RENCONTRES FORMATION 4th edition 15 and 16 November 2012 Angoulême Report

1. Industry figures

Speakers :

Benoît Danart (CNC) Stéphane Le Bars (SPFA) Kris Ludhor (AFDAS) Carole Perraut (Audiens)

The following documents were presented and reviewed :

The animation market , by Benoît Danart and Stéphane Le Bars Key employment figures in the production of animated andvisual effects, by Carole Perraut Vocational training in the field of animation 2005-2011, by Kris Ludhor The video game market, by Benoît Danart

The SPFA was pleased with the 2011 figures : 355 hours (+10,9 %) of new production o television screens, an average of 306 hours of animation each year between 2002 and 2011; 10 feature films.

It also expressed its concerns about the draft communication submitted by the European Commission which seeks to improve movement of workers, and thus smooth the attractiveness of support mechanisms, thereby calling territorial expenditure into question. The CNC emphasized the need to maintain the French mechanism, with its exemplary nature, through the support of French producers. A distinction between professionals in animation and is under consideration for next year in the Audiens study. Significant progress was observed in the figures presented this year as the scope of the Audiens study is the same as that of the Afdas study.

Afdas reported that there is a balance between contributions and expenditure.

RECA announced that it would like to produce an assessment of the number of new diplomas appearing on the market each year, in collaboration with SPFA.

2. What is preproduction for ?

Speakers :

Stéphane Berry (Marathon Média) Marie-Pierre Journet (Moonscoop) Christophe Malcombe (storyboarder) Claire Paoletti (author) Patrick Schwerdtle (storyboarder) Pierre Siracusa (France Télévisions)

Several contributions from authors and storyboarders reported recurring dysfunctions in the organization of preproduction in television series: Inadequate scenarios, incomplete graphic packs, general lack of communication between the various participants. ‘‘Yes, things do go awry but we should not let it happen!’’

Echoing last year’s exchanges, the storyboard brought together several contributions. Apart from the aforesaid dysfunctions, examples were given of its decreasing importance in favour of animatics, indeed, in the near future for some, of previsualization. However, a majority of speakers, representing schools and studios alike, reaffirmed its crucial importance as a ‘‘review of editorial choices’’ and a ‘‘maturation time when participants can -- must -- be brought together’’.

The schools are committed to continue and even expand their training efforts in storyboard. The educators emphasized the maturity required for storyboard which very few graduates possess. Hence the importance of internships and, in general, a period of immersion in the studio alongside seasoned professionals. It was also noted that this step is devoted to assimilating new skills, based around the use of 3D tools.

‘‘In the past there was one way of doing things, and now there are several". The importance of layout was reaffirmed: ‘‘an excellent tool to lead students to the storyboard: They focus on a drawing, they learn its composition and we support this learning process by explaining that each stage should facilitate the work of the following stage.’’

And to sum up: ‘‘What should be taught in the schools ? Definitely not the tools ! The students should be taught to be intelligent. Regardless of the tools, it is essential to develop the ability to understand the image in order to be able to create more.

3. Teaching Mocap : where, when, how ?

Speaker :

Rémi Brun (Mocaplab)

The speaker defines mocap as recording movement and distinguished two moments, shooting and processing : the shooting, ‘‘as a team, with the tension and stress of live action", calls for profiles which are more akin to cinema live action shots; processing is the phase of extracting the points, transferred onto a skeleton, retouching and possibly post-animation. This calls more for a computer graphics artist.

Different training formats may be considered depending on the level of ambition. With a view to discovering and/or initiation: Several hours of presentation in each course; modules lasting several days, including at least one day of shooting.

Real training would need a minimum of 3 to 4 months, which could be extended. ‘‘I am convinced that in 10 or 20 years, there will be training courses for movement engineers, over several years, just as there are now training courses for sound engineers. time »

For which market ? The needs are not so great in animation but there are other opportunities: Advertising, art, research, video games, industry… When all these needs are added together, a training course becomes justified. We should start thinking seriously about it. »

Several mocap training experiences are described by different schools.

4. Teaching sound

Speaker :

Bruno Seznec (Piste rouge)

It is regrettable that people in visual arts have poor knowledge and understanding of sound. The budgets are inadequate: in a series, 2 to 3% of the overall budget, whereas @sound is 50% of the performance’’. The situation is better for feature films.

