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Anamu Animation Base, established in 1992 to foster the development of animation in Ireland has gone from strength to strength in recent years with the growing success of the Irish Animation Festival and and the recent launch of an Irish Animation Database on the web.

We spoke with Denise Mulvaney, who along with Ruth Maher co-ordinates the Irish Animation Festival and the ani-fest website.

When was Anamu founded?

The Irish Animation Festival (Anamu Animation Base) has been running since July 1990. It was first started as a one day festival as part of the Galway Film Fleadh.

What are the aims of Anamu?

This year we will again premier showings of both Irish and international films, produced by professionals and students. We intend to show case animation in new media never before screened in an animation festival!

It will also include seminars and workshops, dealing with the latest technologies and techniques. Guest speakers and representatives will educate Irish film makers, to the opportunities available through this industry.

As this is the first Festival of the New Millennium, we will be focusing on new technology and will be hoping to attract exciting work from world class animators from all over the world.

By combining our database with the festival and having an online showcase of both movies and interactive games our aim is to expand the potential viewing elements of animation both through new media and screening capabilities.

Tell us a bit about the ani-fest website - what are its aims?

To set up a successful online central area for the posting of jobs, commissions, resources and other festivals specifically for the Irish animation industry. The online resource will give Irish animators the opportunity to display their artwork alongside their contemporaries and spotlight their work on the worldwide web.

We also intend to run competitions onsite, culminating in the Fifth Irish Animation Festival. Viewers will be able to vote on their favourite movies from the database, with the winner being brought to Dublin and their work featuring in the festival.

Is there funding for Irish animators with films they wish to produce?

Yes, the Arts Council have a funding scheme set up for animators interested in producing their own film called a Frame Works Award. To apply for the award the applicant must first present a script, storyboard layouts and character designs etc. If successful they will receive an award of 25 thousand pounds (approx) and must complete the film within a specified time. The work is then the property of the Arts Council, as far as I am aware, for a certain length of time. After the said date, the film is then the property of the artist.

For further information visit : www.artscouncil.ie

What would your advice be to those that want to get into animation, are there courses in animation?

There are two animation courses in Dublin one in Ballyfermot and the other in Dun Laoghaire.

For course information around the world one of the best online databases is at www.awn.com/schooldir/

Animation studios in the UK, such as Aardman animations have proved that animation can be succesfull and commercial at the same time.

Are there any irish animation successes out there?

The Irish animation industry seems to be buzzing at the moment with a number of small independent companies making a name for themselves both on screen and on the web.

I think people are in for an eye-opening experience within the next six to eight months with animation studios around Ireland pushing their imagination and capabilities to the limit, resulting in an explosive impact on screen.

Some of these our ,Cartoon Saloon, Magma, Moving Still, Rocket, Brown Bag, Monster and Terraglyph who our working on their latest feature, Carnival.

TV stations in Ireland rely heavily on imported animation programmes, from childrens programmes to the simpsons etc., where as in the uk there seems to be more of a nurturing of home talent with animated programmes such as rex the runt, and other childens programmes - should Irish broadcasters be nurturing some of this home talent?

Of course ! There is a huge amount of talent and potential in this country. As with every other industry in the country one of the most important things is support.

The Animation Festivals main aim has always been to heighten the profile of animation in Ireland. If is often to easy to point the finger at large corporations and businesses for the lack of support and the lack of success in this industry. Before we place blame, we need to understand that although it is good to nurture local industries this can not be it's only selling point, hence the reason for the festival.

The festival is designed to be a visual recruitment showcase, where both individuals and studios have the opportunity to screen their work to prospective employers. On this note I also think it is important for animators to submit their work to festivals all over the world ,such as, Ottowa, Canada and Annecy, France.

The Irish Animation Festival is in its fifth year, has it proved a growing success? When is it?

I am delighted to say that it is ! Our last festival was extremely successful, and promise to continue this year with people contacting us from all over the world asking for more information on the festival, dates and programmes.

I'm really looking forward to November. Both myself and Ruth our pleased with our programming schedule, which will include a number of new features to the festival, which we're keeping under our hats for the moment !

The festival will run for three days in November the 10th, 11th and 12th in the IFC Temple Bar.

Do you think we will ever see an animation website that is as popular as an animation TV programme?

Yes, especially with the success of the new digital TV. One online show that I'm a big fan of is the God and Devil show, which is created by Mondo. They have a number of shorts on their site at Mondo

Animation is still a very time consuming process, whether its a computer animation like ToyStory, claymation or cell animation like The Simpsons, will this always be the case with animation or do you see any new breakthroughs in animation production in the next few years?

Animation can be a long tedious process, and there will never be a fast way of creating a film. Computers have cut out some of the time consuming jobs, like cell painting. Animation can be scanned in and touched up on computer, with the help of animo and other such programmes. But what I think is making a big impact on animation is Macromedia's Flash which is now being used as more then just and interactive feature on a website. Because it is so cheap and user friendly with quick and easy results, I think we will see alot more short features being created through flash.

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