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Channel Closure: WildEarth Will Stop Airing On DStv By The End Of April, Freeview And ROKU Might Follow Soon

WildEarth is an interactive wildlife channel which brings viewers closer to nature with live safaris within the hotspot of Africa. Founded i...

Showing posts with label African Animation Network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African Animation Network. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

African Animation Network To Get First Ever Competitor With A Dedicated Channel

In 2019, Nick Wilson the cofounder to African Animation Network unveiled plans to launch a 24 hour linear channel strictly for African produced animation with plans to get original content. From what is understood, some funding would be needed to get this off the ground.

Prior to its rollout, they were plans to launch a dedicated programming block on numerous local broadcasters in the African market likely even DStv as sources sited these broadcasters as "major outlets". Following that instance, there's technically been no update.

Nick Wilson and the rest of his team at African Animation Network have since then been producing Garbage Boy And Trash Can for Cartoon Network. They aren't looking to compete with their potential linear offering but as seen already strive with partnerships.

In the coming months, MultiChoice and Ngwato Nkosi Group are set to unveil a new children's channel to their platforms, Play Room. Described as a fun and educational platform featuring animated series in local languages alongside live-action shows.

From what's seen on the schedule, Play Room appears to not only be taking on the likes of eMedia's eToonz but also Nick Wilson's African Animation Network. Alongside a channel there's various local shows such as Akili And Me, Jabu's Jungle and Bino And Fino.

African Animation Network had operated a digital channel years prior for short films and series. The linear counterpart would most likely continue this format and possible feature the above-mentioned shows as they were looking to get educational and kid friendly content.

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Reminder: Get Ready For A Trash-Tastic Adventure With The Hilarious And Action-Packed Garbage Boy And Trash Can Premiering On Cartoon Network Africa On Monday, 17 July @ 16:45 CAT

He's a superhero with no actual superpowers, and his sidekick is a trash can, but that's not going to stop young Tobi from using absolutely anything he finds to set off on a world of amazing adventures in Garbage Boy and Trash Can, the first Cartoon Network superhero animated comedy series to be produced in Africa.

Premiering on Cartoon Network Africa on 17 July at 16:45 CAT, Garbage Boy and Trash Can was commissioned by Cartoon Network Africa following Nigerian animator Ridwan Moshood winning the CN Creative Lab initiative. The series was produced in collaboration with the newly-formed animation production company Pure Garbage, a South African-based company specially launched for the project, which is a partnership between series creator Ridwan Moshood, Mike de Seve, head of US multi–Emmy Award-winning studio Baboon Animation and Nick Wilson, founder of African Animation Network (AAN). Magic Carpet, a leading Nigerian animation studio, co-produced the show, and actors from Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria and the USA voice the characters. This global collaboration marks the first innovative model in animation between talents from Africa, Europe, and the US under Cartoon Network's creative production process – a process intended to train and mentor African talent and produce content of international broadcast quality. 

He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or run faster than a speeding locomotive, but Garbage Boy's belief in his superpowers may just be his actual superpower! Where most people see trash, Garbage Boy sees unlimited opportunities for fun and adventure. Whether it's building a bazooka out of some old PVC piping that fires wads of mouldy socks or an electron microscope from broken VCR parts, Garbage Boy believes that everything – even garbage - is worthwhile. Exiled from his home planet, the alien robot, Trash Can, is driven by his sense of duty. He has an infinite intellect, a cyber-noggin filled with galaxies of knowledge and a compact, metallic frame housing an endless number of gadgets. Together, they tackle their major enemies – boredom and Dr Sore Eyes (full name 'Braintomus Bombastus Edgar James Vanessa Sore Eyes, Ph.D.) – although the latter does a pretty good job of thwarting himself as he tries to avenge being shunned by the Academy of Really Real Sciences.

Creator, Director and Art Director Ridwan Moshood found inspiration for the show in the adversity of his childhood. "The inspiration for creating the lead characters came from the derogatory name some bullies used to call me back in junior secondary school. However, I soon realised that this name did not define my identity or limit my potential," he says. "It is this powerful message that I aim to convey to children currently experiencing name-calling and bullying. That's why I decided to create a show centred around the character 'Garbage Boy' who, despite the name, is actually a superhero — a symbol of overcoming adversity and proving that hurtful labels do not determine one's true worth."

The style of Garbage Boy and Trash Can is a homage to the cartoons Moshood watched during his childhood, mainly the Saturday morning shows like Dexter's Laboratory, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls, and more. "It is Dexter's Laboratory that greatly influences the artistic style of the show, as it remains my favourite Cartoon Network series. In fact, meeting the creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, is a personal aspiration of mine," he says.

Cartoon Network Africa's Creative Lab began its journey in June 2018 as an initiative designed to bring innovative, local short-form content to the channel and its digital platforms while reinforcing the local relevance of the brand. "The Cartoon Network team was amazed by Ridwan's talent and his vision for the show, even then – and we're delighted to see the final product adding to Cartoon Network's diverse and original content," says Ana González, Editorial Lead: Southern Europe and Africa, Kids Brands, Warner Bros. Discovery. "We are proud to produce and bring on air a pure African story with a fantastic Nigerian comedy hero in Garbage Boy and Trash Can, featuring fresh local animation talent and a truly stellar African voice cast to produce local, inclusive content."