The speaker shares an experience with the audience: Screenings of the same extract from the feature Zarafa, without the soundtrack, then adding successively the dialogues, the music and the sound effects before showing the final mixed version. In this way, the contribution of each sound element becomes clear: Creation of the acoustic quality of the place where the character will speak, indication of the meaning of the scene through the dialogues, the atmosphere created by the music; the contributions of effects and sound effects: indicate a time, a geographical location, explain what is happening off-camera…

There have been significant technical developments: 25 years ago, 30 or 40 tracks for a feature film; now, for a small production, 300 to 400 tracks. Hence the greater technical requirements, to which must be added the understanding of the emotional and psychological import conveyed by the sound.

A technological change is announced, a major advance since 5.1: the Dolby Atmos system that supports up to 128 simultaneous audio tracks and up to 64 speaker feeds, with the possibility of automatic rendering to the equipment for all the screens. This is in line with the move towards a more complete immersion of the viewer in the sound environment and will obviously require specific training.

5. Round table : Employment practices in animation

Speakers :

Jack Aubert (SPFA/CPA) Laurent Blois (CGT-SPIAC) Maxime Legris (FICAM) Christophe Pauly (CFDT-F3C)

In the context of the renegotiation of the unemployment compensation system for contract workers in the entertainment industry before the end of 2013, everybody recognizes the difficulty of the situation while bemoaning a lack of information (true number of contract workers, the amounts worked) concerning the figures put forward: payments made to 100,000 contract workers (but 150,000 people coming under other social arrangements and receiving no payments); a deficit of annexes 8 and 10 calculated at 1 Bn € (1.4 Bn € paid out for 400 M € in contributions from companies and, to a lesser extent, from employees).

None of the speakers hopes for a ‘‘miracle solution’’. The CPA notes that the rate of unemployment insurance contributions in the entertainment industry is higher: 10.80% compared to 6.40% in the general scheme. It therefore considers that an increase in contributions is inappropriate. The question of the scope of the derogation scheme could be raised. The labour unions express their refusal of any form of stigmatisation and their determination to promote long-term employment ‘‘each time it is possible’’. For all that, it must not be forgotten that the mechanism in appendixes 8 and 10 is justified by the requirement to smooth a job which is not regular. The existence of this derogation scheme remains a professional necessity, even if it is difficult to justify it to other professional categories.

‘‘What will happen next year? No-one knows; for the moment, we do have not any concrete answers’’. It is noted that the representatives of employers’ and labour organizations who are present on the platform negotiate the collective labour agreements but do not run the unemployment compensation system. If the cursors are to be moved, it must occur at a higher level. In the past, simple recommendations were made but not adopted.

An idea is put forward in the name of the CGT union: A system that would be less ‘‘compensatory but more supportive" in which contract workers with the highest salaries would receive proportionally lower payments, possibly with an upper limit’’.

6. Training and the global situation

Speakers :

Shelley Page (Dreamworks Animation) Jonathan Turner (Framestore)

Shelley Page, who is head of international outreach for Dreamworks Animation, sets out the recruitment stakes linked to the international development of the studio, notably in India and China, then gives details of the Animation Mentor programme and the training situation in the United Kingdom.

The skills sought by Dreamworks Animation traditionally presuppose artistic and technical excellence: To that may be added the capacity to look critically at one’s own work, good time management, the ability to learn all through one’s career, to work in a team, to supervise. The speaker notes, in the recent past, a (relative) ‘‘return to flexibility’’, to be interpreted as the ability to change the artistic, technical or even the geographical environment.

The training situation in the United Kingdom seems to be marked by a polarisation between, on the one hand, a very academic approach, and on the other hand, programmes devoted to technical training. It seems that what made then reputation of the United Kingdom for many years has been lost: The ability to create animation characters. Yet there is one encouraging development: At the instigation of professionals, a reflection is under way concerning the desired content of training courses, as well as voicing of the realisation of the interest in producing skills locally.

Created in 2003, Animation Mentor is an 18-month distance learning programme on character animation that breaks with the traditional model of training courses over 3 or 4 years. 15 of the 37 animators recruited by Dreamworks were trained through Animation Mentor, and 12 animators from Dreamworks teach in Animation Mentor.

In liaison with its sites in Asia, including the enormous Oriental Dreamworks project which employs 2,000 people in Shanghai, the studio also ‘‘exports’’ training programmes for more technical skills to various schools, notably in India, and is developing partnerships in China with local schools which are improving. Il also closely monitors Indian and Chinese students who are studying in European schools in ever- increasing numbers.

