|
|
ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 5.6 - SEPTEMBER 2000
|
Indie Animated Features: Are They Possible?
Still, with the persistence and dedication that these independent producers have shown, a theatrical release is quite possible, if not always on the grand scale of Hollywood releases. "If you look at the financing of A Monkey's Tale, the only theatrical distributor who got behind the project was Germany's Jugendfilm, but that contract was cancelled when the film was delivered late," explains Walsh. "The fact is that the theatrical market for animated films has been so dominated by Disney (and now other U.S. studios) that there is built-in resistance to non-studio product. The only way this is going to change in most countries is if non-U.S. product does well at the box-office." This past May, the $10 million-budgeted A Monkey's Tale did receive a release in the United Kingdom, which is often considered the most difficult of all European markets, and performed quite respectably despite the fact it didn't play in the large multiplex chains. This bodes well for Harvey Entertainment, who has acquired A Monkey's Tale for a U.S. theatrical release in early 2001.
Filmmakers are increasingly adapting conventional gimmicks used by the larger studios to increase their chances of securing quality distributors. For example, the recent motion-capture feature Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists produced predominantly in India, featured a celebrity voice cast headlined by Brendan Fraser, Leonard Nimoy and Mark Hamill. This resulted in the film being picked up for U.S. distribution by Trimark, although it is unclear whether it will receive a theatrical release as originally intended or head directly to video. Tooniversal will produce an accompanying Marco Polo TV series that will help generate further awareness in the animated feature as well as open the doors to merchandising deals. The co-producers of Help! I'm a Fish will release a major soundtrack album featuring top European recording artists and a 26-episode TV series in support of the film.
While a U.S. theatrical release can help propel a film toward success, it is no longer an absolute necessity. Help! I'm a Fish has set up theatrical distribution deals all over Europe without first closing a U.S. commitment, something Russell Boland, producer of Help! as well as TerraGlyph's two previous features, says, "is to the immense credit of the independent distribution sector in Europe and to the efforts of our sales agents PID/Hanway." Boland continues, "The domination of the English language territories by the U.S. majors makes distribution difficult in these territories and the U.K. is a good example here. However, the success of Pathé's release of Chicken Run will hopefully give a new confidence to the market there and help the independent sector take some bigger risks with animation. The market in Europe is very receptive to animation. While having a U.S. distribution deal would be great and no doubt makes things easier in other territories, the nature of discussions with U.S. majors, including the slow decision making process with the involvement of marketing, home video and merchandising departments, means the local European deals can be made much faster, if the film is good enough." Even from the distributors perspective, there is a definite challenge in placing animated features into the current marketplace. Manga Entertainment is a distributor that acquires already produced Japanese animated features and theatrically releases two to three of these films annually. Manga's recent theatrical releases such as Perfect Blue and X have each screened in a couple hundred theaters throughout the US and Europe. "Our films are mostly favorable to art house theaters because in most cases, we're launching the films without mainstream public backing," says Marvin Gleicher, President of Manga Worldwide. "You wish that theaters would give some of these independent films a chance to build the word of mouth." Unlike studio pictures which can play for months at a theater, Manga's films only play at each theater for one week or less, making it difficult to build an audience. Additionally, the films are released on a staggered schedule rather than a single opening date throughout the country, thus eliminating any opportunity for a nationwide marketing campaign.
|
||||||
1 | 2 | 3
 |
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
Table of Contents
Feedback?
Past Issues
|
Animation World Magazine Career Connections | School Database | Student Corner Animation World Store | Animation Village | Calendar of Events The AWN Gallery | The AWN Vault | Forums & Chats Home |
About | Help | Home
| info@awn.com | Mail
| Register
©2000 Animation World Network