"There are a number of animation companies who have said, `Look, we've got to secure our company and we want to buy some new technology. The bank wants a 5-year projection that's based on having some assets, not just bidding for service work.' But, on the other hand, the profit margin on straight service work currently is fairly attractive, and people can see a future there. But if you want to make your future more than 2 or 3 years out, if you want to see a company that's here 5 or 10 years from now, you're going to have to take a look at owning part of the assets that you're manufacturing."

In many cases, Vancouver studios have formed partnerships with existing distributors, or have hired people to search out development financing. There are also a number of executive producers at large who will work on retainer, performing a similar service. This is one way to lessen the cost of entering into development, though it generally requires that some of the "back end" be given up in the process. At Natterjack, we have realized the importance of allocating some funds to original production. Whether its in the form of advertising or traveling to conferences such as NATPE and MIP, a portion of the company's budget will always be devoted to developing and financing our own product.

Wayne Sterloff.

Seeing the Light of Day
The truth is that Vancouver studios are moving forward with their plans for self sufficiency. A number of projects within the last year have tasted success. Mainframe's 3-D animated series, ReBoot, will be in it's third season this year, while its new series, Beast Wars, has been fully funded and is currently in production. Local animator Gord Stanfield has presold his Kleo the Misfit Unicorn.. Herve Beddard retains the North American rights to Billy the Cat. Chris Delany is currently producing Nilus the Sandman. Slowly but surely, Vancouver projects are seeing the light of day. It is a case of staying power, determination, and developing the right property for the current market.

Marv Newland succinctly captures the prevailing sentiment among many local animators when he says, "What else am I going to do with my life? I love animation. I love making pictures. I would like it if I could just sit in a room and make short films for the rest of my life. That's really what interests me. It's the closest thing to what pure animation is all about. I came up wrong. I didn't learn about working for TV series and all that. I started making my own pictures.

"So, I think if you want to make an animated film, even commercials, you make your storyboard, you design your characters, put some words in their mouths if you need them, get some music, and that's that. As the years go by, though, you do fewer of those things. You're handed things to do and told how to do them, sometimes by people with little or no animation experience. Each time someone hands you something to do, or tells you how to do it, the less interested you become, and the more money you make. So I'd just like to make my own pictures, and if there's some way I can get a sandwich at lunch and a coffee, and do some surfing, and have a roof over my head, then that's what I'd do."

Sean Maclennan Murch spent four years in London working as both a producer and executive producer. For the last two years he has been based in Vancouver, where he is currently employed as the Director of Development at Natterjack Animation Co. Ltd.