Leading animation company Lupus Films (The Snowman and The Snowdog, The Hive, The Pinky & Perky Show) is implementing a major training initiative that will provide a range of professional development opportunities for 55 trainees carving out a career in the animation industry. The initiative is funded by the Skills Investment Fund (SIF), which is managed by Creative Skillset and supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Lupus, one of the leading lights in the UK animation industry with a growing reputation for producing quality animated family entertainment, currently has three major projects lined up – feature film Ethel and Ernest, pre-school series The Hive Series 2 (78×7’) and Toot The Tiny Tugboat (52×11’). The grant – part of Creative Skillset’s Challenge Fund which helps employers in animation, games, film, TV and VFX boost skills and develop talent in their companies – will allow Lupus to support their growing production needs by developing their existing staff and giving opportunities to new talent looking to break into the industry.
Split between their current and upcoming productions, the initiative will provide more than 30,000 hours of training to the individuals involved, with more than 20 people based in Cardiff under Cloth Cat Animation and 30 people based in London under Lupus Films benefiting from the opportunity to develop their creative and business skills. A key element of the initiative is to increase people’s skills and confidence in using essential animation tools such as CelAction2D, TVPaint Animation, and Autodesk Maya 3D software packages, including staging bespoke training courses during the training programme. The funding also offers the opportunity for cross-production training relating to Lupus’ present and future productions and the growth of the company.
The training includes the first ever formal TVPaint Animation software training in the UK and courses will take place at Lupus Films’ London studios and at Cloth Cat Animation’s production studio in Cardiff. The 36 trainees will then have the opportunity to apply for a variety of full-time positions on Lupus’ upcoming feature film Ethel and Ernest which has been developed with funding from the company’s BFI Vision Award.
After the success of last year’s storyboard training, Lupus Films is also planning to bring storyboard guru Frank Gladstone back to the UK this summer to present two day-long masterclasses and to run his acclaimed 4-week storyboard course. Last year’s storyboard trainees found the training invaluable to the development of their skills and their careers and most found employment in the industry soon after the completion of their training, including three who found employment at Lupus and are now working on Toot the Tiny Tugboat.
Joint Managing Director and Lupus Films co-founder Ruth Fielding says: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant which will help us to make a significant contribution to the animation training offered in the UK. Our courses will provide animation graduates with the opportunity to improve and master new skills, and as the benefits from the UK Tax breaks start to filter through we believe our training programme will help to fill a significant skills gap which currently exists within the industry. ”
Hannah Green, Partnership Manager Animation at Creative Skillset says: “Creative Skillset are very pleased to be supporting Lupus Films with this project based in Cardiff and London. It provides a fantastic opportunity for individuals to receive structured training in a live production environment. With their outstanding reputation for quality animation, this project will deliver a long lasting legacy for not only Lupus Films but also the wider industry.”
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Notes to Editors:
About the Skills Investment Fund
The Skills Investment Fund (SIF) is managed by Creative Skillset and funded by industry contributions with Government match funding to support skills, talent and business development in the film, TV, animation, games and VFX industries. Every pound invested by industry into the SIF will be matched by Government until March 2015. www.creativeskillset.org/sif
About Creative Skillset
The UK’s Creative Industries make a significant contribution to our economy and its growth and are celebrated across the globe. Creative Skillset empowers the Creative Industries to develop skills and talent; it does this by influencing and shaping policy and by securing the vital investment for individuals to become the best in their field and for businesses to grow. As the industry body for the Creative Industries, it works across film, television, radio, animation, visual effects, games, fashion, textiles, publishing, advertising and marketing communications. www.creativeskillset.org
About Lupus Films
Lupus Films is a London based production company set up in 2002 by Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding. Lupus Films specialises in producing films and TV programmes for children and families, working across all genres and techniques including 2D and 3D animation, puppets, live-action drama and factual entertainment. They have produced shows for the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Disney Junior, France 3 and WDR Germany, and their productions have been seen in over 150 territories worldwide. www.lupusfilms.com
About Cloth Cat Animation
Cloth Cat Animation is a Cardiff based studio and one of the largest animation production companies in Wales. They have a multi-skilled and experienced team of directors, producers, artists and technicians who have come together to share their passion for great design and engaging storytelling. Cloth Cat specialises in creative, inventive, design-rich projects with a strong technical grounding, for all audiences via broadcast series, film, commercials, game and web content. Their broadcast work can be seen on BBC, Disney, PBS, S4C and RTE. www.clothcatanimation.com
For further information:
Valerie Taylor
Email: valerie@valerie-taylor.co.uk
Tel: + 44 (0) 7889 666594