Welsh Animated Feature Industry in Jeopardy

Think its just the U.S. Film Industry that takes outsourcing hits? Think again. This comes to us via Kathleen Milnes of the Entertainment Economy Institute. We DON'T make this crapola up... Ping Wales Digital-Media WTI Thai Visit Thailand hungry for Welsh business opportunities By Basheera Khan | 24 Feb 2006 A handful of Thai companies will set foot on Welsh soil in March, looking for business opportunities with companies across a range of sectors including animation, CGI and special effects for feature films, graphics for the computer games industry, interactive media and design further education, feature film, television and broadcast, and post-production. The inward trade mission, organised by WalesTrade International, will look to introduce the Thai companies to key Welsh counterparts over the three-day visit, which runs from 6 – 8 March. A spokesman for WTI said: "We are keen to offer a warm welcome to these companies and to introduce them to some of the key players in these sectors in Wales, as they are interested in developing partnerships with Welsh companies." The award-winning Imagimax animation and design studio is one of the companies that will be hosted, and according to managing director Saksiri Koshpasharin, is hoping to meet with 2D and 3D animators, distributors, publishers, production or post-production houses and organisers of animation-related events. The company has worked with studios in Japan, Europe and the US on 3D animation for TV, movies, and PC and console games, as well as productions for the Thai advertising industry. The Sripatum University, which offers courses in 2D and 3D animation, interactive design, multimedia, digital print media, digital sound, and Internet-based art will also be represented. Dr. Kamon Jirapong, head of the university's Digital Arts Department, is hoping to meet with leading Welsh universities in the area of animation, interactive media and design. Surachet Thienbunlertrat, a founder of Blu Fairy animation studio says their mission is to meet production and post-production companies, co-production partners, and companies looking to outsource visual effects, CG animation and motion graphics development. The company's biggest film project to date was the Thai box-office hit Garuda, for which it created the eponymous CG monster. The Kantana group, one of Thailand's largest service providers to the film, television and broadcast industry; Oriental Post Co Ltd, a post-production hub; and Right Beyond Company Ltd, which manufactures and replicates CDs, VCDs and DVDs, will also be looking to extend their business interests in Wales.