital

Primary business:

Commercial post-production and long-format special effects.

Recent projects:

– Labatt Blue ‘Street Hockey’ (Ammirati Puris Lintas) – Labatt Blue ‘Cart Chase’ (apl) – Bell Canada ‘Olympics’ (bbdo) – Ontario Lottery Corporation ‘Businessman’ (Promanad Communications) – Kraft ‘Hot 4 Cheese’ (fcb, Chicago) – Molson Dry ‘The Elements’ (bcp, Montreal) – AGF Mutual Funds ‘Actor,’ ‘Golf’ (Young & Rubicam)

Our philosophy:

Creativity and craft is everything. Our business is about realizing ideas to their full potential. Our role is to see things as an unbiased audience would. We strive to ensure that the idea is communicated successfully and innovatively.

Today, the entire post-production process is being reinvented. We constantly monitor new technologies and talents. Not only do we orchestrate the flow and tempo of the shots, we design the overall integration of post-production elements.

Gajdecki Visual Effects

Tel.: (416) 463-6753

Fax: (416) 463-7312

E-mail: inquiries@gvfx.com

Number of employees: 21 staff; 17 freelancers

Senior staff:

John Gajdecki, visual effects supervisor/president & ceo; Jon Campfens, Tom Turnbull – visual effects supervisors; Linda Millard, gm; Bruce Turner, visual effects supervisor/gm Vancouver office; Dave Axford, Rick Gajdecki – model shop supervisors; Joel Skeete, senior computer artist; Christine Petrov, senior computer artist, Vancouver

Primary business:

Feature films and television.

Recent projects:

– ice (Frozen Films) – Stargate (mgm) – Total Recall (Alliance) – Jacob Two Two (Shaftesbury Films/Salter Street Films) – Shot Through The Heart (Alliance) – Due South ‘Call of the Wild’ (Alliance)

Jungle Music Productions

Tel.: (416) 862-7086

Fax: (416) 862-2146

Number of employees: 11

Senior staff:

Mark Stafford, president/partner/producer; Doug Wilde, composer/partner; Gerry Mosby, composer/producer; Lou Pomanti, composer; Jane Heath, co-ordinator

Primary business:

Original music and sound design production for radio and television commercials.

Recent projects:

– Chrysler (bbdo) – Ford (Young & Rubicam) – Otrivin (Ammirati Puris Lintas) – McDonald’s (Cossette Communications) – Visa (Leo Burnett)

Louder Music & Sound Design

Tel.: (416) 599-1531

Fax: (416) 599-1536

E-mail: cd@louder.com

Number of employees: 10

Senior staff:

Steve Convery, Clive Desmond – track directors; Rick Tait, Jim Tait, Jon Goldsmith – composers; Christine Leslie, exec producer; Alistair Murray, operations manager

Primary business:

Sound production for television and radio commercials.

Recent projects:

– Tums ‘Every Minute’ (Grey Canada) – Taco Bell ‘Chihuahua’ (Bozell Worldwide) – Tiger Toys ‘Extreme Chains’ (Posnick & Kolker Advertising) – Urban Alliance ‘Ambulance’ (Holmes Donin Alloul) – Tylenol ‘Flames’/’Boilerhead’/’Faucet’/’Cactus’ (Saatchi & Saatchi) – Speedy Muffler (Bozell Worldwide)

Our philosophy:

To deliver on people’s expectations in ways they don’t expect.

Magnetic Audio

Tel.: (416) 365-7622

Fax: (416) 367-4563

Number of employees: 9

Senior staff:

David Greene, vp & gm; Mike Liotta, senior mixer; Anne Reynolds, senior client services rep

Primary business:

Audio post-production service and music production for long-form episodic television

Recent projects:

– Born Free (Franklin/Waterman) – Freaky Stories (Decode Entertainment) – Grand Illusions (Paragon Entertainment) – Once a Thief (Alliance) – Great Adventures of the 20th Century Shipwreck on the Skeleton Coast (Cinenova) – Language of the Heart (Visaje Music) – Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (Warner Bros.)

