Animation Day | Animation, the Flagship of European Co-Production?

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e [Music] [Music] thank you uh thank you all for attending this uh panel uh on animation because today as you see it's animation day so the question today's animation the flagship of Europe cor production and joining me on stage two talk about that we have uh Carol kemer uh at uh fil F Luxor hello virgin no managing director of wage and Navina sat board member of the European film Academy hello hi hi so my first question uh and I swear it would be the only one where you have to talk one after the other uh for a long time is can you perhaps uh say a few words about your institutions and maybe the the you know support for animation that your institution allow so you want to start I have some slides maybe yes okay perfect so hi everybody very happy to be there today to talk about animation so I'm virgin from wage W is the economic fund from ronia to support the audio visual and the game the video game industry um so first of all I have to let you know where is wona uh it's the source part of Belgium uh so the S radio um the French speaking part but excluded Brussels which is a capital and has a its own region so we work on this uh territory to help uh the audiovisual and the gaming industry to grows and to to develop and to do that we have uh four different uh types of activity uh first of all through well Mash co-productions we invest in uh audiovisual projects so future film series uh it can be fiction or animation but also uh a dedicated product um to the format industry uh we invest about 6.5 Millions per year in about 50 different type of projects uh through rimage entreprise we finance companies as a long-term uh partner Financial partner so uh we can um invest as a shareholder or as a lender in different type of companies uh we who works on which works on um the Audi visual or on the gaming industry with W Mash Tage um we manage a film commission with a team of four people and while image gaming uh invests in uh gaming project so video games uh in the same Principle as well maska production so regarding the the the amount of expenses that this project uh do uh on um the radio on wona and so we manage uh an amount of two millions uh Euros per year uh through this um Department if I talk about animation for the animation industry we can consider that we have three types of actions of course we uh Finance audiovisual U projects so animation projects but we also uh Finance Animation Studios um often via Equity so has a shareholder and we are convinced that the the action we have on the video gaming industry it's also uh thanksful to uh the the animation industry uh because um both of his industry are going to be more and more involved right now and these two Market markets are linked so um uh right now the the animation studio have to think about the video game Market on their strategy and that's it for me thank you Virgin uh Carol can you tell us more about V from luxemborg hello um I have not prepared the presentation so I'll uh come up with this off the top of my head but I'll try and be as complete as possible and it will be very easy because all eyes are on so yeah that's perfect no exactly what I want yeah so yes film fund Luxembourg is based in Luxembourg so I'll also say a couple of words about where we are we are right next to wona very much at the heart of Europe a small country small territory but uh with um I would say an interesting um interesting funding opportunities for uh any um kind of audiovisual content including animation we are a public fund 100% public so financed by uh taxpayers money and we are under the offices of the ministry of culture and the ministry uh for communications and media so it's like a double uh P patronage um let's say uh we were set up in 1991 so compared to some of the other public funds that many of you will be familiar with uh we are still quite young so one of our mandates is of course to um fund uh co-production with Luxemburg but also to make sure that the industry that we have locally can develop in a sustainable way and that we actively contribute to making it bigger and more diverse and really making it a part of the Luxembourg business ecosystem let's say the uh money that we give is all selective so unlike our neighbor uh we do not have any automatic funding for example or tax incentive it's all selective funding and all based uh on evaluations that are carried out by a selection committee we operate with uh usually four deadlines a year and you get a decision within two months and you need a Luxembourg co-producer to uh apply so the first step if you're interested in co-producing with us is to contact some Luxembourg based producers or to come and find us and we will give you more information about you can where you can find us for example we will have a stand at mea so if you're an Anese you can come and find us there and we're happy to give you more information about all the intricate details of our funding uh schemes uh at mea for example or here in can uh we're at number 129 if you want to come and find us here we uh support all uh formats so that's of course a feature shorts uh but also newer formats like XR um for example series um in animation but also live action and um we are based on a system that's a reimbursable advance on receipts which uh is very similar to what the CNC does for those of you who are familiar with that and um yeah we do co-produce quite a lot of information information animation uh we have two animated features here in can um this year and we have six animated Works uh in um selection at uh at an this year so we're very happy about that and we do a lot of minority coach production so if you're interested in that I would say come and talk to me or talk to one of my colleagues here in can or at one of the other markets I think we can leave it at that thank you Carol and uh last but not least Nina talking about uh the European film award and what yeah what is the European film the European