Bringing the principal of that company, Rafael Ludwig, into inMotion's fold will let the Ottawa company tap into the large entertainment market in Toronto, said Sarah Fodey, a vice-president at inMotion.
"It was a strategic decision for sure, especially on the entertainment side," said Ms. Fodey, who came into the fold when her consulting company – Sand Bay Pictures – was acquired in 2009.
Montreal had also been considered for an inMotion branch, but "harmonization issues" with provincial labour laws had made Toronto an easier fit, she added.
Capricorn8's past projects include a hockey house commercial for Molson, an interactive for a King Tut exhibit, and a commercial for JC Penny.
Most of Capricorn8's employees are freelancers; Mr. Ludwig will remain on board as inMotion's creative director of the production team.
"The entertainment division to inMotion is new, and we’re in development on a number of properties," Ms. Fodey added.
inMotion and Capricorn8 spent much of the past year working together, she said, and some of their first initiatives are about to see the light of day.
Shoot to Thrill, a travel adventure pilot done in co-production with Hot Flash Productions, will compete at the Banff World Television Festival in a few days.
inMotion will also do a series of videos for Elections Ontario, its second large government project recently; in 2010, it produced video tips on safe food handling for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
inMotion itself has been growing rapidly, and moved into a custom-built, 4,400-square-foot facility on Boyd Avenue a few months ago to get access to an in-house soundstage and more flexible space.
"We are excited about our future," Ms. Fodey said, "and having Rafael as a part of that is more exciting."