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Roundups #113: Moonbug Kids' Blippi Expands Its Universe With New Content, Disney Junior Greenlit Two New Animated Series And Garbage Boy And Trash Can Still In Development On Cartoon Network

Blippi expands its universe

Moonbug Entertainment is double-dipping into the world of Blippi, with a new franchise plan for his TV pal and co-host Meekah.

First up is a 28-episode live-action series based on the Blippi format of travel and education that’s airing now on AVOD platform HappyKids, and will go wide in December on Netflix. The series also features Move with Meekah, a segment in which the titular character learns about movement with Olympian Shawn Johnson joining as a celebrity guest.

But the real push will be in L&M. Moonbug is building a consumer products program around the bubbly character, working with existing Blippi licensees including Florida-based toyco Jazwares, which will launch a Meekah doll next year. The company has also partnered with Disguise for Halloween costumes that are due out in fall 2023, and with Amazon, which will sell signature purple-and-yellow Meekah T-shirts starting in December.

Sofia The First is getting more content


In honor of Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess 10th Anniversary, Disney Branded Television has announced two new Disney Junior shows on development from Electric Emu and Craig Gerber as part of his overall development deal, one of the projects expands the Enchantia-verse with a Sofia The First spin-off.


Dusty Dupree:

Revealed a year ago under Untitled Time Traveler Treasure Hunter, Dusty Dupree; follows Dusty a time-traveling treasure hunter who recovers lost family treasures.

Dusty Dupree is created by Kris Wimberly (Firebuds, Elena Of Avalor, SmokeScreen Productions) with Craig Gerber and Wimberly as Executive Producers with Disney Television Animation and Electric Emu Productions as production studios.


Royal Prep Academy (Working Title):

In this Sofia The First Spin-Off follows a new generation of princesses and princes attending the Royal Prep Academy, a school for princes and princesses in the fictional kingdom of Enchancia.


The series created and EP by Craig Gerber with Disney Television Animation and Electric Emu Productions as production studios.


GBATC creator provides an update


During the year, Warner Bros. Discovery had been making some radical changes to their portfolio which has led to several cancellations of content and a decline in review part of which had an affect on Cartoon Network Africa's upcoming show, Garbage And Trash Can.


Created by Moshod Shades Ridwan in partnership with African Animation Network follows,the comedy-driven toon is about a boy with imaginary superpowers who fights for justice with his trusty sidekick. Moshood was inspired to create the series by his experience being bullied in school. 


The series was slated to debut by the end of the year but I wouldn't be shocked if it was delayed for 2023 considering the reshuffle going on with the parent company either way the show is said to have almost wrapped production.


Monday, August 8, 2022

'CN To The Rescue', 'Garbage Boy And Trash Can', 'My Cartoon Friend' And More Local Productions On Cartoon Network Africa Likely To Be Axed

Warner Bros. Discovery held a conference call in the past week where they addressed several aspects including the merger of their two streaming service HBO Max and Discovery+ with Africa expected to get before early 2025 another was regarding the content on their platforms.

Apparently, Warner Bros. Discovery plans to ship more content to their streaming service and sell less to local providers like M-Net and e.tv. On top of cancelling several productions from HBO Max like Batgirl and Little Ellen. They'll also be targeting various local productions across the world.

Warner Bros. Discovery operates Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami and Boing across Africa through the likes of MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv, StarTimes' StarSat, Telkom's TelkomOne, Canal+ and Azam TV.

Cartoon Network, Africa's top entertainment channel for children has been hotspot for Warner's local endeavours for almost a decade with productions like Dance Club, Ben 10 Challenge, My Cartoon Friend, CN To The Rescue and Pop-Up Party which are likely to be yesterday's news.

Last month, HBO Max and Cartoon Network greenlit a Nigerian animated series Iyanu: Child of Wonder as seen with the sequel Scoob: Holiday Haunt. They're not only targeting content that's already out in the airwaves but content that has yet to be released.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

The Durban FilmMart Institute Announce Its Official Animation Programme For The 2022 Edition

After expanding into the animation space in last year’s edition, the animation focus at the 13th Durban FilmMart has grown substantially with the help of funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut to support the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in South Africa and a number of other countries in Africa and the Middle East through various projects since 2018.

“Over the last few years there has been an exponential increase of animation productions in Africa. Despite the scarcity of training and development opportunities for animation professionals, there has been notable interest by international networks and broadcasters to purchase African animation content as they see the huge potential of unlocking African consumer markets,” says Magdalene Reddy, General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Recognising the growth, skills and energy of the animation industry and the value it brings to the creative economy, DFM has opened up an enlarged space for animators in the 2022 programme.”

The animation programme includes a partnership with Tshimologong through which 10 animation creatives will be given the opportunity to participate at the DFM Pitch and Finance Forum.

 

“Tshimologong is proud to partner with DFM. This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate festivals collaborating to raise the opportunity and voice of digital creatives in Africa. We have got to create a clear value chain of how a creative can determine the pathway of getting support for their projects based on its stage of development. The broader ecosystem is strengthened through this form of partnership,” says Lesley Donna Williams, CEO Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.

