Officials and some participants at the first animation workshop organised recently at the DFI.
DOHA: Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Qatar Animation Center (QAC) have partnered with Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award winning Canadian entity Toon Boom Animation to support the development of the animation industry in Qatar by providing intensive workshops on advanced animation.
The partnership will provide intensive training sessions on Harmony and Storyboard Pro software for professionals within Qatar’s film and creative industries. The programme includes two sessions of three workshops each that will introduce the participants, from beginner to advanced concepts, and help them create efficient and high quality assets, animations, and drawings.
In addition to receiving a certificate on completion, participants also receive a one-month pre-training session software licence, and consultancy services for animation film projects led by DFI.
Toon Boom Animation has an outstanding track-record in animation, and this is its first-of-its-kind partnership in the Arab world. Over the past two decades, it has been the go-to organisation for premiere storyboarding and animation software that have been deployed for high-profile productions by the world’s leading studios.
DFI CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “The rise in interest in animation is a recent development that is powered by the demand for original Arabic content, a growing interest from regional television stations and an internet savvy population. From film to advertising and social media engagement, animation offers exciting career opportunities and has the potential to evolve into something much bigger. Our partnership underlines our commitment to provide the best in knowledge & resources to the Qatari community, and to strengthen their skills in an industry that is undergoing a fascinating transformation.”
Abdulla Al Mosallam, Director of the Qatar Animation Center, said, “We are excited to partner with DFI to host these workshops that help filmmakers explore the vast opportunities available within the animation industry sector in Qatar and the region. Even though the Qatari animation industry is still in the formative stages, the interest the medium has gained from local filmmakers signals strong growth over the coming years and we are confident they will pave the way for a major presence in the global market.”
Led by Stacey Eberschlag, Consultant/Senior Animation Instructor at Toon Boom Animation Inc., the workshop is the first of its kind in the region that opens the opportunity for participants to contribute to the fast-growing animation industry sector. “I am delighted with the fantastic response from the Qatari community to our training programme in partnership with the DFI and Qatar Animation Center,” said Eberschlag.
