An in-depth Study on the Animation Industry - Philippine Institute for ...

2.5.2 Vancouver, Canada
British Columbia's <strong>An</strong>imation Industry
The animation scene <strong>in</strong> British Columbia is still healthy despite a drop <strong>in</strong>
production revenue for television series and features of 20% <strong>in</strong> 1999 to C$33 million
($22.5 million), accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>dustry officials. The <strong>in</strong>dustry had previously seen a record
$28 million <strong>in</strong> revenues <strong>in</strong> 1998, a stagger<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>crease of $9.5 million over 1997 figures.
About 45 hours of programm<strong>in</strong>g were completed <strong>in</strong> 1998, up from just one hour of
animated production <strong>in</strong> 1990.
But the B.C. animation <strong>in</strong>dustry is at a crucial stage, says Mark Freedman, who
serves as president of the 19-member Association of B.C. <strong>An</strong>imation Producers
(ABCAP). Accord<strong>in</strong>g to people <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry, what happens <strong>in</strong> the next two or three
years will dictate whether the smaller firms here will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to grow, or dim<strong>in</strong>ish <strong>in</strong> size
and talent and rema<strong>in</strong> a production service provider, a tenuous situation <strong>in</strong> this
<strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>dustry.
ABCAP says animation firms <strong>in</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ce have moved <strong>in</strong>to co-productions and
are now develop<strong>in</strong>g B.C.-based and -controlled television series and features, but are
challenged by the lack of distribution and broadcasters <strong>in</strong> the region and by the growth
of large, vertically <strong>in</strong>tegrated, publicly traded animation companies. It's tough for
<strong>in</strong>dependents to obta<strong>in</strong> production and distribution deals. The country's two largest
animation firms are based <strong>in</strong> central Canada -- Nelvana <strong>in</strong> Toronto and the troubled
C<strong>in</strong>ar Corp. <strong>in</strong> Montreal.
ABCAP's membership is ma<strong>in</strong>ly comprised of small firms, with some of the larger
studios be<strong>in</strong>g Ma<strong>in</strong>frame Enterta<strong>in</strong>ment, Studio B Prods., Natterjack, Delaney &
Friends, and Bardel <strong>An</strong>imation.
Local firms have absorbed many of the former animators from Disney's operation
<strong>in</strong> Vancouver, which shut down its 200-person studio at the end of 1999. A glut of entrylevel
animators, fresh out of the half-dozen animation schools operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the city, has
developed, while demand rema<strong>in</strong>s strong for experienced artists and directors.
The debacle <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g Montreal-based animator C<strong>in</strong>ar is giv<strong>in</strong>g pause to <strong>in</strong>dustry
<strong>in</strong>vestors, but is perceived to be an opportunity for some Vancouver firms. C<strong>in</strong>ar is
fac<strong>in</strong>g allegations that it fraudulently claimed Canadians had done work actually
performed by Americans <strong>in</strong> order to obta<strong>in</strong> content tax credits.
Publicly traded Ma<strong>in</strong>frame, with a staff of about 275, has the largest 3-D
computer-animation facility <strong>in</strong> Canada. It is also gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>teractive media
and is look<strong>in</strong>g at opportunities to expand <strong>in</strong> South Korea, S<strong>in</strong>gapore, Malaysia and
India, with pre-production to stay <strong>in</strong> Vancouver.
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