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President's Report June 2001

Hi Everyone!
Thank you to all of those artists who dared to bare their cels at the Open Screening in April at Cinecycle. It's great to know TAIS can provide animators with a beginning to end cycle of events that helps to create their animation and view it. Thanks to all participants!

At the Annual General Meeting in April we elected a new Board of Directors.

They are:

Barbara Whitmer - President
Greg Duffell - Treasurer
Rick Dolishny - Secretary
Cory Crivari
Hubert Den Draak
Bronwen Kyffin
Elizabeth Lewis
Ron Stevenson

Thank you to our Board for volunteering their time to work for TAIS.
TAIS has a new responsibility with the award of three grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council: the creation of an artist-run Co-op.

The feedback the Board has received about the Co-op from the membership has been amazing. You've been specific and general, drawn upon your experience and given us the benefits of what worked for you. You've given us your visions of what it can be, and your hopes of what it will be. You've offered your time, your equipment, your knowledge and expertise. YOU are our most valuable resource. Thank you for your generosity. This Co-op is of you, by you, and for you.

TAIS has become diverse it its membership from the animation community. We are comprised of classical animators, cameraless animators, puppet animators, stop-motion animators, computer animators, fans of animation, character designers, layout artists, scriptwriters, storyboard artists, students of animation, industry participants, cartoonists, all those who aspire to be a part of the world of the imagination that is animation. That is what differentiates us from live action. We can benefit from each other, learn from each other, create new works and worlds together. The Co-op, the Workshops and the Programming of TAIS will continue to reflect the diverse needs of our membership. Your input is always welcome.

At the IFVA conference in Ottawa earlier this month, I was able to meet with members of other Co-ops and David Poole, Head of Media Arts for the Canada Council. We have a richly experienced base of people in the community from which to draw, and appreciate their support.

We're off to a good start. We're looking for a space, our first grantwriting workshop has been provided by the one and only Kaspar Jivan (thank you, Kaspar!), we have an excellent Board, and a responsive membership. Our core mandate is to explore and promote the art of animation. It's what TAIS has always done, and will continue to do.

Our TAIS picnic will be held on Sunday, August 12th at Sunnybrook Part, at Eglinton Avenue and Leslie Street, near the Restaurant and Stables from noon onward. TTC accessible. We have a firepit for a bonfire. Bring your families or friends, some potluck food, and a piece of firewood! We'll have games for kids big and small. We'd be happy to see you there.

I enjoy your responses and messages; feel free to introduce yourself in the future, and contact myself or the Board any time.

Sincerely,

Barbara Whitmer
President Toronto Animated Image Society

TAIS turns a new page with this Board and its responsibilities of assembling informative Programming and Workshops, and devising a Co-op that suits the needs of our diverse and talented membership, i.e., YOU.
We owe much to the previous Board, including Patrick, Cory, Greg, Ron, Allen, Janice, Cathy, Frederica, Niki, and Rick for helping us get to where we are. We will still rely on their experience and suggestions as we move forward.
If anyone is interested in being Editor or designer for the newsletter, please let me know. The Summer issue will probably be my last issue as Editor. I've loved doing it; and will continue to contribute.
If you need to reach me, the best way is via email: barbara.whitmer@sympatico.ca. My virtual office door is always open.

Thanks very much,
Barbara Whitmer
President, Toronto Animated Image Society

April 2001

Dear Tais Member,
I have served as President of Tais for the past 3 years. In that time Tais has grown from no members in 1998 to approximately 130 members at present. This has been very gratifying and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with all of you. However it is time for me to step down from this position as, according to our by-laws, an individual can only be on the Tais Board for 3 consecutive years at a time. Hence I will be stepping down to enjoy the organization and play other roles in the running of Tais. In April, Tais goes through its' annual renewal with an election of a new Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. Now, more than ever, Tais needs members to come forward and give a little of their time to help the organization. I know you have enjoyed the lectures, screenings, newsletters and workshops that we have presented. If you would like to see more of these events and publications, it is now time to volunteer. Tais is entirely volunteer run. I know many of you are busy with work and family commitments but everyone can spare a little time to help out with something they value (like Tais). Please come to our Annual General Meeting on April 25th, give us your input and lend a hand to plan our future.

Thanks. All the best.

Patrick Jenkins (past) President Toronto Animated Image Society.

