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1st December 2008

Chuck Gammage Animation Announces New Toronto Address

Chuck Gammage Animation’s new facility will coincide with the studio’s recently stronger focus on nontraditional and 3D animation.

TorontoChuck Gammage Animation, an internationally acclaimed animation production company and commercial animation service facility, announced today that it is changing its downtown Toronto address.

After three years at its current downtown location, the company is moving to a state-of-the-art production facility in Toronto’s Trinity-Niagara neighbourhood, an up-and-coming hub for Canada’s design, entertainment and high-tech industries.

“We’re excited to be moving to this vibrant new location where we’ll be down the street from some of the world’s premiere entertainment companies,” Tammy Semen, producer. “This move also comes at a time when Chuck Gammage is switching its focus to emerging forms of digital animation while recruiting outstanding new talent. So this new space will reflect the company’s fresh outlook.”
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1st December 2008

QuickPlay Media Named Finalist In 2008 Mobile Entertainment Awards

Premier Provider of Mobile TV and Video Solutions Selected for Work on Rogers Vision, the First Fully-Integrated Mobile Video and Radio Service in Canada


TorontoQuickPlay Media, the premier provider of mobile TV and video solutions, today announced it has been named a finalist in the “Best Mobile Video and TV Service” category at Visiongain’s Mobile Entertainment Awards 2008. The awards, which recognize the technologies, companies, innovations and campaigns that moved the industry forward in 2008, have chosen QuickPlay Media for its role in powering Rogers Vision, a made-for-mobile experience that gives customers access to streaming video and radio at broadband speeds on select handsets. Rogers Vision is exclusively offered by Rogers Wireless, Canada’s largest wireless provider of voice and data services.

“The continued evolution of mobile devices and networks has created the perfect opportunity to transform the mobile phone into a legitimate entertainment resource,” said Wayne Purboo, president and CEO, QuickPlay Media. “QuickPlay empowers customers to take full advantage of this opportunity by giving them the ability to easily and efficiently provide consumers with a high-quality and compelling media viewing experience. We are extremely honored to have these efforts, and specifically the work we have done Rogers Vision, recognized by the global mobile entertainment community.
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28th November 2008

Video Games Live Announces First Group of 2009 Canadian Dates

Video Games Live today announced 10 Canadian performance dates for 2009. VGL, along with the Vancouver Symphony played to a sold-out audience at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre in October and I can say first hand that this show is well worth the ticket price.

Not only is VGL a great journey down gaming’s nostalgia lane, it’s a fun and entertaining way to introduce our children to the world of symphonic music. While there has been no Vancouver date yet announced for 2009, I am hopeful that the show will return here next year.

Announced Dates:

Kitchener, ON – March 13 2009 – Centre In The Square with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Saskatoon, SK – May 10 2009 – TCU Place with the Saskatoon Symphony
Regina, SK – May 11 2009 – Conexus Arts Centre with the Regina Symphony Orchestra
Calgary, AB – May 15 & 16 2009 – Jack Singer Concert Hall with the Calgary Philharmonic
Edmonton, AB – May 18 2009 – Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Kelowna, BC – May 20 2009 – Prospera Place
Victoria, BC – May 21 2009 – Royal Theatre
Prince George, BC – May 24 2009 – CN Centre
Montreal, QC – Date & Location TBA

Canadian shows sponsored in part by Future Shop.

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27th November 2008

Nelvana Content On Demand Online

TorontoCorus Entertainment’s Nelvana will now offer its animated content on demand in the U.S., U.K., France and French-speaking Europe through Tribal Nova’s KidStudio online environment. Nelvana programs like 6teen, Tales from the Cryptkeeper and Di-Gata Defenders will be available depending upon the territory.

KidStudio is Tribal Nova’s movie studio-themed entertainment world featuring leading children’s brands targeted at a six- to twelve year-old audience. Offering games, online comic books, full-length episodes of favourite children’s shows and personalization features, it is a secure, immersive environment with kid-friendly navigation and instruction features.

KidStudio will be available on www.kidstudio.com and through several major games portals in all these territories.

“Our partnership with Tribal Nova is an important initiative in our international growth strategy for expanding our content to our audiences on the Internet,” said Peter Maule, Vice President of Home Entertainment and Digital Media, Nelvana Enterprises.

“We’re delighted to be working with Nelvana to feature its quality animated programs on our kid-friendly, secure immersive social networking virtual world KidStudio,” said Pierre Le Lann, Co-CEO of Tribal Nova.

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26th November 2008

Ontario’s Government Supports Innovative Economy

Toronto – Ontario is strengthening its economy with a $3.3 million investment in its cultural media industries. Sixteen initiatives received support through the province’s Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund. The fund was designed to help Ontario’s entertainment and creative industries grow and increase their competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The industries include commercial theatre, film and television production, interactive digital media, music recording, magazine and book publishing.

“Ontario’s cultural industries are a vital contributor to economic growth and prosperity in this province. This investment will help our cultural industries seize the economic opportunities before them and increase their competitive advantage in the global marketplace,” says Ontario’s Culture Minister Aileen Carroll.

The Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund is a three-year $7.5 million fund that was launched in September 2006 to stimulate growth in Ontario’s entertainment and creative industries by promoting capacity building, marketing, innovation and skills development. OMDC Chair, Kevin Shea said that “Since its inception, the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund has provided support to 43 projects involving 285 partners with combined budgets of $15.9 million dollars, and the OMDC is proud to co-administer a fund that encourages innovation and fosters new business partnerships that encourage growth across Ontario’s cultural media industries and academic institutions.” The Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture that facilitates economic development opportunities for Ontario’s cultural media industries including book publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing, and music industries.

