This year courtesy of Creative Scotland, I was invited to attend the Edinburgh International Film Festival and be part of an industry based animation lab. I was joined by 17 other carefully selected animators, producers, and directors where we could all share in our passion for animation, network with other industry professionals and take part in master classes.
Getting to know our fellow delegates in our 3 minute meet and greet.
The Lab session was structured over the course of 3 days and was jam packed with talks and opportunities to meet other like minded film makers.
The first day of the festival allowed us all to share in our current and past experiences within the medium and get to know each other a little better... What better way to do this than a professional version of speed dating.
After we were familiarised with each other, our passions and previous work the next few days involved us collectively working in group sessions with other industry professionals to ask questions, whether it be with media lawyers, other studio directors, or representatives of software companies we were able question some of the talent available for use in our individual situations.
We were also treated to talks from filmmakers and producers from around the globe. With open Q&A's for us to find out more about the industry and working within the sector. There were fascinating talks about feature film and short film production within the UK and Europe. I was able to meet with fantastic composers from around the country and other directors working within feature films.
Filmmaker Adam Elliot was at the festival showcasing his recent short film Harvie Krumpet and gave a fantastic insight into his own production studio and the process of his film making. Although very different from the type of animation we create here at Lunar Animation, I was able to appreciate the focus on story telling through the medium, or Clayographies as Adam refers to them.
Adam Elliot talking about creating features and short films.
Overall it was a fantastic experience and if you're interested in animation, writing, directing or producing, I highly recommend applying next year to be part of what the EIFF has to offer. Not only do you take away valuable information about this highly creative industry, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. I met some fantastic people, which might one day be a colleague or client and I would like to thank the EIFF for inviting me along for the ride and putting on a fantastic 3 days of valuable interaction.
Overlooking the 2015 EIFF stood the beautiful Edinburgh Castle.
The entrance to the heart of EIFF.