Sharjah24: Have animation films come of age, and where are they going? A stimulating panel discussion organised Wednesday at the 8th Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF 2021), running until October 15, attempted to answer the question for the huge audience that had gathered virtually to listen to the views of the big-name filmmakers and animation experts.
Titled ‘Evolution of Animation in Movie Production’, the panelists included Brian Ferguson, a Disney veteran whose credits include some of the highest grossing films of all time including Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, Fantasia 2000, and Winnie the Pooh; Mohammad Fikree, an award-winning Emirati filmmaker and animator who’s known as a one-man show, even composing the musical scores for his films; and Emirati director and producer Fadel Saeed Al Muhairi, who has made many award-winning short films and is now the producing his most ambitious film Catsaway, that is being backed by Abu Dhabi-based production company Image Nation.
The feature-length animated film tells the story of a group of stray cats that populate Abu Dhabi in the late 1990s as the city is growing out of recognition. The session was moderated by Batool Al Tameemi, junior jurors.
Talking about the evolution of animation, Ferguson said: “Though it has moved from pen and paper to computer, the essence of animation remains observation. Computer skills are definitely useful, but it involves a lot of other things – character animation, an understanding of physics, and a sense of timing are very important.”
“The ability to draw is very important because you develop an understanding of what works to make a two-dimensional image exciting, dynamic, understandable and appealing. The artists who produce the best CG animation are the ones who are not constrained by the limitations of the computer. They will make their image the way they want it. The medium does not matter. What matters is the performance of the character.” said Fergusion., who also teaches animation at the DePaul University in Chicago.
While animation is growing by leaps and bounds, the concepts remain the same, said Fikree. The regional animation industry is afraid to change, he noted. “Regional players tend to stick to their own formula [when it comes to material]. I don’t see this generation of viewers interested in culture as such. So, you pretty much see the same formula.
Fikree’s under production film, The Heart Of Them narrates the story of two sisters who are on a quest to find the last sanctuary as they try to stop the destruction caused by their ancestors.
“There’s a huge demand for animation right now, especially since the pandemic that put a halt to regular filmmaking. People are also becoming increasingly interested in content that both entertains and educates their children,” said Al Muhairi.
“I’ve seen animation changing over the decade, and digitising is one of them. When I first started out, a scene that would require an animator to work on for five minutes would take no more than 30 seconds today. You learn to adapt.”
Talking about the animation on the underproduction film, Al Muhairi said: “Catsaway is a hybrid. Abu Dhabi is a character in the film and to depict it as it was in the past I had to do it the classical style. Hand-drawn animation was the way to go. 3D would be good if you have the budget, but documenting that era requires more [character], so we went that way.”
Organised by FUNN - Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, SIFF 2021 is hosting more than 80 films from 38 countries, including 6 world premieres, 35 Middle East and 3 GCC premieres, and four films being shown for the first time in the UAE.
The SIFF films, panel discussions and workshops can be attended online for free by registering on this link: https://siff.ae/.
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