Animation South Africa Podcast

The edgy Nigerian kids' show IWÁJÚ was the first ever series to be commissioned by Disney Animation, Disney's flagship feature division. Julia Smuts Louw sat down with co-creator Hamid Ibrahim of Kugali Media to discuss the bolt-from-the-blue call from Jennifer Lee that followed Hamid's statement to a BBC journalist: "we're gonna kick Disney's ass!" Listen in to hear all about that journey, as well as Hamid's latest provocative takes, including:
- Hamid's theory that 'cultural appropriation' is just a conspiracy that's keeping marginalised cultures hesitant to step into the storytelling space.
- The damage caused by the perception that 'charity' rather than 'investment' is the appropriate route to get money into Africa.
- Hamid's challenge to MTN One TV, as a new entrant into content distribution on the continent, to take some risks and potentially win huge.
- Kugali Media's successful bid for support from the Next Narrative Fund.
Enjoy!
▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@animationsouthafricaHost: Julia Smuts Louw

Free Lives Senior Tech Artist Jonathan Hau-Yoon talks to Julia Smuts Louw about the studio's new Cozy Lives sub-brand, and their first title, DRESSMAKER, available now on Steam!
Jonathan also discusses
- His views on pitfalls on AI for creative industries and schools adopting it, especially with reference to The Animation School's decision to incorporate AI in their syllabus 
- The commercial sustainability of the VFX and animation industries 
- Why the games industry has been more robust
- The backlash against games using AI workflows from Steam customers. 
Enjoy!

The Animation School, South Africa's leading tertiary institution for animation studies, recently faced some criticism when they announced they would be integrating AI tools into their curriculum. In this podcast, founder Nuno Martins and advisor Tim Argall had a chance to air the school's position and thinking in depth. Listen in to discover
- why TAS feels students need to get to grips with these tools
- how they are keeping artistic principles central to the educational outcome
- the distinction between node-based and prompt-based tools, and why they've gone with Comfy UI 
- how the school approaches issues of ethics and authorship
- how TAS will approach sustainability
- what they are doing to support students psychologically through this paradigm shift
- TAS's position on public policy and legislation
 
www.theanimationschool.co.za
https://www.youtube.com/@TheAnimationSchool

Pixar vet Esther Pearl, wrangler of Story and Art on titles including Monsters Inc, The Incredibles and Wall-E, talks to Julia Smuts Louw about the tumultuous state of the animation industry and offers advice for those breaking in. We delved into the upbringing that forged her can-do attitude towards changing the media landscape, her passion for empowering women and championing diversity on and off screen through initiatives like Reel Stories, and the challenges and opportunities of disruptors like AI.
Links:
Nell Productions
The Annenberg Institute, affiliated with Brown University, seeks to address educational inequality.

From drawing in the margins of her mum's medical reference books, to studying at Gobelins Summer School, to getting into Annecy with her first short film, Kabelo Maaka has walked a unique path as a 2D animator and business owner. Cabblow Studios, the business she co-founded with her mother, Dr Tshepo Maaka, is now building a grassroots audience for her multi-platform animated property, RORISANG AND THE GURLZ. Find out what she's learned about getting your characters into the hearts of YOUR audience - without needing anyone's permission.
 
https://www.youtube.com/@CabblowStudios
https://www.instagram.com/rorisaaang/
#Annecy
 

Alex Rockwell, Jim Henson's long-time right-hand woman, talks kids' content in today's animation landscape. From her experience wrangling muppets to her work on beloved kids' shows like Slumberkins and Word Party, Alex has gotten to grips with kids' content in just about every format. Tune in to find out how to identify your audience, how to find the "sticky things" that create confidence in the room when pitching, and how content trends are changing to accommodate the stark issues facing kids today. 
 

DAVID had a resounding opening weekend at the box office, beating out the animated competition to come in at second place behind AVATAR PART 3!
Find out why Pixar story artist Nathan Stanton, veteran of beloved titles including RATATOUILLE, WALL-E and FINDING NEMO, moved his family to Cape Town to help Sunrise Animation realise their longstanding dream of bringing the life of the Biblical David to the screen as an animated feature.
Hear about his beginnings on Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, his learnings at Pixar, working with renowned directors including Pete Docter and his brother, Andrew Stanton, and the chain of events that led him to take a bet on a small African studio with a big dream. #animation #southafrica #davidmovie #pixar #storyboarding #faithbased

This December 19th, DAVID, the Biblical epic from Sunrise Animation Studios, will be hitting theatres!
In this first episode of the new season, host Julia Smuts Louw speaks with Brent Dawes about the equally epic journey it took to bring this labour of love to life.
Join us to hear how the team wrestled with bringing scripture to a modern audience in a fraught political times, the challenge of balancing mission-driven thinking with the capitalist realities of the film business, as well as numerous fascinating details on how the film's stunning visual style and arresting soundtrack were created.
For those considering crowdfunding, you'll also gather insight into the innovative - but complicated - business model with distributor Angel Studios, and the crowdfunding campaign that continues right to the present: preorder tickets are now available and currently have generated over $3 million in sales. 
 
 

Blue Sky Studios' Jasmine Katatikarn — Senior Lighting TD — reveals the hidden art of lighting in CG animation, and the school she runs with colleague Mike Tanzillo (Academy of Animated Art) teaching lighting to students around the world. Recorded during lockdown, in conversation with Julia Smuts Louw.
🎧 Listen to the Animation South Africa Podcast everywhere: https://animationsa.podbean.com ▶️ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@animationsouthafrica?sub_confirmation=1  #Animation #AnimationPodcast #Lighting #CGI #AnimationCareers #VisualEffects #AnimationSouthAfrica

Voice director Ned Lott talks about his career at the Disney dubbing group, including his opus: the seven Ghibli dubs that brought Hayao Miyazaki's films to an English-speaking audience. He is now working with Triggerfish on their new feature, Seal Team.