The animation projects in the market are as follows:

Fiction series:
Aminah's Journey (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Brian O Wilson
Grit (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Ajibola Adewole-Oyebokun
Hovers (South Africa) - Director: Bokang Koatjia
Knittyville (South Africa) - Producer and Director: Clare Louis
Lolo (South Africa) - Producer: Sithembiso Mpehle and Director: Jeani Varty
The Memory Keepers (South Africa & Côte d'Ivoire ) - Producer: Deidre Jantjies and Director: Roland Oka

Documentary Series:
Jupiter's Cogitations (Burkina Faso) - Producer: Stephanie Launay Director: Moumouni Sodré
Fiction Features:
Kinafo (Côte d'Ivoire) - Producer: Alexandre Charlet Director: Adja Mariam Soro
OKIKI - The Legend of The Half God (Nigeria) - Producer: Joseph Eseme Director: Brian O Wilson
PTD (Prepared To Die) (Nigeria) - Producer and Director: Esther Kemi Gbadamosi
Prior to the Pitching Forum the 2022 DFM projects will receive mentorship assistance from producers and professionals. The mentors for this year are - Vanessa Sinden, award-winning producer of both live action and animated films with more than 20 years of filmmaking experience, and Oliver Catherin who has produced, among others, Kiki of Montparnasse, which won a César for best short animation film. He is also one of the co-founders and administrators of the European Animation Awards (Emile Awards).

 

In collaboration with African Animation Network, the Animation industry sessions at this year’s DFM will feature across both the virtual and physical events; the virtual stream will focus on distribution, production, funding and gaming, while the physical stream will look at distribution, and industry development in the film industry within South Africa. The animation discussions will highlight not just the nuanced differences between animation and live action terrains but engage on the challenges and opportunities that exist for film professionals through animation storytelling mediums.

The speakers for the online segment of Animation @DFM will include discussions with Jérome Soffo Simo (Yaoundé African Cinema Animation), Ariane Suveg (Cartoon Network), Diana Rosu (Accra Animation Film Festival), Tendayi Nyeke (Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire), Francis Y Brown (Animax FYB Studios), Nick Wilson (Fupitoons) and Ziyanda Macingwane (KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission). Emmy-nominated animation writer and director Mike de Seve from Baboon Animation INC, will present in the DFM Conversation series. de Seve has worked extensively in both television and feature films, has been named as a headline speaker in the DFM Conversations stream. A director and writer at Dreamworks, he has honed his craft as a story consultant and project developer across the globe.

REGISTER NOW
DFM 2022 will be presented under the theme ‘Revolution Evolution: Changing the Narrative’ as both an online and physical programme during the period 22-31 July. Registrations are open for both online and physical participation at Durban FilmMart. Visit https://
durbanfilmmart.co.za/dfm-event-2022/ to review the participation options, and to explore the full programme of activities and opportunities on offer.

 

The DFM animation programme is supported by the project “Cultural and Creative Industries”, which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in cooperation with the Goethe-Institute. By promoting the development of entrepreneurial, digital, creative, and technical skills through training programmes and by strengthening the ecosystem, the project aims to improve employment and income opportunities for creative professionals Africa and in the Middle East.

The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and the eThekwini Municipality. The DFM 2022 event is kindly supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and Wesgro.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Baboon Animation Partner Up With African Animation Network While The Motherland Of Cartoon Network Brings Back These Classics Just In Time For Christmas With Boomerang Getting A Lump Of Cole

(new features for desktop users)

Baboon Animation once again join forces with African Animation Network

Baboon Animation partners with African Animation Network on new outfit
US-based Baboon Animation has partnered with the African Animation Network (AAN) on a new unit to work with creators in Africa.

Baboon Animation Africa has launched in partnership with AAN to help foster a “socially responsible animation industry” in Africa, the two organisations said.

The move comes after the two were commissioned by WarnerMedia-owned Cartoon Network Africa to produce superhero series Garbage Boy & Trash Can (10×2’30”) with the show’s creator Ridwan Moshood earlier this year.

Mike de Seve, president of Baboon Animation, said the aim of Baboon Animation Africa is to develop talent and shows in an “equitable and responsible way that keeps creators in the driver’s seat.”

Among the six initiatives the two are set to launch in the next six months as Africa’s animation industry continues to grow are The Great Big African Animation Pitch, slated for early 2022 and focusing on under-represented creators.

Nigerian animator Moshood, creator of Garbage Boy & Trash Can, was identified by Baboon as part of a pan-African talent development partnership with AAN’s Nick Wilson and the Annecy International Animation Festival/MIFA.

“We are building on the success of our new WarnerMedia show, Garbage Boy & Trash Can. Real ownership by African creators is our goal and we have the relationships to do it. AAN pioneered this approach through their social impact goals and together we are expanding,” said de Seve.

“Baboon is a perfect creative partner for this enterprise,” said AAN founder and head of projects and content Wilson, who
developed and produced the continent’s first half-hour adult animated comedy in 2015.

AAN, which links various animation professionals and national associations across Africa, unveiled plans for a linear channel to the media earlier this year.

