COVID-19 hits the Canary Islands’ Animayo to Go Virtual – Variety

It has taken a global epidemic to realize the pipe-dream. Seven years ago, Damien Perea, founder-director of the Canary Islands, animator of the Spain-based animation festival Animio, set his sights on introducing the virtual element at a festival. The technology didn’t exist then but last year he met Don Stein, founder-CEO of Teoh, a new avatar-based virtual event platform that enables professional and enterprise communities to sit and interact in the same digital space.

Then the epidemic of Kavid-19 hit. “I had two options: close the festival or take up the challenge and find a creative solution,” Perea said. The result was the world’s first animation festival to go virtual, Animayo Gran Canaria 2020, which includes animation, VFX and video gaming.

15^M The edition hosted back-to-back virtual panels via Teoh on the weekend of May 9-10 which registered a record total of 18,000 participants worldwide. The local government of the Canary Islands, led by Cabildo de Gran Canaria, generously supported sponsors to cancel the festival registration fee and raise its annual scholarship prize raise to 500,000 ($ 545,000), up from 100,000,000 ($ 109,000 +) last year.

Experts from top animation studios, led by Disney, DreamWorks, Sony, Veta Digital, Skydance and Warner Bros., have led eight panel discussions in limited-seat sessions, many of which have been oversubscribed. “Most of them were 5,000 people willing to take part,” Perea said. Some sessions were held in Spanish, others in English. Topics range from VFX insights to 3D modeling and storyboard creation. In order not to take part, the panels will play again on May 18 on Animayo’s YouTube channel.

The virtual platform proved ideal for the creative community, some of whose appearances delighted in giving their avatars blue faces, purple hair or green skin. While some technical issues were raised in areas with poor internet capabilities, the conferences went smoothly. Some of those present jokingly admitted that they were still in their pajamas.

The common sense was that working from a distance has been an advantage for many to celebrate the time they have gained from a long journey despite the family confusion and the absence of their colleagues. “My productivity level is up,” credits to prominent panelist Eli Zara include “Ant-Man” and “Avengers: Endgame”. Others noted that studios that were once resistant to remote work realized that this was not a problem at all.

In the “Women in the Animation, Special Effects and Video Game Industries” debate, moderator Rocco Ayuso raised the question of whether the debate over women in these industries was still necessary. “There are certainly more women in the animation and technology workforce, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Argentina Oliva, panelist overseeing MondoTV’s production. “There are certainly many more women in the DreamWorks animation and power positions but there is still much to be done and I hope that someday, such panels will not be needed,” agreed Marina Soto, associate employer at DreamWorks Animation.

The 15 master classes in Spanish or English are scheduled to air on the festival’s YouTube channel by the end of the week on May 16th. Access is not limited, but a registration deadline is May 15.

Award winning awards on a wide range of topics, including 2D and VR animation from DreamWorks Animation, Cartoon Saloon, Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation, Ilian Animation Studios, Skydance, Veta Digital and Delirium Studios. To render realistic performances in music to they a Rémy nimetara teriyaksa ( “boots in the boots”) and Nanny Suzuki ( “The Wind Rizos,” “Isle of Dogs”), their career will include first-hand ayakauntagulio,

An international jury headed by Danish animation producer Klaus Tokswig, whose co-production, “Sea of ​​Songs” was nominated for an Oscar and won the Annesie Audience Award, will announce the winners of the competition’s competition on May 29.

For the third year in a row, the winner of the festival shortlist will be shortlisted for the Academy Awards shortlisted animated shorts.

“The animation and video game industries are the only industries that have actually survived the COVID-19 epidemic,” Pereya said. He noted that the Canary Islands animation industry was prospering and that the amount of tax breaks would be increased by 50% from ৫ 5 million (৯ 10.9 million) to ৫০ 50 million (৩ 6.3 million), and he expected the islands to grow someday. More interesting to international filmmakers.