film Academy Academy Award I'm already on stage it is the organization that puts together you know most of the European professionals talents and producers into an umbrella organization that b basically you know on one hand promotes European Cinema globally uh by organizing various events probably the most known event throughout the year is European film award and that is a ceremony this year actually is going to take place in Switzerland which is also K's uh Focus country and uh it promotes also co-production naturally uh by putting together events that starting from the awareness that you know the European cultural Heritage has communities places and incredible uh you know films and and um Talent attached can actually generate a very interesting revenues so we are mostly on you know on the promotion side of the connection the networking and the other fantastic uh activity that has been growing um you know looking at all the possible languages and genres of course is an attention for the youngest audience members and the youngest members of the uh organization as you can imagine a lot of networking organizations look at established professionals where one necessity that we have in Europe is to collect better energy and much stronger investment for those that are at the beginning of their careers reason why it's crucial that you connect with us of course EA as the uh website where you can understand how to join and ask to become a member it is I think for my experience mostly for those that do animation a great opportunity also to connect multigenerational producers and um uh you know you basically get attached to a level of talent that is unique last but not least this year we have the new president who is Juliet BOS and so we are starting a completely new activity and promotion with her and it's going to be very interesting to see how we can combine a very strong desire of unifying a strong European voice with Incredible Talent which is already in the room thank you very much and well first question now you can talk with each other not one after another I'm done with that so uh why do you think um animation is the kind of Cinema that triggers the most co-production even more than live action why do you think that in your experience I start so Belgium is very strong in co-production for liveaction and for animation thanks to the combination of the tax shelter which is um uh National incentive an automatic one and the fund like us uh with a a selective mechanism so thanks to to to these uh mechanism you can reach about 50 to 60% of financing for your uh Belgian expenses which is huge so we are very competitive on an International Market and it's uh more strong for the animation because the high budget and so uh in uh in animation we co-produce a lot with uh Denmark Finland uh and the country other other European countries but I have to say that our main uh partner is France we co-produce a lot with France and um it works very well to combine the French tax credit and the Belgian incentive um actually if you want to combine both these systems you have to locate about 65 to 70% of your production in France and so you can locate about 25 to 30% of your uh production in Belgium and so it's very interesting for the the Belgium Studios and of course for the woon Studios um that's why we could produce a lot I me definitely it I mean animation is the quintessential co-production Hub um budgets are very big and the work is extended in time so you need to squeeze as much as you can out of a very strong intellectual property you need to work in teams that can you know build a trust and a capacity of reciprocity and investment that lead to more than one project otherwise it's really such a big investment right in in time and and effort and the other element that we find fascinating is that through animation you can really unify places that are so distant and apparently culturally different but then can be you know extremely personalized through the packaging of the uh of the dubbing and uh in general it's the best uh pool to do Talent scouting discover new uh incredible visions and Poetics so for Europe this is absolutely the characteristic and when you look at the European animation there was a very strong connection with the co-production also through public broadcasting which was you know one of the main activities mostly oriented to under 18 animation today clearly the platforms have generated a possibility of a global co-production so it's very uh easy to imagine that you're going to break down this uh you know budget into pieces and and opportunities also for reaching audiences that are very far from your own country yeah I would say um I mean a number of things that have already been said including uh the fact that um it may sound a bit strange to say that it's partly because it travels well that you also co-produce more but I think that's partly what it is that dubbing makes International distribution easier and also makes um The Works more profitable which of course in turn will also generate uh I think more demand to actually produce and therefore co-produce um that kind of work because the market is there basically um but um I think it's perhaps partly also by Design I mean with the animation workflow uh and the work split that you can carry out it's perhaps easier to do that between countries because you can more clearly separate certain stages of production between different territories also where the individual strengths lie which of course in live action is different because you need to look for certain sets uh you need uh to look for whereas you you have that slight that different flexibility I think that the work split in animation brings um and maybe also perhaps this is slightly newer but now Always by Design uh animation was always fast to um adopt to this digital environment and um this International collaboration is easier when you can do it digitally I think we all see that on a daily basis and probably even more so since covid and I think that also encourages uh this let's say