Full Steam Ahead

According to local equipment suppliers, the buzz at NAB2002 will be what, if anything, is new with high-definition. Although HD production has not yet made traditional methods of capture obsolete, it’s here to stay and sure to grow. But while it is doubtful there will be any great technological advancements beyond Sony’s introduction of the 24p HDW-F900 HDCAM in 2000 or Panasonic’s AJ-HDC27VP VFR HD camera last year, NAB does allow equipment distributors the opportunity to see how all the manufacturers have improved their existing product lines.

Technology has made special effects a regular component of spot production. However, in these cost-cutting times, special effects, often perceived to be too expensive, may be the first thing slashed from a commercial budget.
The economic slowdown may cause producers to shy away from using effects that will dramatically increase their budgets. Therefore, offering the most for the least amount of money is more important than ever in a competitive market. Effects houses are using creative problem-solving techniques to keep the business coming their way.

High-end TV series no doubt represent a sort of Holy Grail for many Canadian post-production shops. But the reality is that many facilities, except for the very largest and even some of those, take on whatever projects they have to, including corporate videos and infomercials, to keep busy. This is especially true with an increasingly fragmented broadcasting industry and shrinking licence fees for high-budget production.

Toronto’s Industry Films has signed two new California-based directors in Melodie McDaniel and Maggie Zackheim for exclusive representation in Canada.

Vancouver and Toronto F/X company GVFX added more than 300 shots to the imaginary world of Babylon 5 when it took on the role of sole visual effects creator on the forthcoming 90-minute TV movie Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers. The SCI FI Channel/Warner Bros. International production, a spin-off of the series Babylon 5, was shot in Vancouver in May and June 2001.

EIGHT players in Canada’s post-production industry answer the question: ‘What was the biggest story in equipment in 2001?’