Don Spielvogel, President of VirtualMagic Animation, Inc., and JeffreyHarrison, Chairman/CEO of ImagineAsia Studio, announce the formation ofVirtualMagic ASIA, a new digital ink, paint and compositing service in thePhilippines that will operate as a subsidiary of VirtualMagic Animation,Inc. headquartered in North Hollywood, California. VirtualMagic ASIA is acorporate venture between two animation and digital service studios,VirtualMagic Animation, Inc. and ImagineAsia Studio, of Manila.
VirtualMagic Animation is a leader and pioneer in digital ink & paint amongjust a handful of similar service-based providers. The company was formedin 1992 originally as USAnimation to help develop the USAnimation System.With more than 700 jobs completed both as USAnimation and now VirtualMagicAnimation, VirtualMagic Animation is known for quality service. ImagineAsiais a digital and traditional animation production studio based in thePhilippines, established by Asia Data, Inc. of San Francisco, CA.ImagineAsia is currently animating the Cine Groupe/Columbia TriStar featurefilm sequel HEAVY METAL F.A.K.K.2 and will shortly begin production on itsown 26-episode, 3D-animated series, THE QUEST: TALES FROM THE RAMAYANA. "Weformed VirtualMagic ASIA to best serve high-quality, long-form animation.By setting up digital ink & paint services at the ImagineAsia Studiofacility, a complete digital animation service in the Philippines. We willbe able to provide a variety of production solutions to the digital ink &paint process," said Spielvogel. "VirtualMagic Animation has made thecommitment to the Philippines not only because we are impressed withImagineAsia, but we are also very impressed with the Philippine animationindustry." "We're very excited to be associated with a company likeVirtualMagic," says ImagineAsia chairman Jeffrey Harrison, "and we lookforward to a long and successful relationship." ImagineAsia Studio wasfounded, in 1997, by Harrison, and partners COO Michael Collinson andPresident Maria Passion. The studio specializes in 3D digital animation,digital ink & paint, motion capture technology and digital puppetry. Withover 150 employees in a 30,000 square foot facility, ImagineAsia isplanning an extensive expansion in 1999.
