what's on

industry summit

Thursday 21 & Friday 22 April 2005

Setting the animated agenda at the essential industry encounter!

NB: The times indicated for all events are the door opening times. Events start promptly 15 minutes afterwards.

Keynote Speech:
Jeffrey Katzenberg

Fri 22 April 14.45 IMAX

Animated Encounters is privileged to present Jeffrey Katzenberg, Co founder, DreamWorks SKG and CEO DreamWorks Animation SKG to deliver the Industry Summit Keynote Speech on preparation for the future in CG Animation.

Summit Strand A:
‘Getting a Foot in the Door!’

Session 1: Breakthrough Technologies
Thurs 21 April 13.15 Cinema 3

What does the future hold for new talent and the digital domain? How will accessible advanced animation and graphics technology be developed to deliver ground breaking and innovative images? This session will be chaired by Shelley Page (DreamWorks Animation) and speakers will include Eric Enderton (nVidia) on graphics cards, gaming and 3D content creation, Volker Helzle (Filmakademie Baden-Wurttenberg) on the research project ‘Artificial Actors’ and new facial animation controls and filmmakers Tia Perkins and Jaime Pardo on the advancing Motion Ripper software for automatic keyframing in development at the University of Bristol.

Session 2: Showreel Surgery
Fri 22 April 10.15 Cinema 3

What are potential employers looking for in animation demo reels? How should presentation material be planned and presented to meet the needs of the industry? Shelley Page (DreamWorks Animation) chairs this really useful session aimed at students, graduates, professionals and educators. Plus there will be a chance to catch some amazing work, which has ‘wowed’ recruiters! Surgery panellists will include Marc Craste (Studio aka), Matthew Jeffery (EA Games UK), Sue Lyster (Framestore-CFC), Chris Webster (UWE) and Heather Wright (Aardman Animations).

Session 3: Meet The Studios
Fri 22 April 16.45 Cinema 3

Key figures from the UK animation studios will give you the low-down on their projects in development and the new talent they’re looking to recruit. This session will tell you how to get your foot in the door and develop within the industry. Speakers will include Helen Brunsdon (Aardman Animations), Matthew Jeffrey (EA Games UK) and Sue Lyster (Framestore-CFC).

Summit Strand B:
‘Life in the Fast Lane!’

Networking Lunch & Opening Highlights
Thurs 21 April 12.00 Watershed

An opportunity for delegates to relax and network at this informal welcome lunch, followed by the Opening Highlights screening which presents a selection of gems picked from the array of new work on show at this year’s festival. Animated Encounters is very pleased to announce that the screening will include a sneak preview of the Aardman/DreamWorks eagerly awaited new feature "Wallace & Gromit The Curse of the Were-rabbit".

Session 1: Pushing The Boundaries
Thur 21 April 14.15 Cinema 1

How is the animation industry changing to take advantage of new technology? Where can we draw a line between artistic and technical achievement? This panel event discusses the impact and opportunities of photo-realism and technical animation techniques compared to traditional principles of stop-motion and key frame animation. Panellists will include Peter Bailey (Chair), studio director Remi Brun (Attitude Studio, Paris), Richard Morss (Banjax), documentary maker Dunja Noack (Tiger Aspect) and producer Tracy Shaw (Line-Producer, ‘Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride’).

Session 2: Meet The Commissioners
Fri 22 April 9.45 Cinema 2

This year’s sought after ticket! The UK’s leading commissioners set the agenda and present their key objectives for this year and predictions for future trends. This session will tell you everything you need to know about what to pitch and how to get your proposal in front of the right person. Speakers will include Estelle Hughes (ITV Network) and Nick Wilson (Five). A short Q&A will follow each presentation so have your questions ready! Limited places available: first come first served on the day!