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26th November 2008

Women in Games International Celebrity Online Auction

Women in Games International Launches Online Auction on eBay To Raise Funds for National Games Non-Profit Organization

Women in Games International (WIGI) presents their WIGI Celebrity Ebay Auction, a collection of over a hundred video games and game-related merchandise items — much of it signed by industry leaders — being auctioned to raise funds for Women in Games International.

If there’s one thing gamers love more than games themselves, it’s awesome game-related merchandise. That’s why Women in Games International is happy to announce their 2008 celebrity auction, a collection of over 100 items generously donated by leaders in the video game industry — including Bungie, Microsoft Game Studios, Electronic Arts, and many other game companies.
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26th November 2008

American Digital Tech Firms Outsource to Montreal

MontrealKovasys Inc., an IT recruitment agency in Montreal, has recently been witnessing a spike in the number of American companies crossing the border into Canada – especially Montreal- to do their software development and high tech projects. Due to the unstable economy in the US, and massive layoffs, more and more companies are deciding to save money and hire developers by nearshoring their IT operations to a cheaper yet proximate location with a stable economy. Montreal meets this criteria as it is only few hours away from Chicago, New York, and Boston, yet operating costs are up to 55-70% lower due to exchange rate and subsidies for IT companies.

Morgan Stanley, a global financial services provider from New York City, has recently settled their offices in the old district of Montreal and is in the process of hiring 700 developers. Other major companies such as SAP, Ericsson, and PC Mall, have also made Montreal their second home.
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26th November 2008

Canwest Announces New Operating Structure for Digital Media

Canwest announced today it will bring together its publishing and broadcast digital teams under a single strategy and leadership. Graham Moysey will expand his role as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Canwest Publishing Digital Media to include all Canwest Broadcast Digital Media assets.

“Graham Moysey will lead a team of extremely talented people under a common strategy that will best leverage the Canwest advantage,” said Dennis Skulsky, President and CEO Canwest Publishing. “This further reinforces our commitment to invest in growth media and will allow us to scale meaningful solutions for our agency base and continue to engage our growing digital audiences.”

The move builds on recent successful cross platform initiatives including a Holiday Guide which showcases content from both broadcast and publishing digital assets and is cross promoted through various properties.
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25th November 2008

PeerMatrix Launches Advertising Service Targeting P2P Users

New Advertising Company Targets 200 Million P2P Users, Aims To Become Next Advertising Phenomenon. Advertising software that lets advertisers reach 200 million customers for $200 per month plans to do for P2P searches what web search engines did for web searches.

– Toronto – PeerMatrix Inc. announced today the first public release of the PeerMatrix software, which for the first time allows advertisers to deliver ads to 200 million people who use file-sharing software (also known as “Peer-To-Peer” or “P2P” software) like LimeWire and Shareaza.

“It’s a completely new type of advertising,” said Bernard Trest, President of PeerMatrix Inc. “For the first time, advertisers can target 200 million file sharers who were previously off limits to advertising.”

The software works similarly to search engine adwords, creating ads that match whatever a file sharer is searching for. Say, for example, an advertiser has a video ad for a car named “CarAd.mpg”. If a P2P user searches for “The Fast and the Furious” the PeerMatrix software will return a search result to the user indicating that a video file called “The Fast and the Furious.mpg” is available… regardless of the actual name of the video file. Similarly, if a user searches for the phrase “Corvette Movie” the software will return a search result for “Corvette Movie.mpg” regardless of the name of the original ad file. This technology, which the company calls AdMorph(TM), was deemed important and innovative enough for a U.S. patent.
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25th November 2008

Fantasea Line Releases the FS-610 Underwater Housing for Nikon Coolpix S610 and S610c Digital Cameras

VancouverFantasea Line announces the addition of a new housing specifically designed for the Nikon Coolpix S610 and S610c digital cameras. The FS-610 housing is fully functional providing photographers with access to all camera functions. Fantasea’s new housing design and improved construction, together with a depth rating to 60 meters/200 feet, makes the FS-610 ideal for outdoor and underwater photographers. The Fantasea FS-610 housing has a double O-ring seal on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, and built-in diffuser. The FS-610 also features a 46mm port ring thread for easy attachment of accessory lenses and filters.

Additional controls and features include:

Shutter Release
Power Switch
Exposure Compensation
Flash Mode
Self Timer
Macro
Playback
Menu
Mode
Delete
OK Button

The FS-610, like all Fantasea Housings comes with an optional Accessory System which enables photographers to further enhance their imaging capability.

Underwater photographers can dive or snorkel and capture all the excitement of this fascinating world, while outdoor photographers also have the option of capturing the action of such activities as white water and paddle sports, sailing and boating, surfing, fishing, hunting, backpacking and camping. The FS-610 protects the Coolpix camera from water, sand, dust, and other damaging elements.

Flood Insurance:

As with all other Fantasea Camera Housings, in the event of accidental water leakage, the Coolpix camera inside is insured. This attractive additional protection is exclusive only to Fantasea Housings and provides the ultimate peace of mind for photographers, who want to be sure their cameras are adequately and safely protected during use in these rugged environments.

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