Sunday, May 18, 2014

South American Cartoons

Somehow I missed this. It's not just U.S. animation that is prospering.

... At least eight Brazilian toon pics have opened in Brazil since late 2012 — among them Paolo Conti and Arthur Medeiros’ stop-motion “Worms,” the eco-themed “Branimals: The Forest Is Ours,” the Globo Filmes-backed historical fantasy “Nautilus” and “Rites of Passage,” featuring two hero-legends from Brazil’s Northeast.

Five or more toon pics are in production; nine, if not more, have applied for BNDES Development Bank funding, per “Sbornia” producer Marta Machado.

“Brazilian animation is currently booming. From 1917 to 1995, Brazil produced five to six animated movies; over the last five to six years, we’ve made 25-30,” says Felipe Harelik, producer of “Between Frames,” an animation/live action documentary hybrid that traces the history of Brazil animation, including interviews with Carlos Saldanha (“Ice Age,” “Rio,” “Rio 2”) and “Sbornia” co-helmer Guerra, a ’90s pioneer. ...


As previously noted, there are lots of animated features in work around the globe. The ones we hear about come form California, Paris, and Connecticut, but there are features out of many other geographic locations, and the studios in these places don't make them because they are boutique art studios funded by the Medicis and dedicated to doing art for art's sake.

They produce animated features for the same reasons that Pixar, DreamWorks, Disney and Blue Sky do. Because they make money. And because Socialism.

... “We have the best public-sector film policies in the world,” Bolognesi boasts. “Only France’s are as good or better.”

(France? They're like France?!)

3 comments:

hamletprimeiro said...

Well, I don't have profound knowledge of France's incentives for animation, so I can really compare. Here at Brazil, almost any culture project receives government support.
Even absolutely mainstream movies produced by the largest Brazilian midia group, Globo, receive incentives when they don't clearly need.
Our "animation industry" is far away of France's animation industry.
Unfortunately our animated movies simply don't get repercussion at box office. There is a lot of critic hype, but they didn't find a public, even if some of them are really good.
I think that the majority of our animation artists still wants find a carreer at foreign studios.
I am curious Steve, the TAG has some account of how many Brazilian animator there are at US?

Steve Hulett said...

Not many Brazilian animation artists here on the Left Coast, but I HAVE interviewed Carlos Saldanha, who works on the Right Coast.

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/carlos-saldanha-interview.html

hamletprimeiro said...

Thanks for the answer, Steve.

I must admit, I am not a big fan of Blue Sky's movies, but Mr. Saldanha really built a amazing carreer at US. He is a kind of celebrity here at Brazil.

I will check the interview.

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