“We have relationships with the biggest comedy stars and animation talent in Africa. The word is out that we are the go-to people if you have a show. We are the first ones producing African shows in Africa for a global media company,” added Wilson.

Cartoon Network is jolly this festive season

With the festive season upon us, kids from around the world will be putting on their festive attire, grooving to some jingles and decorating the tree with some Christmas ornaments.

As part of the festive season, Cartoon Network will be bringing back classics such as Dexter's Laboratory, Codename: KND, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Chowder, Ed Edd'n Eddy, and the original Ben 10 and Powerpuff Girls series.

This format was a thing globally until the mid 2010s where it was retired. Time progresses and viewers eventually outgrow a channel's demographic so if you had to look at it brands need to adapt in order to survive.

Aside from the classics, Cartoon Network entered the preschool space with Cartoonito on top of expanding their slate for family and girls in 2021.

Boomerang just doesn't click

Since the pandemic, Boomerang has going through a rough patch. If I had to recall, last year was the first time the brand didn't have any original programming and it took the same amount of time to realise the root of it all was Cartoonito.

Internationally, the channel seems to be on autopilot as some regions such as Latin America folded it under Cartoonito while EMEA and various markets duplicate content on Cartoon Network, grow the preschool lineup on Boomerang or follow Latin America in the Boomerang purge.

The channel seems to be getting somewhere this festive season as a portion of the schedule is thematic with the rest being the same old same old.

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Read Also:
- Cartoonito likely to kill off Boomerang in Africa
- January on Nickelodeon, Nicktoons and Nick Jr
Genius Brands set to kill off a brand
PBS Kids' Wild Kratts to start airing on Da Vinci Kids
Paramount+ now offers live TV, could HBO Max and Disney+ follow?
National Geographic Kids launches in Africa by the last quarter of 2022
Disney's new baking show and Big Nate launch in 2022 on Disney Channel and Nicktoons plus more content lined up
- Could SABC Children be an exact replica of SABC Education?
SABC Encore and SABC Children channel might be in development

Friday, October 1, 2021

African Animation Network Rolls Out As A Programming Block With Plans For A 24/7 Station Still Underway


The AAN will first roll out a one-hour weekly edutainment block across networks in Africa at the end of this year, said its founder and head of projects and content Nick Wilson.

The animation-focused programming block will be trialled for three months in partnership with, at present, around 11 partner broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa that cannot yet be named.

“These broadcasters have a total audience reach of around 85 million viewers, and we’re conservatively estimating we can engage 8.5 to 12 million kids,” Wilson said.

The ANN plans to secure investment to launch its own linear channel if the trial is successful.

“We’re pretty bullish that we will get further investment to be able to run or at least build out a programme block or a 24/7 linear channel,” Wilson added.

“We want to create a broadcast network across the continent, but we also want to work in partnership with the local broadcasters and assist them in building ecosystems. We do not want to be in competition with them.”

On the content the network would greenlight, Wilson said: “There are only a handful of TV series that have come out of Africa and there is not enough catalogue for us to run a 24/7 linear channel.

“We have relationships with various distributors, who have plugs that we could license into Africa. But ultimately, the idea is for us to build up our channel around a new production company.”

Following the launch of a broadcast network, Wilson said the AAN would look to roll out accompanying digital platforms.

“In our roadmap, we have already identified that streaming or SVoD services will be part of the project’s long-term future, and we will pivot to that when it becomes necessary,” he said.

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook

Read Also:
- African Animation Network working on superhero animated series for Cartoon Network
- Disney Channel and Disney+ greenlit several African programs
- October on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
- Hero Elementary premieres on PBS Kids
- October on Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- October on Da Vinci Kids
- Will Cartoonito be the future of Boomerang in the UK and EMEA?
Could Warner Bros. Discovery form a new kids brand?
SABC Children might be in the works
Is a new kids brand on the way through Warner Bros. Discovery?
Upcoming shows for Disney Channel and Disney Junior
Will Adult Swim return to DStv?
Only SABC knows when SABC Education will launch on DStv and StarSat and this is coming from both pay-tv platforms
Could Nicktoons be the next channel to get booted on DStv?
Disney+ launching in South Africa

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Cartoon Network Orders It's First African Superhero Series


Cartoon Network Africa has greenlit Garbage Boy and Trash Can, its first-ever domestic superhero series.

Created by Nigerian animator Ridwan Moshood, the 10 x 2.5-minute comedy-driven toon is about a boy with imaginary superpowers who fights for justice with his trusty sidekick. Moshood was inspired to create the series by his experience being bullied in school.

Set to premiere in 2022, Garbage Boy and Trash Can is in production at South African studio Pure Garbage, which Moshood co-founded last summer with Mike de Seve (head of New York-based Baboon Animation) and Nick Wilson (founder of the African Animation Network in Johannesburg). Pure Garbage also provides critical training and jobs for emerging African talent.

“I’ve seen a lot of talented African creators with amazing projects that should be on TV right now,” says Moshood. “Our production and company will be a big boost for the industry.”

John Fountain—director of The Fairly OddParents—is serving as supervising director on Garbage Boy and Trash Can, with Moshood co-directing and de Seve executive producing for Pure Garbage.

