The Macsimum interview: Toon Boom
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Oct 22, 2007 at 7:59am
Macsimum runs a semi-regular series of interviews with Mac specialists, dealers and companies worldwide. This week we’re talking with Karina Bessoudo of Toon Boom, which makes animation software.
Macsimum: Where are you located?
Bessoudo: Toon Boom is located in the vibrant city of Montreal, Canada. Our business hours are from 9 am to 5 pm EST. To contact us by email, write to info@toonboom.com. Our url is toonboom.com. Our mail number is 514-278-8666.
Macsimum: How long has Toon Boom been in business?
Bessoudo: Toon Boom was founded in 1994. Originally, the company mainly developed high-end software catering to the needs of large animation studios such as Disney. Over the years, Toon Boom has expanded its portfolio of animation software, making its technology more accessible to the greater public of all ages. Building on its extensive understanding of animation production, Toon Boom has developed easy to use applications and has now become the leader in animation software solutions for all types of users, styles and formats. In April 2007, Toon Boom has also launched a storyboarding software that can apply to film, video, gaming, advertising projects.
Macsimum: Do you cater to any particular market niche?
Bessoudo: Toon Boom’s clientele ranges from the Hollywood studios and animation boutiques, to schools and universities as well as animation enthusiasts. Depending on the type of projects they want to do, creative professionals and animators will select which animation package makes the most sense for their needs. Toon Boom’s portfolio of products includes: Toon Boom Studio and Storyboard, that are ideal tools for animation enthusiasts, creative professionals as well as students and schools. Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Digital Pro are more advanced stand-alone software that are geared towards animation boutiques, higher-education institutions and professional animators. Toon Boom Harmony and Opus are networked animation solutions that are designed for studios handling large and multiple projects.
Macsimum: Tell us about any education, training and special services you offer.
Bessoudo: Toon Boom offers very attractive pricing to educational institutions and students to prepare the graduates for a career in animation. Toon Boom offers teaching aids and video training to facilitate the preparation of animation curriculum, depending on the age group and group size. On site training services are also available to deliver customized training.
Macsimum: What differentiates Toon Boom from other companies?
Bessoudo: Our business is about passion for animation. Toon Boom prides itself with the technology it develops and that enables novices and experts alike to bring their creativity to life…the animated way. On the technology front, Toon Boom invests significant resources to always be on the leading edge and help its customers reach new heights in quality, efficiency and creativity. It is always amazing to discover how the technology is used worldwide. Whether it is to assist an autistic child to communicate with his/her closed ones, a physician to explain health issues to his/her patients, a government organization developing AIDS messaging to educate populations, a teenager discoverig his/her talent and aspiring to become a professional animator or a well established studio creating a new masterpiece, Toom Boom’s users stories are wonderful and only fuel our passion even more.
Macsimum: How has the introduction of such products as the iPod, iPhone and Apple TV affected the Mac end of your business?
Bessoudo: We get feedback from our users who using these new devices to share their animation with their peers, frinds or family members. It is wonderful to see that animated content has found new ways to reach out and entertain more people.
Article Information
Comment on this Article Print this Article Email this Article Digg This
Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