Framestore, one of the largest post-production and visual effects companies in Soho, also has facilities in New York, Los Angeles and soon in Montreal, and employs about 750 people. The studio has taken the initiative of creating a new studio in Bournemouth for young graduates, mostly from the University of Bournemouth. After a rigorous selection (more than 200 candidates), 26 young professionals initially, and now 40, are concerned. They are given the opportunity to gain experience as juniors with the opportunity to join other Framestore studios or other post-production studios. Jonathan Turner, himself a former teacher at the University of Bournemouth and the first head of the new structure, sees it as a solution which will benefit both the University and the studio.

7. A case study: Nini Patalo

Speaker :

Camille Serceau (Je Suis Bien Content)

The speaker, production director at Je Suis Bien Content, gave a detailed presentation of the production pipeline for the series Nini Patalo which ran for two seasons of 39 x 7’. This analysis not only helps to comprehend the details of each stage, from development to post-production, but also to understand the challenges faced by a studio that has made the choice to work entirely in France.

The quality/productivity ratio is therefore at the heart of its operation, which requires both recruiting relevant individual skills and discipline in the collective organisation. In this case, this discipline extends to the organisation of working with a partner studio, Caribara.

The presentation is also an opportunity to present the special features of the studio, notably linked to the choice of After Effects and the animation of puppets.

8. The RECA: Questions and answers

Speakers :

Dimitri Granovsky (RECA / Georges Méliès) Cédric Plessiet (RECA / ATI-Paris 8) Marie-France Zumofen (RECA / Les Gobelins) René Broca (Delegate general of RECA)

The RECA announced the arrival of 6 new training providers, taking the number of its members to 21. The primary objectives of the network were recalled: providing a clearer overview of training opportunities and structuring relationships with all players in the ecosystem of animation -- producers and studios, software publishers, distributors, institutions, etc. Work has been undertaken in different directions: relationships with software publishers, with professional organisations, mapping of the schools and possible training paths, and initiatives have been taken in conjunction with several partners. The RECA will also tackle the issues of continuing education, an area where much remains to be done.

9. The burden of software in the cost structures of schools and studios

Speakers :

Jacques Bled ( ) Anthony Combeau (2 Minutes) Dimitri Granovsky (RECA / Georges Méliès) Gilbert Kiner (RECA/ArtFX)

The RECA has formed a specific workgroup on relationships with publishers to work with them to create the conditions for dialogue, and, ideally, collaboration. RECA representatives argued two key points.

1. The need for regular information from publishers regarding their development strategies in order to comprehend the evolution of tools in the next several years, which corresponds to the duration of training courses (2 to 5 years). An inescapable consequence of this information is help from publishers in training teachers, an essential dimension of an effective educational offer.

2. The opacity and disparity of commercial offers, generally indecipherable and with excessive variations from one school to another (in a ratio of 1 to 10).

They indicated that the cost of acquiring software for schools amounted to some 20% of expenditure, which is considerable.

Several schools also stressed their requirement to provide training on several tools and pipeline configurations in order to meet the diverse - and increasingly complex -- practices of studios.

Each year the training providers within RECA train about 500 new professionals whose role is to be users, prescribers and sometimes developers. This reality must be fully taken into account by the publishers.

The 2D digital studio 2 Minutes said that it works mainly with consumer software, sometimes optimised by its developers. As a result acquisition costs are significantly lower. The use of ToonBoom, which could be justified by the particular requirement of a production, would significantly increase these costs, although the differences in prices from one supplier to another make it difficult to calculate.

Illumination Mac Guff is dedicated to animation films for the general public from Universal via Illumination Entertainment, and has had to acquire the mechanisms and procedures of the American majors. Its pipeline combines commercial software and proprietary software. The cost structure therefore involves: on the one hand, purchases of commercial software; on the other hand, the cost of in-house development. It is estimated that the cost of software represents 10% of the total cost of the film. Another model, put in place by the ‘‘old’’ Mac Guff for the latest Kirikou, involved 50 people and cost considerably less. In this case the cost of software is proportionally higher, about 13% of the total cost. Jacques Bled regretted not being in a partnership with his main suppliers. He also noted a lack of communication as well as the opacity of the tariffs.

Representatives of ToonBoom Animation and Autodesk were present in the room and were able to respond to these comments.

ToonBoom Animation emphasised the fact that its proposal is a complete pipeline, studied and validated by the experience of studios, ‘‘ready to use’’ and backed by a service capable of adapting to meet specific needs. Such a purchase is an investment, representing greater productivity and thus profits.

The Autodesk representative noted the requests from the schools and studios, in particular with regard to information and training of trainers. He pointed out that his company does not sell directly, but through resellers who are themselves subject to varying pricing conditions, that may explain the disparities which people are bemoaning.

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