Montreal: Femmes du cinema, de la television et de la video a Montreal (FCTVM) paid tribute to five accomplished industry women at its fifth annual gala, held April 10 at the Marriott Chateau Champlain.

Constructiong four-foot-tall heads that nod, making it snow in the summer and storm on sunny days, or building an animatronics cow only to drop it on a car may seem unlikely pursuits in an increasingly CG world, but physical and mechanical F/X house, The FX Guys, is staking its claim in Vancouver’s once again busy special effects market and is looking to build bridges between old and new.

* Radio-Canada has announced Mario Clement, programming director with Tele-Quebec, has joined SRC as director-general of programming. The post had been held on an interim basis by Suzanne Laverdiere, director-general, acquisitions and independent production. Clement is credited with spearheading major ratings improvements at Tele-Quebec over the past three years.

Famous gets digi previews

The familiar drums of diversification have begun to beat. Familiar, at least from this chair, because in addition to my duties as editor of Playback, I also edit PB spin-off On The Spot, a trade devoted to the business of commercial production.

Well, it isn’t going away.

In your March 17 editorial, you try to make the point that the U.S. media is running in lockstep with the White House, and in doing so, you reveal your own bias.

In reference to the March 31 issue in the NAB2003 Preview, Precision Camera did not supply the Sony 24p HDCAMs for the sereis Doc. William F. White International is the supplier. William F. White International bought the equipment from Precision Camera and then rented it out to the makers of Doc.

Even in the face of open criticism of the Prairie provinces’ ability to support major film and TV productions, the region’s foreign and indigenous production business continues to grow.

Vancouver: When actor Jennifer Lopez sashays into Kamloops for the Miramax feature An Unfinished Life, the B.C. taxpayer will pay for one out of every seven days of hotels and per diems for the drama’s 150 crew members.

Vancouver: The West Coast post-production industry was looking for a little industry shakeup when it started lobbying the B.C. government for a visual effects tax credit.

Vancouver: Production on the second season of Warner Bros.’ digital 2D animated series Mucha Lucha begins in May at Vancouver’s Bardel Entertainment.