Tuesday 17 January 2012

INAUGURAL ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT

Animators need writers and writers who like to write animation scripts need someone to bring them alive.

Here’s an opportunity to informally meet your counterpart and, hopefully, strike up relationships that might lead to new, creative and wonderful work in animation

On Monday 30th at 7pm in the Screen Directors’ Guild Screening Room in Temple Bar, The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI) and The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild (IPSG) are inviting writers and animation directors to the first ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT.

The idea is that animation directors and writers interested in or already writing in animation can meet in comfort, with a cup in their hand and get to know each other. The hope is that various collaborations and partnerships may form that will lead to interesting work in the field. It came about from a Screen Training Ireland gig when I broached the subject of where, as a writer, I could submit animation scripts. There didn’t really seem to be anywhere. Most companies create in-house and if you can’t draw, it can be hard to get a writing paw in the door.

And we need each other. Take PUNKY. I could have rattled around with that idea for years. As I have done with lots of other animation ideas and scripts. But for Monster Animation deciding to put their creative juices into it, it would still be an idea on a page. This, as a writer is frustrating. (Okay, basically, I wish I could draw!) To date, it’s turning into a very successful series that is on the verge of selling internationally in five countries that I know of, won the Producer of the Year Award for Gerard O’Rourke and has been nominated for two IFTAs.

But it seems to be crucial to develop ideas with the animation directors of companies, for the simple reason that if they are employed by a company, they need to be involved in most ideas produced by that company. Bringing a written idea from outside is difficult.

Surely for animators who need new ideas, who haven’t studied screenwriting or find it less interesting than drawing, it must be equally frustrating.

So this new group will meet on a regular basis. All animation directors and writers working or interested in working in animation are welcome; if you can’t make this one, let me know you’re interested and I’ll put your name down for the next one.

Could be fun!! Could be an interesting way to meet fellow writers and animators!! Could be the start of something amazing!!

14 comments:

  1. I can't make this one but I would love to attend then next one! It sounds like a fantastic idea. My name is John Morton, I'm a writer and a member of the IPSG.

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    1. John, can you give me an email address I can contact you at? The next Animation Networking Event will be March 12th, and after that April 23rd.

      Let me know if you can attend!

      All the best, Lindsay

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  2. Hi John, that's great. I'll stick your name on the list for the next one! Thanks for letting me know.

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  3. i'd like to attend, animator here

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  4. Hi N, that's great. It's at 7pm in the SDGI Screening Room. Your material looks great. Do you need directions? L

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  5. directions would be appreciated, and is it a plus one affair ( they would also be an animator/writer ) or have you reached full capacity?

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  6. Hi Neil. I'll send directions to everyone tomorrow if that's okay. If you have another animator to bring along, that would be great but we have enough writers for this first one. We may have to pick a bigger venue next time though. L

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  7. I'll bring another animator along.

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  8. Brilliant. Thanks!I'll send directions to your email address shortly.

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  9. Did you get the directions alright? I took your email off your blog. L

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    1. no i haven't received an e-mail yet, is it in the filmbase building?

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  10. I sent you one this morning. Can you send me your email here and I'll forward it again. It's not far from Filmbase. Can you also give me the name of your other animator for the list? If he/ she can't come there is another animator waiting for a place now, L

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  11. Neil, it's in a screening room in Temple Bar but I need your address to send you directions if the one on your blog doesn't work. L

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  12. Neil, I can't put directions to the screening room on the blog but if you don't want to put your email up here either, can you facebook message me or something and then I can send the directions through. I literally can't post them up on the blog for security reasons. L

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