Moshood’s concept for the series won Cartoon Network Africa’s inaugural Creative Lab competition in 2018, and was then made into a short pilot that premiered on CN and its digital platforms last year. Creative Lab was set up to address a skills gap in the region’s animation industry by providing new opportunities for African creators, writers, graphic artists and animation students.

Moshood says he taught himself how to animate because there weren’t many affordable animation schools in Nigeria he could apply to.

“I learned by watching Cartoon Network classics on TV and doing tutorials on YouTube,” says Moshood. “I didn’t even have a laptop to practice with; I had to use cyber-cafés in Lagos.”

Though Garbage Boy and Trash Can is Pure Garbage’s main focus right now, Moshood has a number of other superhero concepts for kids in development, as well as a girl-led series called Alice from Above.

Africa has been a hotbed for animated content lately as broadcasters, streamers and production companies all work to meet a growing global demand for more inclusive kids and family content. Netflix is currently co-producing its first African animated original series, Mama K’s Team 4, with South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation. And Disney+ has also partnered with Triggerfish on Kiya, its preschool co-pro with eOne.

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Disney+ Picks Up Triggerfish/eOne Co-Pro

Disney+, Disney Junior and France Télévisions have picked up a new CG-animated preschool series co-produced by South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation (pictured) and Hasbro’s eOne.

Kiya is a 52 x 11-minute series about a group of seven-year-old African girls whose magical headbands turn them into superheroes. The original idea from Triggerfish (Mama K’s Team 4) was developed for television by eOne and France’s Frog Box.

Triggerfish, eOne and Frogbox are producing the series in partnership with Disney Junior and France Télévisions, with French studio TeamTO providing animation services. eOne previously worked with Frog Box and TeamTO on its preschool series PJ Masks, which was recently added to Disney+ in the UK.

Kiya is expected to bow in 2023 on Disney Junior and Disney+ globally, as well as on France Télévisions. Plans are also in place to create YouTube content, music, apps, audio, toys and other consumer products based on the IP.

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Netflix Collabs On Its First African Animated Original


Netflix has signed a deal to collaborate with South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios and UK distributor CAKE on animated action-comedy series Mama K’s Team 4 (pictured).


Set in Zambia and aimed at six- to 11-year-olds, Mama K’s Team 4 reinforces the notion that anyone can be a superhero, with its story line centering on a group of teenage girls who are recruited by a former secret agent to help save the world. It’s created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema and designed by Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope, who took inspiration from ’90s R&B and hip hop girl groups.


The series, which is Netflix’s first African animated global original, has been in development as a 25 x 22-minute 2D-animated project since September 2017. Its launch date has yet to be announced.


From a creative perspective, Netflix is partnering with Triggerfish (Adventures in Zambezia) and CAKE on a continent-wide search to hire black female writers for the show. Their mandate is to find candidates who have had their work produced for either TV or film, and who are English-speaking African citizens or permanent residents.

Read Also:

BBC's Interview with African Animation Network

- MultiChoice announce new shows for Nicktoons and Nick Jr
- June on Cartoon Network and Boomerang (updated)
DStv might be losing more Disney Channels
June on Da Vinci Kids
Upcoming programming for Disney Channel and Disney Junior
June on Nicktoons and Nick Jr
Boomerang might be discontinued

Saturday, October 17, 2020

BBC Acknowledged African Animation Thanks To Nick Wilson And The Team


Ridwan Moshood says he spent hours watching cartoons online, taking notes Nigerian animator Ridwan Moshood was so determined to learn how to make cartoons, he spent hours in internet cafés in Lagos, watching YouTube lessons and taking notes.

"I would go to a cyber café, watch video tutorials and write down whatever I'd learnt," he says. Today, the 26-year-old is a rising star in Africa's blossoming animation scene.

Two years ago, he was recognised by the Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab for his animation Garbage Boy and Trash Can.

In what must have felt like sweet revenge, his cartoon was inspired by a bad experience at high school, involving a rubbish bin and school bullies.

"I created Garbage Boy to show others who had been bullied that those names don't define who you are," says Ridwan "Garbage Boy is basically me," he says.

"I was bullied and called names. "I decided to create Garbage Boy as a beacon of hope and forgiveness. And to show others who had been bullied that those names don't define who you are."

He has since formed a production company and he's now hoping to have his latest idea, a cartoon set in Lagos, called In My Hood, commissioned into a series.

Surprisingly, Ridwan Moshood's journey into animation, is not particularly unique.

"All over the continent we hear these stories," says Nick Wilson, the founder of the African Animation Network, who is based in Johannesburg.

He reels off a list of countries where local animators are starting to make their mark: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, South Africa, Mozambique and Burkina Faso.

"Wherever we've been able to scratch the surface and connect the community, we've found pretty exceptional talent and the majority of this talent is self-taught," he says.

But while stories of self-taught animators breaking into the industry are inspiring, more formal training opportunities do need to be developed, he says.

Doh D Daiga is a Cameroonian animator who lives in Burkina Faso. He's responsible for skills and development at the African Animation Network.

"My experience in this industry shows me there exists an immense pool of young, talented and creative minds that never get to the see the day," he says.

