CHARACTER BRANDING AND THE DEATH STAR
The head of LIMA UK and a Hollywood scriptwriter from Reading are just two of the speakers at Animation Forum West Midlands* events this November.
Synthetic Dimensions Presents:
From Start to Finish: Creating a Successful Character Brand
Room MK045, School of Art & Design, Wolverhampton University
Wednesday 14th November 2007 – 6.30pm-9.00pm
Speakers: Kelvyn Gardner (MD, LIMA UK), Francesca Ash (Editor, ‘Total Licensing’) and Kevin Bulmer (MD, Synthetic Dimensions)
Price: £5
More info/tickets: To find out more or to book a place contact the Media Skills team on 0121 204 9883 or info@mediaskills.org.uk*
“Creative people often find themselves working to fulfil somebody else’s vision. Frustrating and sometimes, a waste of talent” says Kevin Bulmer, Managing Director of Wolverhampton’s design and animation company Synthetic Dimensions, “Running a small business, especially in the creative industries, is a feast and famine affair, turning projects away one minute and frantically seeking work the next. Is there an alternative? Not for everybody, but you might just have the idea that could change your situation.”
Organised by Bulmer, From Start to Finish: Creating a Successful Character Brand promises to be an enlightening seminar on the complexities that surround character branding. Featuring the expert inside knowledge of Kelvyn Gardner, Managing Director of the UK branch of The International Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA UK), and Francesca Ash, Editor of ‘Total Licensing’ magazine, the event will take attendees through the process of turning a semi-conscious doodle into a fully-fleshed out, marketable, character brand.
“If you have an idea for an animated property, how do you take it forward?” asks Bulmer, “These days a broadcast commission will not cover your production budget. You need to find other funding streams. The licensing and merchandising industry is growing rapidly. Characters appear on posters, greetings cards, children’s apparel, toys, wall paper and confectionary. If your idea is appealing enough and targets an appropriate audience, how can you take advantage of the opportunities this industry offers and how do you avoid the pitfalls?”
The event promises to be a crucial experience for animators, creatives and marketers alike, as an authoritative panel of speakers explain their involvement in an often misunderstood field and discuss the potential benefits to property owners.
Notes to Editor:
- Kevin Bulmer has spent over 20 years developing his own characters and projects. He will talk about his experience, his mistakes and useful lessons to be learned.
- Francesca Ash is the editor of Total Licensing and Total Art magazines, the biggest trade publication for the global licensing industry. She has seen licensing grow dramatically over the last few years and has a unique perspective on the needs and expectations of both licensees and licensors.
- Kelvyn Gardner is the Managing Director of LIMA in the UK (the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association). He knows that the licensing business is not a licence to print money, but understands the benefits of a strong licence to the licensee in a competitive market place.
- Tickets can be bought on the door.
The Brothers McLeod Presents:
Life Inside the Death Star: Writing feature animation in Hollywood
The Custard Factory Theatre, Birmingham
Tuesday 27th November '07 – 6.30pm
Speaker: Mark Burton (Co-writer 'Madagascar', 'Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' and 'Spitting Image')
Price: £7 (£5 for students)
More info/tickets: To find out more or to book a place contact the Media Skills team on 0121 204 9882 or info@mediaskills.org.uk*
Mark Burton on his upcoming AFWM event, Life Inside the Death Star: Writing Feature Animation in Hollywood:
"For some film-makers, Hollywood is the golden kingdom, a place where dreams come true – for others it is the evil imperial enemy, enslaving the world with corporate blandness.
Whatever your opinion, feature animation is currently the golden goose of cinema. Shrek 2 alone made over $900 million worldwide, whilst Pixar have turned out one hit after another. But how do these animation supernovas come into being? What role does the screenwriter have in the long and often tortuous process of bringing them to the screen? Is it true that you can get free ice-cream whenever you like on the Dreamworks campus? What on earth is a "disconnect" and how do you get rid of it?
This event is for anyone who harbours a secret ambition to be animation's next Darth Vader."
Discover the answer to these questions and much more as fellow animation heavyweights The Brothers McLeod quiz Mark on scriptwriting for feature animation at The Custard Factory Theatre (Birmingham), from 6.30pm on Tuesday 27th November 2007.
Mark Burton has worked in Hollywood for many years, as well as writing extensively for such Brit comedy shows as Jack Dee's Happy Hour, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 2DTV, Have I Got News For You and Spitting Image.
After providing additional dialogue for Chicken Run, he teamed up with U.S screenwriter Billy Frolick on Madagascar. Before going onto co-write Aardman's Oscar winning Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit.
His sci-fi comedy, They Came From Upstairs is due for release in 2008 by Fox Pictures. Currently writing the screenplay for Warner Bros' Rex Libris, an action adventure which is best described as "The Bourne Ultimatum with librarians," Mark divides his time between the glamorous cities of L.A and Reading.
Whether you're an animator, a scriptwriter who's never considered animation scriptwriting, or you simply harbour a secret ambition to be animation's next Darth Vadar, pop along for a great evening of entertainment and an excellent opportunity to network with fellow animators.
Notes to Editor:
- More information on Mark Burton can be seen here:
- There be an opportunity to network with other creatives before and after this event in ‘The Kitchen’ (next door to The Theatre).
- Tickets can be bought on the door.
- Animation Forum West Midlands is an independent network for local talent to collaborate and communicate with a view to developing animation in the region. AFWM is managed by Birmingham City University (formerly UCE, Birmingham) and funded by Digital Central.
For further information on either event, please contact David Allen on 0121 204 9886, email david.luke.allen@bcu.ac.uk, or Birmingham City University Media Relations Office on 0121 331 6738, email press@bcu.ac.uk or out of hours call on 07967 271532.
www.animationforumwm.com