Manta Eastern Sound

Tel.: (416) 863-9316

Fax: (416) 863-1448

Website: www.compt.com

Number of employees: 19

Senior staff:

Kevin Evans, vp/gm; Sy Potma, vp/operations manager; Christie Friesen, assistant manager/scheduling; John Naslen, chief engineer; Mike Duncan, Gary Gray, John Hurlbut, Jim McBride – recording engineers

Primary business:

Audio recording and post-production for radio and television commercials; orchestral recording for feature films and long-form television; digital phone patch and digital audio distribution.

Recent projects:

– Last Night (Rhombus Media) – Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict (Atlantis) – Psi Factor (Atlantis) – Traders (Atlantis) – Family of Cops (Alliance) – Mozart Children’s Album (Classical Kids) – Fosse (Live Entertainment) – Blue Rodeo, live radio broadcast (Sound Source Productions) – Faith Hill, live radio broadcast (Today’s Country, Rogers Group)

Medallion-PFA Film & Video

Tel.: (416) 593-0556

Fax: (416) 593-7201

Website: www.compt.com

Number of employees: 100

Senior staff:

Dave Bruner, manager, post services; Louis Major, operations manager; John Walsh, lab & administration manager; Lex Batten, Chris Blacklock, Brian Lovery – senior colorists; Lorraine Grant, senior videotape colorist; Bernie Clayton, Paul Deakin, Ed Ham, Brent Pate – senior editors; Les Bori, Jos Goode, Peter Korsitzke, Klaus Richtmann – senior film timers, Grace Carmelli, Brian White, Ray Joiner – sales

Primary business:

Full lab services, component digital film transfer, online editorial and complete post audio mixing and editorial for long-form television, episodic or feature-length productions.

Recent projects:

– The Arrow (The Film Works/TapestryFilms/John Aaron Productions) – Outrage (American Zoetrope/PolyGram) – Traders (Atlantis) – Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict (Atlantis) – Stickin’ Around (Nelvana) – Wind At My Back (Sullivan) – The Planet of Junior Brown (Film Works) – Reluctant Angel (Arakis Films)

Northwest Imaging & FX

Tel.: (604) 873-9330

Fax: (604) 873-9339

E-mail: nwfx@nwfx.com

Number of employees: 35

Senior staff:

Alex Tkach, vp; Paul Cox, director of visual effects; Randy Egan, Peter Mastalyr – visual effects compositors; Joanna Bisley, exec producer, commercial division

Primary business:

Visual effects/post-production for television, feature films and commercials.

Recent projects:

– Spawn (New Line Cinema) – Disturbing Behaviour (mgm) – Poltergeist (mgm) – Stargate (mgm) – Creature (mgm) – Sleepwalkers (Columbia/TriStar) – Dorian Grey (Apple Box Productions) – Total Service (Bozfilm) – Colgate (Young & Rubicam) – Frisch’s Big Boy (Sive/y&r, Cincinnati) – Canadian Banker’s Association (The McLaughlan Group)

Panic & Bob

Tel.: (416) 504-2020

Fax: (416) 504-0266

Number of employees: 13

Senior staff:

David Baxter, Andy Ames, David Hicks, Michelle Czukar, Brian Williams – editors; Janice May, exec producer, Barbara Rondinelli, rep

Primary business:

Post/creative editorial for commercials.

Recent projects:

– Lexus ‘Darn Bugs’ (smw) – Cantel ‘Apartment’ (Gee Jeffery & Partners) – Hong Kong Bank of Canada ‘Sabbatical’ (Bryant Fulton Shee) – Molson Golden ‘Backyard’ (Imported Artists) – Alpine ‘Fridge Babe’ (Chiat Day) – Mothers Against Drunk Driving ‘Dick’s World’ (Partners’) – Adidas ‘Cynics’ (Leagus Delaney) – Bank of Montreal ‘Mosaic’ (Vickers & Benson) – Metro 300 (Chiat Day) – Eaton’s ‘Hug’ (Roche Macaulay)

Pinewood Sound

Tel.: (604) 669-6900

Fax: (604) 669-0040

Number of employees: 17

Senior staff:

Geoff Turner, president; Randy Kiss, senior mixer/chief engineer; Alan Perkins, senior engineer/editor/mixer; David Horner, engineer; Greg Nielsen, director of business development

Primary business:

Audio post-production for feature films, tv series and mows; dialogue prerecording for cartoons; music scores for features, tv series and mows.

