Animation studios: Intellectual property development and production services
Jan Nagel
University of Southern California, USA
: J Comput Eng Inf Technol
Abstract
This master class is in two parts. To fuel the finances for the creation of original intellectual properties, design, animation and digital production studios need to bring in paying work, which is known in the business as “work-for-hire” or “service work.” In this master class both aspects of the business will be reviewed. Part 1: Animation Production Services- The most important part of a design, animation or digital media studio is the service it can provide to outside producers. This will bring in the income to support the overhead and the labor to keep the doors open. Most studios have the talent pool and desire to express their own creativity in the way of developing original content. Providing production services could support these endeavors. A successful studio will be able to offer a myriad of services, from character and environment design, to storyboarding and layout. From modeling and rendering to the actually making the characters move. In this portion of the master class, we will review what international producers are seeking in a production services. • Labor Pool: Skills and Talent • Genre Specialties: Game, Television Animation, Feature Film Animation, VFX, and more • CGI vs. 2D/Traditional: The Different Pipelines • Art Skills and Computer Skills Part 2: Intellectual Property Development- Content creation is a business. Stories are created for television, feature film and home entertainment. Animation can be “evergreen” and remains successful for much longer than many live action productions. Animation can move from country to country, from language to language with every little effort. Animation is an expensive process, but animation is a method that allows stories to appeal to large and wide audiences. This means the potential for a return on investment is greater for an animated story. • Business of Content Development • Acquisition vs. Development • Distribution: Broadcasters and Network vs. Distributor • Co-Production Partnerships • Co-Ventures • Treaties, Tax Incentives and Economic Value • Licensing and Merchandising
Biography