co-production Spirit or it's it's it's easier because you can do it digitally partly or you have different uh options that live action of course do not have because the requirements to shoot are different Etc you wanted to add something I um because I saw you doing that with your head this is so true and look at what happened with covid you know production for animation in covid got a spike up there was the confirmation that it can be done from anywhere you generate hubs by generating Talent so training is of course a key element even the most remote region can determine a very strong animation capacity because people can work in small units you don't need a big Studio necessarily and the other element that was very true was that through covid a lot of um you know projects that had never been pitched before came to the markets and started being really well uh you know welcomed by the even the big studios and the demand has been increasingly rising and it you know even if there is a contraction of the budgets still there is so much demand and the audience is global now so you really have a Content that can really really really be attractive for investment yeah I I would add also you mentioned the budgets but of course partly the fact that there is a lot of co-production in animation is generated by the fact that budgets are significant and it is very difficult to uh find uh that financing locally or even through Regional funds it might be possible in some of the big territories of course but we come from very small ones so um it's really working with other producers that are located elsewhere so that you can harness financing elsewhere is really the only way to do it so it's it's definitely also that and we can since we were talking about uh the covid because there was like a spike of a of production at that time especially in animation can we can we can you because I won't say anything but can you uh make a little I don't know portrait of the the actual C situation of Animation in Europe is it is it good for now as it is it a good uh industry tell me all about it you know in the audience there are some of the big players of the animation Europe so they should answer and they may jump in the conference and talk a little bit about their perspective but there is definitely an increase of territorial opportunities we see uh a demand of training initiatives and they come both at the local level regionally by joining forces and I mean probably France as the most well-known example angulam became you know a remote region they didn't have a very strong film identity became the you know the epicenter of animation production in France and that came through the generation of hubs of training and schools and of course uh public incentives that must be stabilized and this is happening in even in countries like Poland it's happening in places like ltia in Italy we got an increase of um producers and professionals working in animation they move from less than 1,000 to 5,000 in less than three years these are numbers that are shocking now there is a bubble that we don't want to pop up but you know we are aware that the demand of the platforms is very high and there is a very strong capacity of using animation as a language it's not just a genre so now you see more often um documentaries using animation and creating very interesting experiments in terms of Aesthetics and of course we I think we all are aware that thanks to the cases of uh successful Stories the animation is not anymore perceived as Cinema or TV for kids but is really generating massive uh interest in the adult audience and teenagers are marrying U very strong content as well so it is in a moment of golden age the the you know the concern is can we keep the pace of this demand or are we just training too many people and then at one point the market would be cerated at the moment it's still going okay so we we have to look at what are the possible additional sectors where animation can do great work and here we open the massive you know content of Education uh even medical um content and video games for you know neurological training and other you know segments that maybe we discuss later yeah sorry V I understood that especially in wona there was like a again uh the animation the industry is rising yes yes we receive so much projects right now in animation um to give you some figures we invest about 1.3 Millions per year for years in animations and right now so in 20 23 we invest 3.5 Millions which is more than half of our total budget in wiim so right now we have to be very attentive to keep a right balance between live action and animation because as we are an economic fund the animation projects are of course very interesting very interesting for the industry so if we have to choose between a liveaction and an animation project we are going to choose the animation project because it is important for a large team of anim of studios and also um regarding the the commercial potential of these projects uh the public is large the audience is international so it's very interesting for a phone like us so yes the the increase is very very important and it concerns both the series and and the future films in animation car um yeah I I don't know if um I can really say uh anything about the European state of Animation in general it's so still such a diverse environment and I think I mean partly it even depends on policy changes sometimes on how uh the animation industry is fairing in different countries so it would probably be better to ask someone from The Observatory for example this sort of more overall question but what I would say um for our suppliers locally and probably in a lot of other countries too is that same as for wage uh in Luxembourg the submissions have been um consistent and the the the studios are um fairing well uh even though of course uh I know that especially uh the the bigger Studios uh will for them it must be difficult considering that uh Energy prices are on the rise Etc so there's a real challenge to uh manage uh the