Programme 2015
Conferences
Browse through the programmes-
Anatomy of a Studio: Cube
Lionel Fages, Bruno Le Levier and Majid Loukil created Cube in Paris in 2002. The 2D and 3D animation production company is equipped with a studio and likes to give fresh talented directors, often coming from French film schools, a chance to work on diverse film projects: short films, special effects, advertising films, etc. Cube also diffuses and promotes its productions through the Courts Devants Festival in Paris and its partners.
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Anatomy of a Studio: Sergio Pablos Animation
Sergio Pablos will talk about SPA Studios’ accomplishments and goals, explaining how a small studio from Spain manages to originate a hugely successful franchise like "Despicable Me" and how it consistently participates in projects for internationally renowned studios like Universal, Blue Sky, DreamWorks or Warner Bros. He will also present a sneak peek of the studio's latest project, "Klaus", where his creative team has experimented with bridging the gap between traditional animation and CGI.
Animating without Dialogue: The Animation in the Feature 'Shaun the Sheep Movie'
A unique look behind-the-scenes of the "Shaun the Sheep Movie" with Lead Character Animator Will Becher. With the stop-motion puppets and footage shot during production, he will show how the Aardman team created a miniature world and brought Shaun and the flock to life, for their big screen adventure.
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Writing within the Production Chain
This session aims to approach writing as part of the production chain rather than an independent stage of creation. How are working relationships established between other skill-sets, particularly in the context of a "cartoon" production? Answers will come from a panel discussion made up of writers, storyboarders, producers and production directors.
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Talent Development and Animation Shorts
Producers and project development programmes play an essential role in talent development. From detecting talent to completion of a project, through writing, development and fabrication, what are the various stages and key points in nurturing talent in animation, and especially for shorts? What kind of means or environment is needed? How can the relationship between the artist and the producer foster the creative process? Three highly experienced professionals will share their insight on all aspects surrounding the issue.
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MPC Creature Feature: Animated Features Vs Feature Film VFX Animation
With the industry divided between character and creature animation, as studios produce features requiring character performance or realistic creatures, animators must be able to do cartoon as well as a horse walk. After 34 years of experience in both fields, Paul Chung will shed light on the differences that are not as great as they were before.
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Animated Features: Small Budget, Huge Success
What are the distribution strategies from sales to release? Independent animation films are up against special costs and are in competition with blockbusters supported by strong budgets, promotion and merchandising, how can independent animation films stand out and meet their audience? Professionals from all groups of the audiovisual ecosystem will discuss how, thanks to innovation and creativeness, limited resources are not necessarily a barrier on the way to success.
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Feature Film and Graphic Creation
An animated feature film is primarily an original visual experience, disregarding the numerous and pervasive ones standardised through marketing. This conference aims to explain fundamental artistic choices, changes made to them during production and how they affect the skill-sets and resources used in a creative adventure that is always tied to economic restrictions.
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Collaborative Tools and Flexible Methods
The once linear and rigidly segmented production chain for animation is now making wider use of interactive and/or collaborative tools with multiple functions. As a result, methods are now more agile, offering greater artistic control and improved productivity. The conference offers four hands-on examples from studios' experiences.
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Emerging Tools
New tools and major developments in resources are a regular fixture on the conference programme. Within this ever wider and complex range of innovations, we have chosen to highlight a software that renews the conventional approach to the pipeline while also significantly enriching the possibilities of representation and treatment.
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Pierre Coffin, Animator
From "Pings" to "Minions", "Polar Bears" to "Pat & Stan", Pierre Coffin has demonstrated his incredible talent for making people laugh through the smallest gesture or pose, while also creating emotion by revealing an underlying psychological truth. Like a great actor, this capacity is also the mark of a great animator. It's magic. Pierre Coffin will talk about his loves, what inspires him, and share a little bit of his magic.
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Is There a Recipe for a Successful Girl/Boy TV Series?
How do you target a TV animated show according to gender? What are the gains and drawbacks and is this targeting still relevant among today's youngsters? How did Channel Branding influence the gender targeting? Are there dos and don'ts regarding gender targeting? How well do gender stereotypes travel?... Share the analysis of our eminent panelists to help you shape your programme according to its potential viewership.
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Weta Digital: Worlds of Characters & Creatures
Gollum, King Kong, Caesar (from "The Planet of the Apes"), Smaug, the Na’vi of Pandora... For the past 20 years, Weta Digital has set the standard with digital characters that deliver nuanced emotional performances and can carry a story. Animation Supervisor Eric Reynolds, Oscar nominated for his work on "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug", will talk about the unique way Weta blends traditional animation techniques and cutting-edge technology to create believable, photo-real characters.
