Mumbai: Visitors to Asia’s leading entertainment content market and conference event – Reed Exhibitions’s Asia Television Forum in Singapore will get to see Indian animation studio Green Gold Animation getting prominence. The Indian studio has become the first Indian company to get behind as the sponsor of the ATF Animation Pitch which is being introduced at the confab this year on 28 November to 1 December. The competition is being positioned as the premier Asian pitching competition for creators and producers of innovative concepts for new and original animation targeting kids, and is aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas and talent between leading international television, distribution and Asian-based producers.
ATF has opened its call for entries from today for the live pitch which will take place on 30 November 2017 in conjunction with the annual trade event. This platform will showcase the best of Asian originality and expose ideas for export and development within and even outside the region.
Backed by Green Gold Animation, India’s largest animation production company that caters primarily to children, ATF Animation Pitch 2017 is set to become Asia’s top-flight pitching competition. With the tagline, “Think. Believe. Dream. And finally… Dare”, ATF Animation Pitch 2017 is open to all creators and producers from around Asia (individuals, students and small to medium-sized companies), keen to present their new and original, animated shorts, series and feature films in the genres of comedy, adventure, action, fantasy.
The winner will receive a US$19,000 prize from Green Gold Animation, comprising a $2,500 cash award and a consultancy package worth $16,500 that is tailor made for the winner to develop their animation making it ready to pitch to broadcasters.
As part of the bespoke consultancy package, Green Gold Animation’s leading executives will also share their expertise in areas such as marketing, writing a pitch document, global format sales opportunities, trailer and sizzle preparation, production budgeting, talent payments, press publicity, the global sales process and editing.
The first round of judging will be led by Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka and Green Gold Animation (USA) vice president and head of US operations Marc Lumer with inputs from the company’s acquisitions and marketing teams led by vice-president, content sales Bharath Laxmipati.
Shortlisted participants will then progress to the live pitching event, where they have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of some of the industry’s most experienced veterans, including senior executives from Green Gold Animation. Leading commissioning editors will also be on stage, offering advice and commentary on the ideas pitched.
“Being surrounded by passionate and ambitious people, who share a similar love for animation is a great way to feel inspired and expand intellectual horizons. It is also important to give back to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the animation industry, foster creativity and innovation. After all, animation is the craft of the soul,” says Chilaka about the company’s rationale for supporting ATF Animation Pitch.
“We are extremely proud to launch the inaugural ATF Animation Pitch with one of Asia’s biggest players in the industry – this is a true reflection of the potential of a rising Asia. Just as our existing pitch competitions – ATF Formats Pitch and Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market have nurtured Asia’s talent pool and created a culture of excellence in content, we are confident that ATF Animation Pitch will be another significant element within ATF that will allow us to be the enabler of so much merit across this vast and diverse continent,” says Reed Exhibitions ATF senior project director Yeow Hui Leng.