higher cost of living uh Etc uh but having said that for us uh at the fund a few years ago we also started um funding more XR uh for example which also requires um the contribution of uh either animation as a service or a co-production with uh an animation uh production company and so we also actively try to diversify uh let's say the offer that's there uh on the market kind of from from our side uh and like you said all these VAR various uh avenues that um Studios can have where perhaps they can diversify their stream of uh income a little bit in case uh let's say the Public Funding is fluctuating or demand is so large uh that uh you may not be so sure that your project will get selected at the same at the next round because it's competitive so you do try to strike a balance and um make sure that the market has enough uh or or your stakeholders have enough uh avenues that they can rely on um which which can include more than just doing the selective projects that that come to us um but yeah again to get an overall European perspective it's it's hard from a National Funds point of view I think to to comment on that also it's fair to say that the European market is experiencing a lot of merging and they come both from you know the big Global groups and even among states there are countries like France which has an Incredible strength in animation and so they can uh generate connection and acquisition of smaller companies in other countries so definitely it's an interesting you know mo Turning Point uh in in in our business and uh I think at the moment moment um the states where there is a very strong investment in animation are able to negotiate differently the rules and as you know there is the usual question of you know the quotas of the market and what level of uh demand each state makes for the animation product and how can we make a more protective uh policy for the uh you know nationally generated animation that can create the conditions for better investment but being being an Italian it's a very delicate phase in our country where we didn't get what we expected and there is a big negotiation also in other countries France for instance guaranteed that quot and this gives the producers that are looking at a fiveyear investment a certainty of not being left alone in the middle of the project which is I think an a necessity for any level and any scale of project in animation if I of course um even if the number of projects is very important right now we have to to admit that the the the business model is still difficult to reach for a studio uh so it's a very difficult business uh even right now with a lot of projects uh produced y car yeah and just because I feel like we have been talking about opportunities and platforms and return on investment Etc and of course you you mustn't forget that at at least for us as a public fund you don't just want to fund commercially uh like projects that are of commercial interest you also want to fund the artists and the creators that are behind it so and there U some of these opportunities of course do not come along so easily and uh yeah of course with investment obligations or whatever you can um try to facilitate that but you also depend on your government um for that and whether they are willing to to impose it to what extent um but yeah it's not just about the commercial viability as well you also have to to make sure that whatever and about the Next Generation that's that's coming and how the studios will be able to support them so I think that the the I mean in Europe there is an awareness now uh around the power of intellectual property you see it happening at all level at the markets for film but also the Book Fairs there is definitely this search for regional content and even the smallest publishing company is looking for talent Maybe by gathering you know illustrators from you know art schools uh once you get this significant impact on the IP then animation is the place to be because you really generate a a consistent program to exploit the material but also to grow with your audience that's why I think we're all very protective when we talk about market for animation because it is a very strong um you know sort of cultural hub for the community that generates the content but also for the big changing uh community of audience member that as we see grow with their with their favorite IP and the other element is that these IPS when they are Center to the point they have no limit in time you know we have great cases of content like Barba Papa which as we know was a very unique ecological you know preview of our world uh completely utopian has been redone in 3D so you change a little bit the technology you refresh a little bit the the voices but at the end of the day the original Ip is still incredibly valuable today so that is what what is very true in Europe we really have this facility of um getting to train more talent and get the content really to a high stage of performance and I have a question about this the produtions how do they translate really in real life I mean when you talk about uh helping financially movie with the incentive and and and other uh to have a CO production you need to both of the the country working or it's just about money how the yeah how the coration really works I I'm especially asking the to found better I mean uh L Berg I guess is a bit of a special territory because we are so small that we do not have um let's say we depend on uh Benelux for distribution for example so we don't have any local Distributors that could invest and we also don't have any sales agents because they're in France which puts uh us and the audiovisual industry in a very specific um situation which we try to compensate for by uh with the funds um that we give so for that reason in Luxembourg alone we can't just look at the commercial viability just because the market is is is too tiny I mean we we also in terms of audience size um if we look at audience uh numbers Luxemburg alone would you know it's a drop in the ocean so that's I