Recent projects:

– Nowheresville (Trout Films) – Act of War (North American Pictures) – Heart of the Sun (Dancing With Stones Productions) – Robocop (B.L.T. Productions) – Beast Wars (Mainframe Entertainment) – Greatest Heroes & Legends of the Bible (Tundra Entertainment) – The X-Files (Fox) – Millennium (Fox) – The Sentinel (Paramount Pictures) – Viper (Viper Productions) – Silent Cradle (Illusions Entertainment)

Our philosophy:

To offer the latest in digital technology, to produce the highest quality sound, on time and on budget, in a warm and friendly environment. ‘We’ve never missed a deadline…. ‘

Rainmaker Digital Pictures (Gastown)

Tel.: (604) 874-8700

Fax: (604) 874-1719

Website: www.rainmaker.com

Number of employees: 160

Senior staff:

Bob Cabral, ceo; Bob Scarabelli, president & coo; Barry Chambers, vp operations; Katie McFadden, manager, post division

Primary business:

Lab, post, visual effects and mpeg compression services for feature films, mows, tv series, documentaries and commercials.

Recent projects:

– The X-Files (Fox) – Millennium (Fox) – Poltergeist (mgm) – The Outer Limits (mgm) – Stargate (mgm) – Deadman’s Gun (Vidatron Entertainment) – First Wave (Vidatron) – Medusa’s Child (Columbia/TriStar) – Future Sport (abc) – Wrongfully Accused (Constantine Films) – The Highlander (Filmline International/Gaumont)

Our philosophy:

If it ain’t broke, keep looking.

Rosnick MacKinnon

Tel.: (416) 323-3511

Fax: (416) 323-3647

Number of employees: 10

Senior staff:

Ted Rosnick, ceo/producer; Steve MacKinnon, president/composer/producer; Maureen Morris, vp; Mike Rosnick, sound designer/producer; Steve Webster, Guido Luciani – composers; Tammy Boyling, production co-ordinator; Tom Trafalski, sound designer

Primary business:

Audio production for tv and radio commercials, tv series, feature films, shorts and documentaries and record production.

Recent projects:

– Labatt Blue (Ammirati Puris Lintas) – Labatt Ice (apl) – Bell Canada (Leo Burnett/bbdo) – Chrysler (bbdo) – Toyota (Saatchi & Saatchi) – Budweiser (Bozell Canada) – TD Bank (TBWA/Chiat Day ) – Coke (Cossette ) – Visa (Leo Burnett) – Cantel Cinema (Gee Jeffery & Partners) – Fruit of the Loom (Leo Burnett) – Special K (Leo Burnett) – The Boxer (Taarna)

Sharpe Sound Studios/Sharpe Sound Television

Tel.: (604) 988-3477

Fax: (604) 988-4334

E-mail: sharpe@axionet.com

Sharpe Sound Studios:

Number of employees: 11

Senior staff:

Paul Sharpe, owner/head mixer; Laurie Melhus, studio manager; Dean Gianmarco, mixer

Primary business:

Sound editing, adr and foley recording and mix for theatrical features and mows.

Recent projects:

– Warriors of Virtue (mgm) – Free Willy iii (Warner Bros.) – Rupert’s Land (Cadence Entertainment) – Last Night (Rhombus Media) – Northern Lights (Alliance) – Captains Courageous (Pacific Motion Pictures/Hallmark Entertainment)

Sharpe Sound Television

Number of employees: 9

Senior staff:

Jacqueline Christianini, owner/sound supervisor; Kelly Cole, mixer; Denis Garon, technical manager

Primary business:

Sound editing, adr and foley recording and mix for episodic television.