"The only problem keeping Africa behind is a lack of training."

Recently, partnerships have been announced with international animation studios Toonz Media Group and Baboon Animation. Both companies plan to establish animation academies in Africa, adding to the handful that exist already.

PAN-AFRICAN PRODUCTION

Despite the scarcity of formal training opportunities, locally-made productions are already starting to take off.

Chris Morgan of Fundi Films was able to draw on a pan-African talent pool for his recent production, My Better World.

The educational series aimed at African school children and young teenagers involved a team of creatives working remotely across the continent.

"We had over 100 producers working in seven different countries, and this was pre-Covid," he says, speaking from Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The end result is a series made up of 55 short animated films that are available in English, Swahili, Hausa and Somali.

In each episode, the characters navigate complex situations - such as negotiations about safe sex - but in a lively and accessible way. As well as a cartoon, each film features an interview with a real-life high achiever, such as Africa's first female pilot.

When it was broadcast in Kenya earlier this year, My Better World quickly became the top rating children's TV show. It was also nominated for this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, one of the world's top animation competitions.

Difficult stories, easily told

But not all African animation work is aimed at the young. Nairobi-based artist and animator Ng'endo Mukii uses the medium to tell stories that are challenging and at times, confronting.

Her most famous film, Yellow Fever, tackles the use of whitening creams by African women.

"I wanted to look at the way women are using skin bleaching products in Kenya, and what we believe is beautiful," she says, adding she wants "to know why".

Other themes covered in her work include migration and people smuggling.

For Ng'endo Mukii, animation is the ideal way to approach sensitive or hard-hitting issues, especially when case studies are involved.

"Animation allows people to have an anonymity and a distance between what they say and how others perceive it," she says.

It also allows people to "not feel necessarily attacked by what you're discussing, so they can maybe engage with it a bit better".

Her work has received numerous international awards including the Best Animated Short at the Chicago International Film Festival for Yellow Fever in 2013.

Covid boosts demand

As more African animators win professional acclaim, international studios are taking note of the continent's grassroots industry.

Last year Netflix acquired its first African animation, Mama K's Team 4 - a cartoon about four teenage girls set in Lusaka, Zambia.

At the same time, foreign companies such as Pixar are hiring Africa-based animators to carry out production services for their films.

In fact, the global market for animated content is booming, according to Rob Salkowitz, a Hollywood and entertainment reporter at Forbes.

"There is an incredible demand for animated content right now. This was true even before the pandemic because the streaming networks are really hungry for new content; and animation is a great way to get viewers from all different audiences," he says.

Demand has increased during the pandemic, as live productions were shut down or limited to socially-distanced teams.

"We are seeing a ripple effect," he says.

With advertisers and other video producers unable to film in the field, those who can afford it, are turning to animation to fill the gap.

"That's putting a lot of demand on the pipeline," he says. "Because professional animation studios are suddenly getting offers they can't refuse from other, non-traditional clients."

'ON A PRECIPICE'

But while more animators are joining the profession in Africa, many are facing an obstacle to getting their content on local screens.

It's cheaper for broadcasters to import ready-made shows from abroad, than fund original productions.

The African Animation Network hopes to overcome that problem by launching its own TV network - if it can attract enough investment.

"Broadcasters are not incentivised to invest in the local industry because they can turn a profit on really cheap [foreign] content," he says.

The channel is currently in a pilot phase and is set to launch in the next few months.

"We're on that precipice of being potentially a thriving and sustainable industry," says Nick Wilson.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

African Animation Network Will Be Taking Talent And Ideas To Annecy International Film Festival 2020

Africa’s animators have been largely self-taught but there is no lack of talent. This year ‘Annecy’ has made Africa its territory of honor so they will be getting a great deal more international exposure. Russell Southwood talked to Nick Wilson, Head of Projects and Content, African Animation Network about how things have been building up to this point.

African Animation Networks’ relationship with ‘Annecy’ (Annecy International Animated Film Festival) began in 2014 when it pitched a special call for projects to the Festival for South African animation studios.

Out of this initial approach, African Animation Networks organized a pitch competition which became one of the preliminary rounds feeder route’s for Annecy’s Animation du Monde competition.

Wilson told me: ”One hundred percent of the contestants have been self-taught so we have been running training, workshop and mentoring sessions.

These have been a hugely positive and impactful component of our work.”The background work has included building partnerships with key animation and can organizations across the continent, including Kenya’s NAICCON (a comic convention) and local animation and comics festivals including FFPA in Abidjan and AFFIA, the Accra Animation Festival.

There are pockets of animation talent across many countries including: Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

African Animation Network’s ambition is to bring them all together, raise their profile and encourage collaborations, It has also launched FUPiTOONS Festival as a vehicle for “taking African animation to the world.”Africa will be Annecy 2020’s “territory of honour” and FUPiTOONS Festival will be part of the official programme. The 2019 edition of the Festival received 721 short animation film entries, of which 20 were selected to premier at DISCOP 2019 in Johannesburg. Since its inception in 2017 the festival has traveled the length and breadth of the continent, from festivals to pop culture events to schools.