wouldn't say that that could that could never be our main uh criterian uh for us it's very much about having a viable uh industry and also making these co-productions and internation this International work possible because I think in a way that's also part of our DNA we are small we're at the center of Europe and we only Thrive thanks to how we cooperate with our neighbors and I think that is also part of the DNA of our film industry um so at least for us uh we don't only look at the commercial uh side of things but of course if you have uh from the other territories that you bring along the better the uh project looks in terms of uh letters of commitment or sales if that's your question I'm I'm not quite sure then the better it is for the project and I guess uh very often the likelier it is if the script and the Bible Etc are uh are good and get uh liked by the selection committee the higher the chances are that it will get selected yes I mean it will improve the chances of funding for sure yes it was that but also that uh for W for example from Belgium uh when you you know give money to your project as production you do you make them you know there has to be some belg studio from Belgium that works on the project or uh or creative that works on the project how does yeah how does it really translate Yes to answer your question I think actually the the the main point is the money because uh to produce an animation project is very difficult to reach enough financing sources so yes uh at the very beginning if the Belgian is part of the of the game it it's because we invest money and to obtain our money you have to work with Woon Studios so that's the beginning of the story but right now we have of course talented uh skills in wona and sometimes there is co- production uh without a fund like us just because of the specific skills of talented uh Woon people uh but the first key is the money and the way you locate your expenses uh between the different reg regions and if we can suggest maybe it's good for the audience here to look at what is in terms happening in terms of European film fun funding um I mean look at the associations like China radio they work on dividing uh funds that can provide both an investment for talent and so in a way they approach uh mostly the phase of development and pre-production and those that instead facilitate the investment of public money uh for service company that are based in those regions and so there is a combination of regional and National Fund that can provide support in various phases of the work and of course you know animation also requires um you know National dubbing which includes the possibility of generating interesting packages nationally for the talent so now you are going through a larger scape scape of of you know work and and investment in your own uh national uh you know ecosystem I mean I see here I saw she's not going to be happy that I call her in but like enria Capra is a minority co-producer of a film The One in 2022 um the European film Academy as the best animated feature which was an Italian and that is a great case of European co-production in stop motion with an incredibly you know European story very local but extremely uh you know successfully globally and it was a very long complex process also to generate the full you know package of co-production but at the end it's you know it paid back because the film is traveling now and it it got you know not only showcased in every main Festival globally but it also generated curiosity around stop motion and what we see now is that you know there are very interesting new upcoming talents from the film schools that are looking at stop motion as a way to generate content so you know it's very expensive it takes time but it's totally worth it right right and I will I think that will be the the the key sentence of this panel because I'm hopeful yeah and we will say it at the end again but uh yeah it but before I I allow the the room to ask questions I've one more question is it the it's about the future how do you see the future of animation with a lot of things coming on you know there's a lot of issues that coming on technological issues like art artificial intelligence or uh even uh ecological issues and talking about sustainability diversity issues so uh how do you think animation can phas and will um you know be uh on the road with all those issues okay I'll take the sustainability one because as you know it's my obsession uh from quite a while um not only ecological sustainability which though has been generating you know more responsible uh awareness among producers in France Echo pra has been you know testing real uh you know protocols for in a way making a more sustainable practice of production and post- production of Animation there is mostly in France a very strong debate over how much it's costing in terms of emissions to the planet the transfer of data because we always think of the plastic bottles but that's over we know that those are out of you know not even out of question but let's look at how much we spend for the planet energy in terms of the way we pollute uh by transferring data and we are totally in a global system where we you know I saw films being made with non-stop Zoom calls among teams how can we make it more sustainable and less impactful this is happening there are a lot of regions in Europe and countries that are experimenting the so-called green protocols for animation and and of course there is something that I love to say because it is something that the data is confirming more than liveaction animation is among the variety of you know production hubs for the film industry is much more inclusive there is a very strong female participation at least in the short film production not only this panel but I think it speaks for a lot of other communities where women are running production companies a lot of female director are participating to the best you know selection in in in the world and it is also inclusive because it gives voice also to the lgbtq plus