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Gordon Stanfield Animation (GSA)
Encyclopedia
Gordon Stanfield Animation (GSA) is an historic animation service company based in Vancouver, British Columbia with over 20 years of development, pre-production and production experience. GSA was the first sub-contract animation studio in North America to provide major services on USA Network television shows.
as a service company for animation production on US network TV shows. In 1984 the company (then Gordon Stanfield and wife Janice) were hired by Gaumont, the historic film company based in Paris. The task was to perform animation services on the Asterix vs Caesar.
While in Paris Gordon worked as animator and designer. In 1985, after the film's tremendous success Europe, Gordon Stanfield was hired to direct animation for the LucasFilm series Droids, already in production in Korea by Nelvana/LucasFilm. With the Droids series completed, Gordon Stanfield relocated home to Vancouver and at the end of 1985 began work on a sub-contract from Ross Bagdasarian, producer of the Chimpmunk series.
Later in 1985 Gordon Stanfield began Unit Producing on the Care Bears series for Nelvana/ABC and the Vancouver unit, formed by Stanfield, storyboarded and performed the layouts for the first Canadian TV show, Grumpy's Three Wishes to hit number one in the USA TV market. With the success of the Care Bears and dozens of artists now employed and brought to BC by GSA, Nevana offered GSA many new contracts including, Babar (series and movie), Beetlejuice (Fox), Jonny Quest (Hanna Barbera).
In 1987 work began on a sub-contract to animate Strawberry Fields, the first CGI-assisted animation feature film production. The film was never completed, but managed to start GSA preparing for the digital future. Also in 1987, Sefel Pictures hired GSA to co-ordinate creative matters Hungary and Poland on several European feature films it had in development in the soviet block countries. In 1988 GSA began work on the Storybook Billygoats and the first special, A Klondike Christmas.
The show was picked up for development by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and a script was produced. The show was sold to Dr. Charles Allard and his television station ITV in Edmonton in 1989 and A Klondike Christmas went into production. Later that year the show won a Golden Apple Award in the USA and went on to become a Canadian Christmas classic, airing on ITV, Family Channel, CBC and Teletoon. In 1991 distributor Paragon International offered an advance for more episodes based on the characters and the show was also supported by ITV/WIC for broadcast and production began on The Ice Princess, Peeny The Clown and Billygoat Bluegrass.
GSA added a few more clients and serviced more shows such as Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers (Disney), The Simpsons
(Fox), Taz-Mania
(Warner Bros.) and Bunch of Munsch (Cinar). Katie and Orbie
was the first series GSA provided digital production services for, in 1994.
GSA began work on a pilot for Kleo The Misfit Unicorn
, combining their digital and traditional work. The show was pre-licensed to Leo Kirsch's TaurusFilm and later to WIC/Family Channel in 1995, and in 1996, the 26-episode series went into production. The show was delivered in 1998, licensed to Radio Canada, Discovery Latin America and FOX France.
During 2000–2004, GSA purchased back its distribution rights to its proprietary productions and assigned all rights to the newly formed Pristine Entertainment http://www.pristineentertainment.com . Since 2004 GSA has continued to providing services to animation productions.
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History
GSA started in 1984 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
as a service company for animation production on US network TV shows. In 1984 the company (then Gordon Stanfield and wife Janice) were hired by Gaumont, the historic film company based in Paris. The task was to perform animation services on the Asterix vs Caesar.
While in Paris Gordon worked as animator and designer. In 1985, after the film's tremendous success Europe, Gordon Stanfield was hired to direct animation for the LucasFilm series Droids, already in production in Korea by Nelvana/LucasFilm. With the Droids series completed, Gordon Stanfield relocated home to Vancouver and at the end of 1985 began work on a sub-contract from Ross Bagdasarian, producer of the Chimpmunk series.
Later in 1985 Gordon Stanfield began Unit Producing on the Care Bears series for Nelvana/ABC and the Vancouver unit, formed by Stanfield, storyboarded and performed the layouts for the first Canadian TV show, Grumpy's Three Wishes to hit number one in the USA TV market. With the success of the Care Bears and dozens of artists now employed and brought to BC by GSA, Nevana offered GSA many new contracts including, Babar (series and movie), Beetlejuice (Fox), Jonny Quest (Hanna Barbera).
In 1987 work began on a sub-contract to animate Strawberry Fields, the first CGI-assisted animation feature film production. The film was never completed, but managed to start GSA preparing for the digital future. Also in 1987, Sefel Pictures hired GSA to co-ordinate creative matters Hungary and Poland on several European feature films it had in development in the soviet block countries. In 1988 GSA began work on the Storybook Billygoats and the first special, A Klondike Christmas.
GSA added a few more clients and serviced more shows such as Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers (Disney), The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(Fox), Taz-Mania
Taz-Mania
Taz-Mania is a American cartoon sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991–1993, broadcast in the United States on Fox from 1991-1995...
(Warner Bros.) and Bunch of Munsch (Cinar). Katie and Orbie
Katie and Orbie
Katie and Orbie is an animated television series aimed at preschoolers, originally broadcast in Canada in 1994 by Family Channel and later aired in the United States on PBS from 1995–1997 and on Disney Channel from 1997–2000. In Canada, the series still airs on Family and Disney Junior...
was the first series GSA provided digital production services for, in 1994.
GSA began work on a pilot for Kleo The Misfit Unicorn
Kleo The Misfit Unicorn
Kleo The Misfit Unicorn is an animated television series for Children that now broadcast on Treehouse TV in Canada and Horse TV in the United States. A television pilot episode for the series aired in 1996, and Kleo The Misfit Unicorn became a regular series in 1998...
, combining their digital and traditional work. The show was pre-licensed to Leo Kirsch's TaurusFilm and later to WIC/Family Channel in 1995, and in 1996, the 26-episode series went into production. The show was delivered in 1998, licensed to Radio Canada, Discovery Latin America and FOX France.
During 2000–2004, GSA purchased back its distribution rights to its proprietary productions and assigned all rights to the newly formed Pristine Entertainment http://www.pristineentertainment.com . Since 2004 GSA has continued to providing services to animation productions.
Sources
http://imdb.com/name/nm0822143/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSF/is_43_12/ai_109568318