March 24, 2001
IFVA CALLS FOR INCREASED CANADIAN CONTENT In a brief to the CRTC on March 23, the IFVA recommended that the CRTC should CTV and Global to increase the Canadian content in their programming from 50% to 60%. The IFVA also recommended that the CRTC require as a condition of licence renewal that the two multi-station owners (CTV, now owned by Bell GlobeMedia, and Global) increase their Canadian content to 50% during the priority programming hours of 7 pm to 11 pm. Finally the IFVA also seeks an increase in the amount of expenditures on Canadian independent productions. According to the brief filed by IFVA National Director, Peter Sandmark, this would "fulfil the goal, as expressed in the Broadcast Act, section 3. (1) (i) v), that the programming provided by the Canadian broadcasting system should include a significant contribution from the Canadian independent production sector."

March 2001
Dear Tais Member, I am pleased to announce that Tais has been awarded an Annual Operating Assistance Grant for operating assistance and for new equipment purchases by the Canada Council towards the establishment of Tais's animator's production co-op where animators can come and make their own personal animated films and take workshops in the art of animation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ron Stevenson and Kaspar Saxena who spearheaded this funding request, as well as Greg Duffell, Jonathan Amitay, Janice Schulman and the Board and Membership of the Toronto Animated Image Society for all your support in this grant application. All the best, Patrick.

February 15, 2001
At a recent Tais Board Meeting, the Board of Directors of Tais adopted a policy whereby Tais will no longer place announcements for unpaid or speculative work in both the Tais newsletter and Tais e-mail news. Tais supports a policy that animators should be paid for their work and hence as an organization, we cannot support notices where animators are being asked to work for free or on spec. We are pleased to continue to list, as an information service for our members, notices for employment or jobs where animators are paid for their work as well as other types of listings.

February, 2001
1 - IFVA AND CQAM AT CRTC DIGI-TV HEARINGS (report by Barbara Ulrich) On August 30, CQAM and IFVA did a joint presentation at the CRTC hearings deliberating on the granting of new licenses for Category I digital channels specializing in independent film. Approximately a dozen applicants submitted license requests and all the ones we examined had serious flaws which do not recognize the independent film and video community. Among them were submissions from TVA, CHUM, Alliance-Atlantis, Astral, Salter Street. All the submissions had a very low percentage of programming for independent films, only one had some video time slots and they all defended this programming direction with one or all of the following three excuses: A) There are not enough works to offer more time slots; B) anyway the majority of films produced in Canada are all independent because of their financial structure (assistance from Telefilm or other gov't funding institutions); C) An independent work is one which is produced outside "major" studios. On the other hand, there was a high percentage of in-house productions which each of the applicants wished the CRTC to consider as "independent" productions... We were last on the role call and so our presentation took place at 10:00PM in an empty room with the commissioners as tired as us and the CPAC cameras. Nevertheless, we made the most of the situation and, because we were last, we had sufficient time (30 min.) to really explain the independent film and video scene to them. The commissioners were extremely curious and were surprised to discover that there are approx. 8000 independent broadcast works available, that there exists an independent video community producing all genres and formats of broadcast works and that the CAC awards 9$M annually to media arts compared to some of the meager promises of 500,000 over 7 years (Digipix submission from TVA). In short, the wait was long but well worth it! The CRTC is now informed as to the real meaning of the term "independent work" and has received additional information on the Canadian independent film & video scene 3 - BILL C-259: TAX BREAKS FOR ARTISTS Motion 259, presented to the House of Commons by Nelson Riis, NDP MP (Kamloops), on May 1, could help in ensuring the basic rights of artists. The motion if passed, would allow Canadian artists an up to $30,000 tax exemption. The bill still has two more readings to get through, and it is unlikely that it will be passed without a strong show of public support. Those wishing to lend support to the Bill can send their letters to: Hon. Paul Martin, MP; Minister of Finance; L'Esplanade Laurier; 140 O'Connor Street; Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5 5 - IFVA SEEKS JURY MEMBERS NAMES FOR CANADA COUNCIL IFVA aims to send in a list of recommended potential jury members to the Canada Council Media Arts section. Please solicit your membership for suggestions, discuss the issue with the IFVA Regional Directors and alternates. Please send the IFVA names of people you think would be good jury members, write a short comment about them (like are they filmmakers, video artists, what? have they had their works in festivals, or whatever you think is relevant) and don't forget to include their phone number or the name of a center through which they could be contacted.