community and and it is if you look at some examples for instance the way that animation can handle delicate communities like the autistic community and how much the content can be generated within the community are typical cases of how much much it is a language that facilitates uh you know authenticity and communication among creators um the element that is awaiting is of course you know the usual closing phrase another one I'll throw you on the floor it's there is no film industry if there is no planet and we have to all change the way that the organization is happening you know studios are now getting more used to use only audio calls instead of video calls and the share of the document is facilit ated by created virtual studios that cons you know basically Ann knowledges all the workers in the same production to be you know having personal access to the content instead of spending hours of live you know live Connection in the hub there are ways that I you know I of course the artificial intelligence is a topic that maybe you you ladies can can tackle because that's a trick and that is going to change the force labor and our capacity to generate more work but it can also make it very efficient to answer you uh Nina uh so as a human being we know that in AI is right now the changes are right now and to be honest when I look at the project that we co-produce of course AI helps but uh it's not it's still not the the the the huge uh implementation of the uh generative AI that we can suppose uh now so to be honest I'm a little bit stressed about the future and the next few months for our Studios because it's it's a very big opportunity but also a potential issue to deal with uh and I I I think they have to to react very quickly and very efficiently right now and I'm not sure it's all it's still it's already the case for uh for our Studios I don't know if you have the the same concept I don't know if I want to start elaborating on AI um I also find it very stressful and I think everybody does to a certain extent and we can't even foresee how it will impact everybody's work from basically tomorrow or today um so that's a hard one and I think we could be here for hours talking about all these issues I mean the problems that you mentioned whether it's um yes having the skills required to uh deal with this new uh world uh in terms of um AI uh assisted or even generated uh content but also uh yeah how that impacts the labor market Etc uh as well as uh whether it's representation in diversity or having to become more ecologically sustainable I think these are all no-brainers we all know that we have to do that and we all know that we have a role to play and I think we're all still figuring out how we how how to to do it I think that as a European uh industry there seems to be a lot of momentum you can see it at festivals and markets to work together to tackle some of these big issues is something we should we should embrace so I think that's a good thing uh in spite of all the the negativity that it can uh it can generate sometimes what I would say uh perhaps on um uh diversity overall when I look at the projects that get pitched at mea for example or or cartoon they to me I've been working at the fund now for 10 years I think over the past 10 years things have improved they are not where they should be I think we can agree on that and perhaps also because animation in a way has almost a special Ro role to play there because they um reach audiences when they are so young already so when we talk about representation on screen of course you when I talk about the the people who work in animation in the room you really touch people at the at the age when all these things are still in motion and when you can influence people to a certain extent or more than um when when they're already an adult so in that sense I think there are some issues that perhaps we need to look at in even more detail when it comes to the animation industry and representation authenticity Etc but I think it's also an opportunity because it's a way animation can help tackle very complex and difficult subjects like that in a very playful manner so we should also be hopeful when it comes to that and the same for technology if we look at uh let's say game uh engine um adaptation for example the animation industry really already had a head start compared to some liveaction companies so I would say overall we're probably all late when it comes to adapting to technology but I would say the animation industry is still a little a step ahead compared to some of the other uh industry players at least from what I can see if I can add one thing that Carol said it's very important we go back to the awareness that public broadcasting uh in these this conversation has a role to play and you know okay the existence of the platform has raised many possibilities but one one certainty that we all have is that mostly for the under 18 uh you know audience members and and the under represented communities guaranteeing a very strong presence of the you know producing capacity of public broadcasting and animation can lead us to more content that is no other will but you know we would say to build a European strong sense of identity presence and voice but also to lead uh you know the next generation of creators to higher standards of the questions that we ask I mean I think this goes to the very you know bottom line animation can really have this incredible power of being a language that everybody you know understands and wants and can really lead you to much more Awareness on the big issues of life and today I think it's it's it seems very philosophical but at the end of the day look at how much a film like flea change the awareness of our position um on even engaging on the memory of war in individuals how much we can really tell stories differently by using the symbolic representation of animation and talking uh in really to the core bones of the problems so that is I think what we all love about engaging in Project that seemed completely impossible