One could spend a lot more time trying to figure out exactly what a Maple Short is than understanding the positive impact the phenomenon will have on Greater Sudbury's economy.
March Entertainment, the animation studio that produces the CBC after-school cartoon Chilly Beach out of its downtown Sudbury studios, has received a special loan from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for an expansion of their program selection.
Minister of Northern Development and Mines, NOHFC Chair and MPP for Sudbury riding Rick Bartolucci made public the $250,000 loan March 11.
He says the new $1.8 million Maple Shorts project, which will create 15-20 "very technical, high-paying jobs" is good news for the economy and for Sudbury's profile in the entertainment industry.
The project is a partnership between March and the Sudbury Community Development Corporation (SCDC).
"Our government is committed to helping our young people grow their careers in emerging technologies and promising new economic sectors right here at home," Bartolucci says.
The investment comes a few months after a $1 million injection into a made-for-television drama highlighting Shania Twain's early years, shot mainly in Sudbury and her hometown Timmins.
March Entertainment has already produced three of the Maple Shorts episodes, which will basically be the "Canadian Idol of animation," according to vice-president of operations Sandra MacLeod.
The Sudbury native says the series will feature the best of the best of a field of animated shorts uploaded at www.cbc.ca. The videos range in length from less than two minutes to over six. At the end of it all, the CBC may develop the most promising short into a pilot episode, she says.
The shorts will be subjected to the comments of two animated judges, a conceited Canada goose named Canuckles and a sultry west coast salmon named Sela. They will be funny, but MacLeod promises they will pull up short of the cruel criticism of American Idol's nefarious Simon.
The upstart animation studio, which currently employs over 50 people, has had compliments come in from around the world, according to MacLeod.
"We're blazing a digital animation trail in Sudbury," she says. "With the creativity of March Productions and the dedication of our team, we're sitting on a gold mine."
At the studio, 30 seconds of animation takes an experienced animator about a week to complete, not including colour or props, according to MacLeod.
She echoed Bartolucci's comments surrounding the economic benefit of having the studio in the city.
Many staff - virtually all of whom are younger than her 41 years, she bravely boasted - have made major home purchases since starting work.
The director of the Maple Shorts series relocated his four children to Sudbury, she says.
The company tries to impact the community in more visible ways, though.
The 2004-05 United Way campaign in Sudbury benefited from a couple of new mascots. Frank and Dale, the main characters of Chilly Beach, served as larger-than-life mascots at fundraising events and publicity stunts, and were featured in a public service announcement aired on local television. The studio produced the commercial pro bono.
March Entertainment often welcomes tours of the studio, according to MacLeod, and offered a March Break animation camp for kids. Staff animators have gone to LoEllen Park Secondary School in the city's south end to help set up curriculum.
The first of 13 Maple Shorts episodes will air Wednesday, April 6 at 4:30 pm on CBC Television.
MacLeod also let the cat out of the bag on another major project that will have fans of the show tingling. A feature-length Chilly Beach film will be released in May, she says.
The film was actually drafted before the series started, she says, adding March Entertainment has applied for a third season of the series, which mocks American stereotypes of Canadian life, with the CBC.
She is hopeful of an approval. The show is already broadcast coast to coast in Canada, as well as in Australia, the Middle East and Sweden.