Session 3: The Business of Animation
Fri 22 April 11.15 Cinema 1

What’s happening in the business world of animation and how can we build a sustainable industry? What are the opportunities in the global marketplace? This session featuring industry representatives including David Ferguson (KIDSTALK), Peter Orton (HIT Entertainment), AJ Read (Cosgrove Hall), Barnaby Thompson (Ealing Studios) and Paul Trijbits (UK Film Council) will explore some of the key issues of development and production that face animation studios across the industry.

Session 4: Question Time
Fri 22 April 16.45 Cinema 1

A chance to participate in key debates and raise your questions for discussion with a panel of industry experts. Chaired by producer Nik Powell (and Director of the NFTS) with a list of key issues and ideas up his sleeve ranging from education and training to game content and new techniques. Panellists will include, Dick Arnall (Finetake / Animate), Sarah Cox (Arthur Cox), Peter Orton (HIT Entertainment) and Paul Trijbits (UK Film Council).

Additional Industry Events

Chris Landreth on Ryan
Thur 21 April 15.45 Cinema 1

Academy Award nominated animator Chris Landreth will discuss his influences and experience of making his film Ryan - an animated tribute to the hugely influential Canadian animator Ryan Larkin. Landreth will discuss the conception and development, the CGI techniques used to create this incredibly realistic and detailed film, which challenges notions of documentary and animation and his use of interpretive visuals that go beyond photo-realism into a pioneer realm where the visual appearance reflects the characters evolving emotions.

Cartoon Network Gong Show
Thur 21 April 15.45 Cinema 3

The essential opportunity to pitch your ideas direct to those on the hunt for new talent! If you think you have what it takes to create the next Dexter's Laboratory or Powerpuff Girls, and you have the nerve to pitch it in-front of an audience then this is the essential session for you - pitch Cartoon Network executives - Daniel Lennard, Senior Director, Original Animation and Suzanne Berman, Supervising Producer, Original Animation from Cartoon Network Europe - with your ideas for a character-based comedy or comedy-action series aimed at 6-11 year olds.

Download a pitching application form
[28 Kb Adobe Acrobat pdf]

Download a pitching application form
[32 Kb Microsoft Word Document]

Screening: Emerging Talent 1
Thur 21 April 18.15 Cinema 3

Animated Encounters presents its shortlist for the all-new OLC / Rights Entertainment International Newcomer Award.

Screening: Emerging Talent 2
Fri 22 April 9.15 Cinema 1

SE3D Animation Showcase
Thur 21 April 17.45 Cinema 1

In 2004, 12 animators were given exclusive access to the HP Maya Rendering Service, an experimental technology set to revolutionise the animation industry. Join SE3D animators and industry experts to discuss the implications of the service and watch some of the work produced. SE3D is sponsored by HP and Alias

MESH Masterclass
Produced by Blackwatch Productions-
Animation in the palm of your hand
Fri 22 April 12.45 Cinema 1

Exploring the exciting new developments in new generation mobile phones, the masterclass will feature high end practitioners who will discuss this burgeoning area of technology and creativity.

Clare Kitson on Yuri Norsteins
Tale of Tales
Fri 22 April 12.45 Cinema 3

In June 2002 an international poll concluded that the best animated film of all time was Yuri Norsteins 1979 Tale of Tales. Yet this poetic amalgam of the filmmakers memories, hopes and fears had so perplexed the Soviet authorities on delivery that they had originally banned it. In this session Tale of Tales will be screened and Clare Kitson will examine the passage of memories into the film and other influences including Stalinist anti-Semitism and Khrushchevs Thaw. Kitson was until 1999 Channel 4s Commissioning Editor for animation and has recently written a book Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animators Journey (John Libbey Publishing).

A Studio Also Known As...
Fri 22 April 15.45 Cinema 2

In this 1-hour presentation, Studio aka, Directors Philip Hunt and Marc Craste will introduce selected projects from the studio archive and offer a few insights into both akas commercial work and the BAFTA winning short film JoJo In The Stars. Philip Hunt is a Partner and Creative director at Studio aka in London. Marc Craste is a director at Studio aka and the BAFTA winning director of the short film JoJo In the Stars.