financially but then you discover that you actually can speak many voices and reach the hearts of many and I I totally agree with with uh Carol when you said that it could be um Round Table in itself with just those issues but if I'm asking that as well is because we can imagine that every country each country will have its own reaction it's on rules it's on laws on those issues so why I'm thinking is in a case of a CO production so two or more countries being associated on one project can those issues I mean like AI I think every country will have its own relationship with AI um it can be a problem for C production if countries totally disagree of course it can be a problem and that's why I think we need a European uh approach when it comes to this because even when how you deal with and AI if every country starts uh you could be in a in theory be in a situation where uh in one country uh the IP is handled completely differently than in another one and I think that would make co-productions extremely difficult and not just difficult but it will have wide reaching uh consequences so I think we really need to look at it and also work uh with European EU stakeholders on this to make sure that there's I think a European framework to help us now navigate co-productions in this new uh environment when it comes to AI at least and I think in terms of ecological sustainability that's also where we are going hopefully one day we'll have a European calculator or there will be a magical solution to make all these calculators compatible for co-productions because that's already a challenge today sometimes yeah yes uh regarding um the the intellectual property or the rules for uh sustainability sustainability uh the we need a global approach it's true but when we talk about the generative ER and the the the fact the fact that some tars are going to be automated I think it comes from the market itself because all the studios are going to implement that on the way they they they produce the projects so I think we are not so the rules are not not the the base the base is from the market and the Technic technological um task and uh way of of producing and maybe the the the the balance between the the automatization and the creativity is the real the real challenge right now for for the studios May yeah no because I mean I'm sure that the audience has question and actually if you have suggestions throw them at us but I mean clearly the entire uh you know generation of uh you know original content uh intellectual property that has value and can be Global by being extremely local at the same time even the talent they can do pre-production and and and create generate the content is is is fantastic for Europe we have this possibility uh look at all the feature films or the TV series that have been really developed uh without the necessity of being commercial they became very powerful also with the audience and the return of the audience to the movie theater to watch animation is real and and we know that it is happening and and if the content of course you know there is always the fear that the next Disney movie may be a flop and therefore the entire animation goes down but you see the opposite so I personally think that um we need to um keep investing in development and probably expand our ability to to invest in a stronger European development uh which for animation of course includes not only the screenwriters but also the artistic director of the projects their directors and even those smaller independent Studios that are really making the first jump and they're looking for talent you mentioned cartoon media look at how much happens at ANC or at cartoon um you know Forum where we really see these incredible projects focusing on very strong topics and sometimes they're targeting kids you know in the bridge age between five and seven um I also think that there is there is something that we we must look I mean we are talking about European content but uh the European audience like the rest of the world has been looking at content coming from Japan South Korea or Latin America and we have also funding schemes like theber media plus and other funds that can combine some European you know funding with International funding um so I think that there are possibilities it's um it's definitely a challenge I think for the funds to be faster and more consistent as you both said and this is the real the real question we all face every day I mean look at the tax credit policy sometimes he super excited gets number on steroids and two years later they drop this does not support the system and that has to change thank you to Al the three of you but you're not finished yet because I'm looking at the room now and if you have question yes uh yes some this uh amazing guy is giving you a microphone no no yes I have a question for um Nina you mentioned that sustainability is a very um strong topic and uh you also mentioned uh carbon calculator for especially for animation and you also um we're talking about the company can you um tell the name there is a a protocol in France called echoo that has been approved by you know the producers Association the minister and so on and echoo has been testing um you know the the application of the sustainability program for the animation and there are Simple Solutions that seem very simple but it took years to get there like the way that you can uh for instance convert the heat that post- production generate you know when we have big computers that are processing 3D feature films for instance that has been experimented in Paris um uh they succeeded in keeping the the Heat and turning it into the uh the energy that warmed up the Paris public pool so you know you suddenly use something that is out there but you challenge it through a different use there are many other uh possibilities that you can develop and you know um one one knowledge that is now shared and it's true it's a no-brainer but we better talk instead of taking it for granted is that most of the facilitation that you can have for