LIAF 2022: UK Animation Industry Event Session 1 – Is Animation a Business?

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LIAF presents the 2022 UK Animation Industry Event – seven panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.

Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening, whether it’s a look into the minds of some of the most creative forces making music videos in the 2020’s, a discussion on the career paths of women in the industry over the last decades, where AI Generated Imagery might be going, whether animation can be a viable and satisfying career for people who are neurodiverse, what the Metaverse might offer animators and can animation be a business as well as an artform.

For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these seven talks are indispensable.

The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Deputy Dean/Director of Industry Engagement at Escape Studios, Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London and Dara McGarry, Director of Outreach at DNEG Animation.

LIAF 2022: UK Animation Industry Event Session 1 – Is Animation a Business?

Animation is  a passion, an artform, but can it also be a business?  We talk to leading lights in the animation industry who have done just that, they explain what they did right and wrong in order to achieve creative and commercial success alongside funders who support the animation business rather than projects.

Panellists

Moderator: Julian Scott – Animation Consultant at Film London

Julian Scott is a BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer. He has been developing, financing and co-producing feature films and television in the international arena for over 25 years. As animation consultant for Film London, his focus is on generating inward investment for London’s animation studios, by finding partners outside the UK seeking creative and financial soulmates and advising on the UK animation tax credits. Other areas of his work include tackling skills and creative gaps in the animation industry and lobbying to get proper recognition for animation in the UK creative sector and advising studios on business and creative development.

Phil Dobree – Founder, JellyFish Pictures

Phil founded Jellyfish Pictures in 2001 overseeing its growth to become one of the world’s most respected VFX and Animation studios.

His unique insight into the qualities needed to thrive on a global scale have included: pushing Jellyfish’s reputation as a pioneer in technology, particularly prescient during Covid; helping win BAFTAs, EMMYs, Annie’s, RTS and VES awards; to successfully completing a minority PE deal in 2022.

Phil is a board member of Animation UK and UK Screen, was an original council member of Creative England, on the advisory board of Escape Studios, and BAFTA VFX chapter.

Jellyfish recent credits include Bobba Fett, How to Train your Dragon, Stranger Things, Spirit Untamed. Currently in production: an animated Dahl feature and major episodic series both for Netflix.

Nick Cavander – Investment Manager at Creative UK

Nick accrued over 15 years of experience at Film & TV creative agencies before joining the investment team at Creative UK in 2020. He brings a deep and first-hand knowledge of TV and Film production that helps support screen investment clients with industry insight as well as financial acumen. Recent investments at Creative UK since joining include EMU Films, Big Light Productions and assisting on animation company, Fourth Wall Entertainment.

Denitsa Yordanova – Head of UK Global Screen Fund

Denitsa Yordanova was appointed Head of UK Global Screen Fund, a £7 million p.a. initiative of the UK government and the British Film Institute, in June 2021. Denitsa has over ten years of experience in the media and entertainment industry, across strategy, corporate development and investments, gained in leading corporate development and strategy roles, most recently in independent TV production at All3Media and Endemol Shine. Prior to this, she was responsible for business development and investment initiatives at Guardian Media Group, parent company of the Guardian newspaper, and helped spearhead its venture investment strategy and manage an investment fund of over £1 billion. Denitsa holds degrees from Colgate University and Stanford Graduate School of Business in the US, and a degree in Film and Media Studies from Birkbeck University in London.