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Bald Ego – Craig Bernard
Commercial directors spill on their careers, accomplishments and the ideas that propel them to new advertising heights. This month we check in with…
Perlmutter to head NFB English Program
Toronto-based filmmaker, writer and producer Tom Perlmutter has been named director general, English Program at the National Film Board.
People
* Craig Merritt has been appointed Alliance Atlantis Communications’ new senior VP, business operations, television production.
Brightlight Pictures sets the stage in Vancouver
Vancouver indie producer Stephen Hegyes has given up his freelance reins and joined forces with prominent service producer and former Shavick Entertainment president Shawn Williamson to launch Brightlight Pictures, Vancouver’s newest hybrid production house.
Belanger heads up Spectra Animation
Montreal: L’Equipe Spectra has expanded its TV production capacity with the launch of Spectra Animation, headed by veteran producer Andre A. Belanger. Belanger (Fennec, Bob Morane, The Fly), founded Cactus Animation in 1995. That company was subsequently integrated into Coscient Group-Motion International where Belanger created a 3D production studio. He holds a third of the shares in the new company. Spectra, headed by president Alain Simard and VP television sector and finance Luc Chatelain, holds two-thirds.
Crush puts flint on new projects
Toronto post and design shop Crush Inc. has added the Discreet flint graphics and F/X system to its arsenal of high-tech gear. Crush president and co-owner Gary Thomas says the new machine is already being used substantially in the shop’s day-to-day operations.
Changes abound, take II
Dan Di Dio, senior VP with Mainframe Entertainment in L.A., says his company is shaping a new business strategy. A new Mainframe kids show, Scary Godmother, doesn’t have the muscle to get itself on air in North America, despite that company’s entirely solid North American track record. But there’s real interest in the property in Europe, and so Mainframe has gone out and found new partners for its first-ever European (France) treaty coproduction.
Jump Cuts
JumpTV opts out
Clarification
In the Oct. 15 article, ‘Post shops cope with slowdown,’ production of Relic Hunter was attributed to Paramount. The show is actually produced by Fireworks Entertainment. Playback apologizes for the error.
Roster reshaping at the G
With the September merger of Angel Films and Generator Films, the overall roster of the organization (which retains the Generator moniker) has changed, incorporating what executive producer Sarah Ker-Hornell calls ‘a breadth that is necessary for any mature company.’
Corrections
In the Oct. 1 On the Spot, torontostartv.com was incorrectly referred to as TSTV.com, which has absolutely no affiliation with the company at large.
ChumCity on the march
Cannes, France: ChumCity International held talks at MIPCOM on new station and programming block launches in Chile, Mexico, Brazil and China. Kevin Byles, ChumCity VP and general manager, wasn’t specific about financials, but it appears the maverick Toronto-based broadcaster had a highly lucrative fall program market.
Decode pushes live action, CGI tween shows
Cannes, France: London, Eng.-based Decode Entertainent partner Neil Court says a few Japanese and Americans failed to show up at this year’s MIPCOM program market, but Decode had a ‘jam-packed week’ pitching new preschool and tween projects to potential presale buyers.
Turner privy to George’s Confession
shots & Chasers tracks who shot what during the previous month. Production companies are invited to fax information for this column as frequently as possible to Dustin Dinoff at (416) 408-0870. The next deadline for submissions is Wednesday, November 7.
Bids & Bites
In this regular feature, we dissect the current commercial production scene in markets across Canada.
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