At Annecy 2020, “there will be an African-focused panel with animation association reps and talent from across the continent.” He emphasizes the sheer scale of the challenge for animators like himself:”Animation is an expensive but medium and it’s almost impossible to recoup investment off one entry alone.”

He is planning a linear channel for animation and is researching “the right pricing and value proposition.” For adult animation, he’s create Mshini TV. The name is a corruption of the isiZulu phrase “mshiniwamahlaya” with “mshini” meaning “machine (gun)” and “wamahlaya” meaning “joke“. Combined, “mshiniwamahlaya” is a pun which means both “machine (gun) jokes” and “joke machine/factory“.

The African Animation Network has partnered with DISCOP Markets (the premiere content markets in Africa) and Annecy Festival (the biggest, most prestigious animation festival in the world) to present a special screening of African-produced animated content for mature audiences under the MSHINI TV banner.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

CANIMAF With African Animation Network


We begin our retrospective with our very first special guest from CANIMAF, Nick Wilson. His participation in this 3rd edition allowed the many festival-goers and professionals in attendance to appreciate the immense opportunities that the animation industry offers to the economy, culture and the technology industry. Nick is the head of the AAN which is one of the partners of Tousanime and its festival Canimaf

Together with the AAN, he pilots large-scale projects that contribute to the development of animation in Africa. Here are some of his successes.

The African Animation Network (AAN) is a pro-profit, talent-driven, social enterprise with a core mission to empower African animation professionals and build a sustainable animation industry. AAN believes that this can be achieved through 3 key pillars:
1.) Talent Identification & Skills Development
2.) revenue-generating Access to Audience
3.) & (with these in place) we believe direct Investment will follow.

AAN has developed a series of Open Network Platforms to facilitate the 3 pillars. Nick was responsible for building the institutional & industry partner networks as well as developing the content delivery strategy & platforms to drive expansion & revenues across the open network platforms.
Key industry partnerships brokered:
AAN is a brand custodian of Animation du Monde Pan-Africa in partnership with Annnecy Int. Animated Film Fest. & Market/MIFA. By geographic footprint, AAN runs the largest leg of the premiere animation pitching competition in the world.

In partnership with Basic Lead, AAN runs the animation programme (workshops & panels) & hosts the animation pavilion at Africa's premiere content trade shows DISCOP Markets (Abidjan, Joburg, Cairo).

AAN has a co-publishing partnership with Animation Magazine, the most prestigious animation-centric publication globally. Top African news items are published on Animation Magazines digital & social platforms & reach over 180,000 people globally.

AAN has partnered with the top kids animation broadcaster Cartoon Network Africa. In 2018 AAN ran the Rest of Africa PR for Creative Lab with a 26,000% ROI.
AAN has partnered with SSTREAMM to create an AAN mobile SVOD channel on MTN Shortz.
AAN has partnered with Baboon Animation (27 Emmy's) & Toonz Media Group (produce +10,000min/year) to create DISCOMICS IQEMBU. IQEMBU means "group" or "cluster" in isiZulu.

AAN, in partnership with Imira and Basic Lead, will launch the first African-owned linear 24hr kids' animation & pop culture thematic channel.

Thank you again for your excellent participation in this 3rd edition of CANIMAF

Friday, November 15, 2019

African Animation Linear Channel

In the last quarter of 2019, in partnership with Basic Lead, DISCOMICS, POP THE CULTURE, Toonz Media Group and Imira Entertainment (a Toonz Media Group subsidiary), AAN will launch the first African-owned 24HR Kids’ animation & pop culture thematic channel. The official launch will be held at DISCOP Johannesburg 2019.

In successive years, as African production increases, AAN will build out an African programming block with the expectation that 80% of the content on the channel will be African-produced by 2029.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

A New African Animation And Pop Culture Thematic Channel Is Coming To Africa

Its time for Africa to rejoice as Nick Wilson, head of projects and content at African Animation Network (AAN) announced the launch of Africa's first animated and pop culture kids channel AAN at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The official launch is set to be held at DISCOP Johannesburg later this year. According to Wilson, the channel is said to launch the channel in the last quarter of 2019 with African produced content which he mentions will grow overtime as the country's capacity grows.
The name of the kids channel is called African Animation Network as mentioned earlier. AAN is a pro-profit, talent-driven social enterprise and open network with a core mandate to empower African animation professionals and build a sustainable African animation industry.
As you African animation has going through some challenges over the years due to the lack of funding and animation studios you've come across series that have been produced overseas like Supa Strikas. Regardless animation has been growing exceptionally in Africa with critics seeing potential in the market.
Animators particularly in Africa have perused hobbies or part time jobs to put food on the table. Over the years some of them will take part in an animation festival to boost their creative spirits and keep them close to their passion. Usually the winner's work gets a lot of attention from across the world only to get shelved with hope of trying to find a studio that will fund and expand the program footprint. This new channel will broadcast many of these animator's hardwork.
For now, there's currently no details on whether this channel will be accessible on MultiChoice's DStv or ODM and StarTimes Media's Starsat platform since both are your best pick to boost the channel's brand and audience reach. More details on this might be available in November.
The programming remains a mystery as well for now only two shows were highlighted at Annecy 2019 such as L'arbre Palimpseste and Wool Wool Town (not sure these series will be available). Expect exciting, new and old programs just don't expect this channel to get as much new content in the year as any other kids channel would have gotten in the United States regardless the people associated with the channel are working hard to bring to boost productivity. Most of the channel's lineup MIGHT consist mostly of acquisitions including Jabu's Jungle (SABC 1), Jozi Zoo (e.tv), Silly Season (e.tv) and URBO: The Adventures of Pax Afrika (SABC 3) to just to name a few.
AAN didn't bother engaging with journalists or the media (some of which are reliable) about it so they chose to leave them in the dark. Even I am one of the people who felt left out but chose to let it slide since this kind of behaviour has been ongoing over the years with other companies.
Anyways congrats to Wilson and his team for the new linear channel. Africa and other parts of the world are rooting for you, I hope you engage more with the media when you do get some exciting news to share on the channel and not let us down, good luck.ch

