Anime Caribe Jamaica

Original article: http://www.preejamaica.com/?p=2794

Animae Caribe, the 10-year-old Trinidadian animation and new media festival, for the first time in its history staged a satellite event in Jamaica on November 19 to complement the main festival held from October 30 to November 6 in Port of Spain. The offshoot event, called Animae Caribe Jamaica, was staged at JAMPRO’s New Kingston head office and featured workshops by experienced international animators James Parris and Kristin Solid.

James Parrish - visual effects artist and animator

Kristin Solid - senior animator at the Academy-Award winning studio Rhythm and Hues

James Parris, a visual effects artist and animator, was a part of the award-winning visual effects team that worked on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He has worked on movies such as The Lion King, Spider-man, X-Men, I, Robot and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and is now head of his own production firm, Paper Tiger Films. Kristin Solid is a senior animator at the Academy-Award winning studio Rhythm and Hues, and has supervised animation teams on Yogi Bear, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Alvin and The Chipmunks and King Kong among others.

Through the Animae Caribe Jamaica workshops, Jamaican animators were introduced to the variety of 2D and 3D animation styles that are widely used in the animation industry. They also had the opportunity to view the line animation short The Muscular Princesses by Julia Farkas, which provided them with useful insight. James Parris also staged an intensive workshop for illustrators at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA). Additionally, the works of the winners from 10 years of Animae Caribe, including Jamaica’s own Cabbie Chronicles (Alison and Anieph Latchman, Marlo Scott and Dianne Wan – Alcyone Studios) and Kina Sky (Coretta Singer), were also shown.

The Jamaica Film Commission, which is housed at JAMPRO, has identified animation as part of its medium-term strategy to encourage non-traditional exports. Animation, a rapidly growing industry, was valued at approximately US$115 billion in 2009, with an average annual growth rate of 12 per cent. The prospects for Jamaica are encouraging, given that most animation is done through business process outsourcing, with smaller studios all over the world providing animation services to big studios.

Animae Caribe Jamaica was organised by the Jamaica Animation Network, which is headed by Alison Latchman of Cabbie Chronicles fame. Michael Look Tong, Director of Media Services, Flow Jamaica – the title sponsors of Anime Caribe Jamaica, indicated that Cabbie Chronicles is the most popular offering on its video demand channel.

Alison Latchman and Shauna Chin

Corretta Singer and her animated character Kina Sky

Marlon Johnson

“Trial and Error: Natural Enemies” By Marlon Johnson Winner of the “Most Promising Animator” award at Animae Caribe 2011