Animation Sans Frontières is a lecture/workshop-based supplementary training programme designed to give European graduate-level animation film and production students an understanding of the fine art and the business of getting an idea onto a screen.

With the support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Community, Animation Sans Frontières is an 8-week programme run by and at, in order of appearance, 4 prestigious European animation film schools:

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Hungary
The Animation Workshop in Denmark
Gobelins, l’école de l’image in France

Together these 4 partner schools aim at strengthening networks between the European animation industry and young European students and recent graduates.

How it works

A group of 16 European animation and film production students travels 2 weeks to each 4 school to follow 4 separate parts of an overview of the entire animation film production process, from concept development through financing to actual production management. Television and feature films, games and interactive media, traditional and cross-platform production processes are all covered at various stages along the way.

As a special supplement and based on their talent and motivation, out of the 16 students 2 groups of 4 students will also have the opportunity to join and represent ASF at the Cartoon Movie 2013 and FMX 2013 events. All fees and costs are covered by ASF.

Contents

The workshop is mainly composed of the following:

Overviews: various industry themes, regional, national, international markets
Toolbox: production tools, from pitching to line production
Case Studies alongside studio visits
Creative Workshops

A special focus is given to the development of new topics and innovative genres and contents for animation projects, and to the research for corresponding and new styles and formats.

The first two modules in Germany and Hungary concentrate on the development of project ideas while the third and fourth modules in Denmark and France centre on financing and production methods.

Students are welcome, though not obliged, to come to the workshop with their own project ideas, which will be given time and space in the overall programme for development under the supervision animation producers and directors, from concept through the production bible all the way to pitching. At the end of the Gobelins module and of the whole programme in Paris, those students who choose to do so will get the chance to pitch their projects before a panel of renowned European animation producers.

Target Group

Animation Sans Frontières is open to European students from all European animation film and film production schools.

Application Procedure

Animation students are required to send in a curriculum vitae, a portfolio, a motivation letter and, optionally, any available samples of personal projects they might be working on and which could be further developed during the workshop.

Production students are required to send in a curriculum vitae, a motivation letter with a special focus on their view of the animation industry and, optionally, any available samples of personal projects they might be working on and which could be further developed during the workshop.

All applications are reviewed and the group of 16 selected during the Annecy festival in the second week of June. See the application form for more info.

Participation Fee

A participation fee of 800 EUR covers all travel costs to all 4 schools (plus, for 8 of the 16, to Cartoon Movie or FMX), all hotel/hostel nights including breakfasts for 2 weeks at each school, all lunches and several dinners as well as a wealth of didactic material (from art supplies through various teacher hand-outs to a number of recognised film production books).

Course Certificate

All students having successfully completed ASF will receive a joint course certificate signed by all 4 partner organising schools.