Friday, July 5, 2019

A New African Animated And Pop-Culture Kids Channel Launches Before The End Of The Year As Annecy Selects Africa As Spotlight Territory In 2020

The Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival and
its Mifa market have selected Africa as the
spotlight territory for their 2020 edition, it was announced on Wednesday.

In parallel with the French Institute’s Africa
2020 Season, which will highlight France’s
renewed partnership with the continent,
Annecy will host screenings, meetings,
conferences and discussions shining light on different aspects of animation production in Africa.

“This tribute is a central point of many of our recent initiatives,” explained Citia’s CEO,
Mickaël Marin, citing the creation of the Animation du Monde pitching sessions in
2015, as well as the launch of the competitive category Perspectives in 2017, as “two solid examples of our desire to provide increased visibility to these countries and to promote their astounding creativity.”

Mifa head Véronique Encrenaz added: “The
presence of African studios and artists is ever higher at Mifa. We would like to showcase it further by creating a special pavilion, as well as a series of meetings and project presentations.”

Nick Wilson, head of projects and content at
the African Animation Network (AAN), an open-network platform for African animators and industry associations, said Wednesday’s announcement is further proof that African animators are ready for their close-up.

“The African Animation Network is seeing exponential growth in the African animation
industry,” he says. “Bringing the whole continent into sharp focus as part of the Africa 2020 Season at Annecy next year was
something that was unfathomable just six months ago, let alone three years ago when we launched AAN. I know that the announcement is going to reverberate across the continent.”

The selection marks the latest step forward in Annecy’s growing collaboration with African animators. In 2017, Annecy’s Intl. Animation Film Market (MIFA) partnered with the AAN and the Discop content market to launch the first pan-African pitching competition for animators, with two winners selected each year to compete with eight other projects at Animation du Monde.

“Animation du Monde has been pivotal for our fledgling industry, allowing African talent market access [while] being able to compete with parity against our global counterparts,” said Wilson, pointing to impressive year-on-year growth in the total number of submissions for the competition as proof that “African talent has aspirations to develop and produce original African IP.”

Last year’s Animation du Monde winner, Togo’s Ingrid Agbo, pre-sold her series “L’arbre à Palimpseste” (The Tree of Palimpsest) to Gulli Africa, the Lagardère-owned kids network. Said Wilson: “The stories are unique and we’re confident can travel, which is critical in achieving sustainability.”

Another step toward that goal is the announcement in Annecy this week of a new linear animation and pop culture channel for Africa, which the AAN will formally launch at the Discop content market in Johannesburg later this year, in collaboration with Discop’s organizers, Basic Lead.

The channel will debut with a small block of dedicated African-produced content, which Wilson said will increase as production capacity across the continent continues to grow. “Market access for African-produced content is critical in building sustainable African animation and pop culture industries,”he said. “Launching a 24-hour linear thematic channel with this editorial line will bring us further down the line toward that goal.”

Another positive development was the
announcement of the first international service job for Nigeria’s growing animation industry. Episodes of the Chinese animated TV series “Wool Wool Town” will be produced in Lagos by a collective of eight studios comprising more than 50 animators, a project – secured in partnership with Animation Nigeria and India’s Toonz Media Group – that will keep the studios busy for the next 10 months or more.

Also this week, Kenya’s Seventy Two Media, in partnership with the AAN, announced the
inaugural African Animation Awards, which
will celebrate achievement in the pan-African animation industry. The first edition will be held this October in Nairobi.

The news caps a busy week for African animators in Annecy, which Wilson said “has been an incredible partner of the African Animation Network, and by extension the African animation industry.”

“Being able to celebrate the continent’s diversity of cultures and talents at the most prestigious animation festival and market on the planet [in 2020] will have enormous long term benefits for our industry,” he says. “I don’t think we will fully grasp how enormous those benefits will be until we look back retrospectively in 5-10 years.”

Annecy Festival artistic director Marcel Jean added: “We would like to assist productions from the entire continent and bring them into the spotlight, from pioneering works to contemporary young filmmakers, from the Maghreb to South Africa, and Senegal to Egypt. 

In the development of this African animation structure we intend to collaborate with local organizations and call on African programmers. This will be the opportunity for festival-goers at Annecy to discover a still far too little known cinematography.”