Sector spotlight: Animation

Bristol is an internationally respected centre of excellence for animation, so we could think of no better industry with which to start our sector spotlight than the animation industry.

Read our features on:

Hello Charlie
From their office on Baldwin Street, Hello Charlie create visual content that is seen across the world, from the MTV Europe Music Awards to the Eurovision Song Contest, Victoria’s Secret fashion show to the ATP tennis tour.

Next Gen Skills Academy
Next Gen Skills Academy is an industry-led education initiative to develop the next generation of talent for the games, animation and VFX industries.

Paintworks firm named as Future Leaders
Sun & Moon Studios is a full-service animation, design and software production house based in the Paintworks on Bath Road, who were named earlier this year as one of Creative England’s Future Leaders – chosen by a panel of creative industry judges for their services to creativity and innovation.

Did you know? 

–          200 companies and individuals work in games and animation in Bristol
–          50% of the animation workforce is under 35, over 90% are graduates
–          The animation industry in the UK is worth £300m
–          Animation companies now benefit from up to a 25% tax break

The Institute

The Institute is a project currently being developed in Bristol to provide a new access route for young people in the city into rapidly growing arts, cultural and creative sector labour markets.

The project is led by Arts Council England, Knowle West Media Centre, UWE and a wide range of partners including Next Gen Skills Academy, the West of England LEP and Bristol City Council all of who share a commitment to tacking the issue of the lack of diversity in these sectors.

The Institute builds on the outcomes of the Entry Level Employment in Bristol’s Creative Industries project and will publish more detailed information this summer.

Show Me The Animation

Show Me The Animation is created for the animation community to help showcase and inspire independent animators. They provide a regular online showcase of the best animation talent around the globe from leading animation companies to upcoming students. They also run animation challenges to flex their community’s creative muscle.

Regular animation nights are hosted at the Cube, attracting up to 100 animators and creatives from Bristol and further afield, bringing together people who may otherwise feel out of the loop when not working for a studio or not able to attend festivals.

The evenings tend to fun and informal, and are primarily about watching films in a lively and conversational atmosphere. From time to time the animation nights also include talks from leading professionals within the industry, who talk about their latest work and impart knowledge of their experiences.

Show Me The Animation is run by WONKY Films and Helen Brunsdon.

For more information, visit www.showmetheanimation.com

Encounters Festival

Animated Encounters was set up in 2001, to celebrate and showcase animation. This younger sibling has enjoyed a rapid rise to global prominence, gaining status as UK representative for the prestigious European Cartoon d’Or.  In 2006 the festival united with Brief Encounters as the Encounters Short Film Festival to record-breaking effect.

Encounters is now the UK’s leading short film and animation festival and annual meeting place for new, emerging and established filmmakers and industry professionals. Providing a single platform for celebrating talent and innovation, Encounters presents an annual international competition, industry programme and an inspiring selection of screenings, events and parties during the festival week, with the chance to see some of the world’s best animated films at the Watershed and Arnolfini.

This year’s Encounters takes place between September 15 and 20.

For more information, visit www.encounters-festival.org.uk