Toronto's Spin Productions has launched its Atlanta undertaking with a peach of a new facility which principals say is geographically, esthetically and creatively unique in the area.

The spin-off of the high-end post effects animation and design shop will be headed by Keith Adams, an Atlanta native who had been working out of Spin Toronto for the past year.

The new facility, already underway with initial projects, is based around Discreet Logic Flame effects compositing and Fire editing systems running on Silicon Graphics Onyx 2 and will work in the same commercial realm as Spin Toronto. The shop will also be looking to an emerging long-form market, says Spin Productions president Norm Stangl, as well as the ample broadcast design market in Atlanta.

The shop's design services will include Adobe After Effects with the Green Ice Accelerator board and 3D animation and cgi packages will be added according to the proficiencies of the best creative talent. The shop represents an investment of about $2 million and Stangl says about the same amount is expected in overall sales volume in the first year.

Adams will act as Spin Atlanta president and ceo, bringing an art and design background and extensive international experience as a Flame and Inferno artist to the new shop. Adams previously worked around the world in effects compositing and worked with Discreet Logic in the development of the Flame and Inferno compositing systems.

The startup team will also be comprised of executive producer John Courtney, compositor/ editor Kurt Oakley and account executive Kathy Schlesinger. Controlling interest in the new shop is held by Spin Toronto, which owns the shop together with the Atlanta partners.

Adams says at the outset the shop will focus on its strength in effects compositing on Flame and Fire, which he says is in demand in the regional market. The Atlanta shop will avail itself of the talent and technology of the Toronto office, says Adams, and some of the shop's heavier cg work will be handled north of the border, with the relationship facilitated by a high-speed atm connection. Adams says the Atlanta operation may gear up to the Inferno film effects system, currently in use at Spin Toronto, as the southeast market matures as a film center.

Applying the Spin design ethic, the new facility is located in a restored turn-of-the-century house on centrally located Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Adams says the setup is a significant departure from other shops in the area. In addition to the stunning hilltop location, the house is designed as a creative haven, says Adams, providing the example of the shop's Flame suite, which is built to provide a line of sight from client to artist rather than the breathe-down-the-neck scenario common in many post setups.

Though no details are forthcoming, Stangl says Spin Atlanta may not be the only expansion effort undertaken by the company. "We have the eye to grow," he says.