The Animation Alliance UK is a new, broad alliance of independent animation professionals - animators, programmers, producers, researchers, critics, academics, studios, festivals – across a wide range of creative and professional practice and engagement.
The Alliance exists:
- to act as a network and focus for sharing information and discussion
- to advocate for the support of independent animation in the UK
- to lobby for investment in production, training, archive
The Alliance is new and establishing itself through a google group. Members include animators, artists and filmmakers, producers, programmers, curators, writers and higher education tutors. Many of our members, inevitably, work in both cultural and commercial contexts. However, the focus is on independent practice and cultural film.
If you would like to join, please visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/animationallianceuk
If you do not have/want a google account, you can request to join via email to:
animationalliance@me.com
Please give your full name, professional role, any affiliation (eg production company, university), plus anything else relevant/notable (eg BAFTA/BAA festival nominations/wins).
Please note that we are not Animation UK, the trade body that campaigns for fairer trading conditions for UK animation broadcast producers.
Just another confirmation of everything you guys are saying, we have developed 4 animation products in the last two years, two of which are now going to be made in Canada due to the tax break and financial support of the canadian government. Even on the animated film front we have had two given the go, one of which started and has since had the guarantee fall through (Baker Street films). Our forth project is in pre production, but really whilst we know the story is fab the chances are it will end up not being made or it will go to the US and become a studio picture.
When we started Darkside animation 10 years ago our intension was to create an animation studio created Pixar style family animated films….. it has been a constant brick wall of money people offering countless promises with no substance, even Baker Street films who have a track record with live action films have had absolutly no success raising finance, the market is only interesrted in short productions. Kitchen Games has been with Baker Street for 5 years….. and went into full production 2 and a bit years ago, but then stopped 8 months later when the guarantee fell through. We had even done the first guide audio track…. but thats the way it is.
On the other hand our effects side is going great….. But its a shame we cant get to do what we know we are more than capable of doing for full blown animation.