production companies that work in uh in animation come from the Civic Society you can restore the building where you're living in by using renewable energies and so you use in a way money that is not for film but you can change your ability to get more money from film because now you're a UST aable company let's be aware there is a lot of green washing out there there is a lot of you know fake certifications but also you know there are the directives of the EU Parliament that say let's also look at the fake you know green washing and and the the greenwashing policies so I think that Europe has a voice now he's really leading uh the research for a more um you know consistent transformation of the way we work the way we produce and if you look at countries like IND India with whom we do a lot of co-production in animation they're very you know they're working really seriously on the renewable energies and and sometimes you think about India you think that there is a lot of conflict existing there but they're taking it very seriously because the temperatures outside the studios are unsustainable so this is something that we all and it is true it's not a European issue it is a global issue and it's it's really changing the way that we can affect there is a debate over can we give more money to those that have been even more sustainable and this is something that maybe in next years can we can debate if the lobbying brought us somewhere May me not thank you we need time for another question yes there was yeah hi since you mentioned about India I am from India and my next question happens to be quite topical to the whatever you so your funds in wage and and uh uh Luxembourg specifically are they targeted only at Europe or do they also encourage collaborations with India would be my question because we are in final stage discussion with two studios in Luxembourg which was a surprise to us though we worked extensively on co-productions with all the rest of Europe so I wanted to know is there any special encouragement or even would we be treated equal with Europe or would it is it not worth it for us to pursue uh extensively about this possibility you know I I start okay uh so in wona you can you need just a Belgian producer so it can be with India it's okay you can obtain well image but the problem is that you cannot obtain the TX shelter mechanism because to obtain it you need to be a European project and if you cannot reach the tax shell term mechanism well image it's not enough so it's possible for us but it doesn't work it's not bad stories I mean there are some I mean yeah it's not really about the content it's about the production workflow and the financing uh Co production yeah I I can add to that I mean for us the condition is that you have a Luxemburg C producer who lodges the application with us that's the first condition and in theory of course you can co-produce with any country but by design it is much easier when you do it with European companies because you can do it under the so-called convention you know so you have a treaty that applies which facilitates uh and actually stipulates a number of very specific uh criteria on how these co-production structures can work which doesn't mean that co-producing with territories in third countries as we call them uh are impossible but they're a lot harder and they're a lot more volatile often because of currency issues ETC but it's not impossible uh but the story is not that's the artistic side of things uh and that's something we look at once the project has been submitted but here we're really talking about the financing structure of the project and sometimes even the structure of the company or how the companies uh and how that matches but that's why I'm saying it's easier when it's of always easier when it's with other European countries but it's not impossible when it's not yeah and we you can add consider that a lot of European countries are individually developing co-production treaties with single countries that are not European and this leads often to you know facilitation to open spinoff in a European country and that would open the possibility to be beneficial of a European co-production so actually the you know we saw it in Japan it's happening in many countries and consider also that European Financial scheme is already open through a mar to Canada and to other countries so you can actually generate intering Bridges that's why it's a perfect co-production Hub I mean it's really the co-production language thank you uh I think we have time for one last question I think there was a young man here yes and uh before you ask no okay cool you go my question was similar to him and I wanted to know like which of your organizations has like co-productions with Latin America yeah I mean I would just repeat myself but I want to add that we also have a scheme where we focus more specifically on smaller budget uh Productions because very often with third countries you also just have the budgets that don't necessarily match um so maybe it's easier if you come and talk to me after the panel because I think we're running out of time but I'm happy to give you more information or come to the stand and we'll do it there yeah but you can quickly Iber media includes co-production with Spain Portugal and Italy and you can of course apply other co-production schemes so look at either the you know European Regional funds uh Network or the European F commissions they can be the facilitators and each national funding has specific additional agreements so it's a very rich uh you know potential the question is would that be enough and that is where you guys have to come with new ideas thank you very much and thank you Nina thank you Carol thank you Virgin uh it was a pleasure to talk to you thank you thank you let's all go to an in a month in a week e e

Channel: Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes

Views: 118

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Id: 04gDQNAYds0

Length: 69min 35sec (4175 seconds)

Published: Mon May 20 2024