BANJAX JOINS THE ‘MAJORS’ OUT EAST.

Alastair McIlwain and Richard Morss from Banjax Studios in Belfast have just returned from the 9th Chuncheon International Animation Festival in Korea.

They were invited to represent Banjax at the associated conference and contribute their expertise at an international forum on ‘Future Trends in Digital Animation’. The conference had speakers and panellists from many high profile, international animation companies, including senior executives from Walt Disney Television (sponsors of the event) Sony Pictures, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Bardel (Canada), The Canning Factory (UK), Toei Animation (Japan) and Dygra (Spain). High level commercial delegations from the French capital of digital animation Angouleme and from the booming Digital animation industry on mainland China and Japan also attended.

Alastair took part in a panel moderated by Kate Canning of† ‘The Canning Factory’ a well-respected and successful UK animation house of more than 20 years standing. Alongside Alastair on the panel debating the effects of Digital technology on creativity were, John Solomon producer of Walt Disney Television’s new ‘shorts’ project, David Feiss from Sony Pictures, Director of their new animated feature ‘Open Season’ and Jaques Peychard, one of France’s leading experts on cutting edge digital technology. Alastair also moderated a panel discussion considering the possibility of East/West Creative Co-operation with Megan Cole Executive Director of Creative Affairs from Walt Disney Television US and Yoshibo Takami from TOEI Animation, one of Japan’s leading animation studios.

The conference schedule included three, 3 hour workshops; the first on new developments in Digital Animation was given by the producers of the hugely successful and critically acclaimed European animated movie ‘The Triplets of Belleville’; the second, about the Production of Warner Bros. new animated Batman series and DVD feature, was given by Michael Goguen the producer; Richard Morss from Banjax gave the third workshop which closed the conference. This was very well received by a packed audience of students and international professionals, focusing on the disciplines of development for commercial animation and ways to ‘pitch’ creative projects.

The conference provided an opportunity to see the impressive developments taking place in the lakeside city of Chuncheon, dubbed ‘Anitown’. A major digital production studio is already in place, as is an Animation Museum and a cluster of workshops dedicated to realising the ancillary potential of the Intellectual Properties created in many media, from toys and pottery to clothing and print. As the development rolls out, a large and beautiful lakeside site will house an industry in miniature, capable of designing, developing, producing and commercialising animated properties. Banjax has opened business discussions with the GIMC studios, hosts of the festival who manage development with regard to taking Asian rights on its properties and also becoming partners on new ventures.

The purposeful development, the wealth of support and the outward looking philosophy of the Chuncheon venture, reflected in a similar cluster of companies in the French city of Angouleme, were an inspiration to the visitors from Banjax as the company takes its first steps towards seeding major digital production in Belfast, and working there with a cluster of like minded companies.