The
Annecy International Animated Film Festival can be considered as
something new to me as two years ago, I only went to the MIFA
(International Animated Film Market), because of a strike. Yeah...
France. But this year, strike or not, I planned everything to make
the most of it. It's with my suitcase and my accreditation receipt
that I leave Lyon for Annecy. Canceled train, crowded bus,
unannounced track... You better want it ! But I'm delighted to
get there, with an old friend. We're warmly welcomed by a
professionnal animator, nothing less ! We're given our own room
and a brasilian director as a flatmate.
Adventure
begins on Tuesday 14. We live thirty minutes away from Bonlieu,
center of the festival. A cute promenade covered by numerous trees,
by the river, leads us there to pick our graal up, the fuschia card
that says we're now « professionals ». Don't let this get
to your head !
We
go to many movie screenings, entertaining for some like « Capture
The Flag », pretty weird for others, like « Psychonautas ».
Still they're all more or less enjoyable. But I'm not captivated by
the short films in competition or the graduation movies. And it looks
like i'm not the only one.
Ad
agencies presentations has a real impact on me, especially an
American one, which team looks really fun, creative and passionnate.
If only I could join such a team someday...
We
keep our goal in sight : learn and make contacts. We head to
Caribara studio, where a recruiter watches our showreels, gives us
some advice and offers us to call him in September, when new projects
start. Then, we try the MIFA. We're not accredited for it, so we're
stuck in the first room. But I'm surprised to see Disney's here. I
can't erase the smile on my face, and I immediately go and talk to a
nice representative who tells me to come back later for a conference.
I obviously do, after having an interview witha Mac Guff animator, who
gives me great advice on what to show and do, before handing me a
business card.
The
conference is about Timing. And I wonder what my four years of
studies were for if no one could explain this basic principle as
simply and effectively as this animator. Everything's finally clear.
And all I want now is to go back home and work on my animations,
without wasting a second.
We're
told by a common friend that this year, it's useless to pay 300€
for the entire MIFA as studios don't recruit but search for producers
and fundings. Good to know ! We don't miss a thing spending our
last day eating an artisanal ice cream, getting a tan by the lake, contemplating the Yosemite look-alike mountains and
attending a screening of « Zootopia ». I can't help by
analyse every single movement of the characters. Life is good when
you're passionate !
One
last word ? Never give up ! Sometimes you might convince
yourself that you're not good enough and that you'll never reach your
dreams. You're wrong ! You'll get there, as long as you're a
hard worker.