Recent projects:

– The Outer Limits (mgm) – Poltergeist (mgm) – Stargate (mgm) – Ninja Intruders (Saban Enbtertainment) – Beast Wars (Mainframe Entertainment)

Our philosophy:

As good as it gets.

Spin Productions

Tel.: (416) 504-8333

Fax: (416) 504-3876

E-mail: mich@spinpro.com

Number of employees: 25

Senior staff:

Norm Stangl, president/ceo/exec producer; Robert Jones, senior creative director; Joseph Sherman, creative director; Dale Smith, creative director (design); Kyran Kelly, animation director; Connie Dercho, senior producer/account executive; Lisa Batke, Mike Dearruda – producers

Primary business:

Visual effects and animation, digital video and film support for commercials, tv and features.

Recent projects:

– Nissan Pathfinder ‘Stickman’ (Chiat Day) – The Hairy Bird (Alliance) – Stay-Free ‘Labels’ (MacLaren McCann) – Brilliance Faucet ‘Siege’ (Campbell Ewald)

Our philosophy:

Recognizing that production is a collaborative business, Spin acts accordingly by ‘enhancing the client’s vision.’

Tattersall Sound

Tel.: (416) 957-6221/(416) 364-4321

Fax: (416) 368-0690

E-mail: tatsound@istar.ca

Number of employees: 3 full-time, 13 contract

Senior staff:

Jane Tattersall, president; Peter E. Gibson, administration; David McCallum, operations/editor; Fred Brennan, Janice Ierulli, John Laing – supervisors/editors; Rod Deogrades, Garrett Kerr, Michele Cook, Mark Shnuriusky, Rob Warchol – editors

Primary business:

Audio production for features films, tv series, mows and documentaries.

Recent projects:

– A Cool Dry Place (Twentieth Century Fox) – The Big Hit (Sony Pictures) – Dog Park (Lions Gate/Accent Entertainment) – The Hairy Bird (Alliance) – Children of the Corn v (Dimension) – Jerry and Tom (Lions Gate) – Fast Track (Alliance) – Straight Up (Alliance/Back Alley Films) – The Inventor’s Specials (Devine Entertainment)

Our philosophy:

To create soundscapes for the entertainment industry that enrich the audience’s sensory experience.

Third Floor Editing

Tel.: (416) 504-6004

Fax: (416) 504-5650

E-mail: thirdflr@interlog.com

Number of employees: 12

Senior staff:

Richard Unruh, president/editor; Brant Lambermont, Barry McCann, Grant Pye, Dave Thomson – editors; Jane Broadfoot, exec producer; Cynthia Tate, comptroller

Primary business:

Full-service creative editorial post-production for commercials.

Recent projects:

– B.C. Hydro (Lanyon Phillips Partners) – Coors Light (fcb) – MTS Mobility (Jarvis ddb, Winnipeg) – Tim Hortons (Enterprise Advertising) – Honda Acura (Ambrose Carr Linton Carroll)

TOPIX/Mad Dog

Tel.: (416) 971-7711

Fax: (416) 971-9277

E-mail: www.topix.com

Number of employees: 31

Senior staff:

Chris Wallace, president; Sylvain Taillon, exec producer; Lisa Weinrib, Anne Deslauriers, Diana D’Amelio – producers

Primary business:

Specialists in character animation, special f/x, film titling, type and broadcast design, compositing and special effects post-production, TOPIX/Mad Dog creates for a diverse number of markets, including commercial advertising, feature films and broadcast television.

Recent projects:

– David Bowie Little Wonder (music video) – The Sweet Hereafter (Alliance) – Montgomery Ward (DDB Needham, Chicago) – Honeycomb Cereal (Grey, New York) – Comdisco (Saatchi & Saatchi) – Discover Card (ddb, Chicago) – Molson Canadian – Pontiac (MacLaren, McCann) – Cantel at&t (Gee Jeffery & Partners) – Coca-Cola (MacLaren McCann, Atlanta & Toronto) – The Wrong Guy (Paragon) – Brain Candy (Paramount)

Philosophy:

TOPIX/Mad Dog is an eclectic collection of artists using computers as a means of visual expression for international markets. And we’re good dressers, too!