Few countries as well positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for high quality animation and visual effects as Canada and studios up north are definitely seeing the benefits.
“One of the reasons to work anywhere is the execution and results you get,” says Michael Hefferon, president of the Vancouver-based animation studio Rainmaker. “Canada has a long history of animation that’s been fostered a great deal by the support by the Canadian government with the tax-credit system, the support from the broadcasters, and the (Canada Media Fund) and other funding sources that allow Canada to compete on a global stage.”
And, especially for American companies, that’s just the start of the advantages to working with Canadians: they speak English, there are no major time-zone differences and they have a reliable economic, educational and technological infrastructure.
While instances of growth can be found all across the nation, animation and visual effects work has pooled around several population centers. Vancouver has seen the biggest recent boom, especially in visual effects; while the long-standing animation traditions found in Toronto and Ottawa have expanded to Hamilton in Ontario and Montreal and Quebec City in Quebec. And on the east coast, Halifax has emerged as a growing center for animation work.
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